The Green Bay Packers may have found the missing piece to their Super Bowl aspiration with newly acquired tight end Jared Cook.
Tight End Jared Cook’s Importance to the Green Bay Packers Offense
The Packers had been lacking an athletic weapon in the middle of the field since Jermichael Finley suffered a career ending neck injury in October 2013, against the Browns.
Jared Cook has good size (6’5’’, 254lbs) and can run as attested by his 4.5-second 40-yard dash at the 2009 combine. To add to his speed and frame, he can jump out of the gym (41 inches vertical at the combine).
Cook is a matchup nightmare for defenses that Aaron Rodgers will certainly love to exploit. He is too fast to cover for a linebacker, and he is too big for a cornerback. And if you double-team him, you are leaving one of the many weapons Green Bay has at its disposal in a one-on-one matchup.
According to Sean Wagner-McGough, who wrote a brilliant analysis on Jared Cook, the tight end is great in traffic as he uses his big body to shield the ball away from defenders. He can run crossing routes, short, and intermediate routes, as well as seam routes. All this means he will fit perfectly in Green Bay’s passing attack.
Green Bay’s aerial game is comprised of, mostly, isolation routes rather than using pick, bunch, or rub formations to help receivers create separation, and amassing some yards after the catch.
A year ago, when Jordy Nelson went down with a knee injury, the Packers offensive play callers refused to adapt and they got burned once the Broncos swamping defense exposed the receivers’ inability to win one-on-one matchups. After that fateful Sunday Night Football game, it was man coverage for the rest of the season.
It seems that Green Bay’s offense will, again, heavily rely on isolation routes, and receivers’ ability to win one-on-one matchups. Cook will also run quick routes such as slants, options, and comebacks giving Rodgers a quick open man in case of pressure, or blitz.
During the NFC Coaches’ breakfast at the annual league meeting, Mike McCarthy discussed New England’s two tight ends (Martellus Bennett and Rob Gronkowski) formation, and the importance of attacking the middle of the field.
“Let’s be honest, the middle of the field is open now,” McCarthy said per ESPN. “League rules. Big people running down the middle of the field, I’ll make no secret about it. I think that’s a key to offensive success, whether that’s a big receiver or big tight end or a big man running down the middle of the field, making those safeties cover you. It’s an important part of playing in today’s NFL.”
Soon after the meeting, Green Bay signed Jared Cook.
Recipe for Success
It seems that Mike McCarthy is intrigued by the prospect of running his own two tight ends formation even though the Jared Cook-Richard Rodgers combination does not scare anyone the way Martellus Bennett-Rob Gronkowski does, or even Aaron Hernandez-Rob Gronkowski.
Mainly because, few players, regardless of positions, inflict the kind of fear in defensive coaches and players that Gronkowski does.
However, the Jared Cook-Richard Rodgers tandem is nothing to sneeze at for multiple reasons.
One: Cook is a talented player who has had an average career in the National Football League. Some will blame it on the subpar (to be nice) quarterbacks he has played with until now, while some will blame his drops and inconsistency.
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Opposite him, Rodgers is coming off a season in which he was exposed as a player who, quite simply, is not athletic enough to install fear in the heart of defenses.
Two: both of these players are on a hot seat. Cook was signed to a one-year deal reportedly worth $3.6 million, meaning he could be gone next year if he does not live up to expectations. If Cook does not perform with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, when will he?
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On the other hand, Richard Rodgers has a little bit more leeway, but only because he knows the offense better than Cook. But if he continues to struggle due to his lack of athleticism, Green Bay will be left with one choice: cut or trade him.
The pressure has mounted on both of these players, and this is going to be a make or break season for both.
But can you picture the matchup nightmares these two monsters would create on the field? How do you defend a 12-formation with the two tight ends, Eddie Lacy, Jordy Nelson, and Jeff Janis on the other side? Who do you zero in on? Or a screen pass with Cook and Rodgers as the lead blockers in front of Cobb?
The possibilities are endless and with the head coach-quarterback tandem leading the way in Green Bay, this offense could, very well, end up as the best in the NFL.
Throughout the Aaron Rodgers-Mike McCarthy era, Green has never really been known for running the ball, despite Eddie Lacy’s strong performances, at least, until last season. Adding another big body to the line of scrimmage will remedy that problem as well. Teams like the Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens use the 12-formation often to help their run game, setup play-action plays, and the read option.
On goal-line formations, Cook would give Aaron Rodgers another target, as if he did not have enough weapons already, to throw the ball to. Cook could lineup near the offensive line, or spread out wide, or simply be used as a decoy. Cook would be tremendous in those situations because he protects the ball, the way a basketball player shields the ball away from a defender when grabbing rebounds.
Conclusion
Jared Cook will bring a lot to the Packers, and his presence on the field may change the tide in the NFC race. Remember that the vaunted Seahawks defense ranked 18th in 2014, and 26th in 2015 against tight ends, according to footballoutsiders.com. So with a talented and athletic tight end running in the middle of the field, Green Bay could end up on top. And, against other great defenses such as Carolina, Arizona, and Minnesota, Cook will be another weapon at Aaron Rodgers disposal.
Cook was signed to a low-risk high-reward contract and can help both himself and the team through his play. If he has a (very) good season, either Green Bay signs him to a long-term deal, or another team could break the bank for his services, and Green Bay may add another Lombardi on its trophy shelf. On the other hand, if he fails to produce, he is gone next year and does not hinder the franchise long term.
The clock is ticking on Jared Cook and the ball is now in his hands, time to make a play.
