The days of Clay Matthews III and Randal Cobb wreaking havoc on the Bears twice a year are over.
Peace:
#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/21Z13cmGUG
— Clay Matthews III (@ClayMatthews52) March 20, 2019
Cowboys are giving former Packers’ WR Randall Cobb a one-year, $5 million deal, per source. https://t.co/8KWFPjSP8T
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 19, 2019
Matthews signed a two-year deal with the Rams that sends him back to California (he played his college ball at USC) and keeps him in the hunt for another Super Bowl ring. He isn’t the sack machine he once was in his prime and hasn’t cracked double-digits in sacks since 2014, but there might be a bit more gas in the tank for Matthews in his age 33 season if used in smaller spurts. Matthews has been a long-time Bears tormentor, picking up 9.5 sacks in 18 career games, but a ton of that damage was done in his early years as he has collected just two sacks against Chicago in his last 10 games between the rivals.
The Cowboys signed Cobb to a one-year deal and will likely use him as Cole Beasley’s replacement in the slot. Rather than write about Cobb’s fit in Dallas, I feel as if a better use of my time might be to ask Chicago’s city council for the proper permits allowing for a downtown parade. Cobb scored two of the most agonizing game-winning touchdowns in Bears-Packers history. It was Cobb who beat Chris Conte’s coverage in 2013 to secure a come-from-behind victory for Green Bay in a winner-take-the-division Week 17 contest. And in Week 1 of the 2018 season, it was Cobb’s score that helped Aaron Rodgers complete the miracle comeback on Sunday Night Football. I’m sure I’m not alone when I express extreme gratitude that Cobb – who caught 64 passes for 885 yards and nine touchdowns in 15 games against the Bears – is no longer in the NFC North.
Sure, the Bears will have to deal with Matthews when they travel out west to face the Rams, and Cobb will once again be a player to keep an eye on when the Cowboys come to town in 2019. But facing each of those guys once (rather than twice) a year has me breathing a little bit easier this afternoon.