The Washington Redskins may have lost a very valuable asset that they had stashed away for the future, as the New Orleans Saints signed rookie wide receiver Simmie Cobbs Jr. from Washington’s practice squad.
The Redskins made a last-ditch effort to sign Cobbs after finding out of the Saints offer, but after consulting with his family Cobbs opted with New Orleans, feeling it’s a better opportunity for him, according to Craig Hoffman of 106.7 the Fan.
Cobbs went undrafted after leaving Indiana after his junior season. He signed with the Redskins and was an instant sensation during training camp and preseason. The Redskins cut him during final cuts, but quickly signed him to their practice squad.
Unfortunately, that is where he remained all season despite numerous injuries and unimpressive performances from the active roster wide receivers. There were numerous accounts of praise for his play in practice. And there was a growing feeling within Redskins Park that he should be on the active 53-man roster.
The news of Cobbs signing with New Orleans was met with a mixture of criticism for how the Redskins handled the rookie’s roster status and praise of him and his new opportunity playing with Drew Brees and head coach Sean Payton. Redskins inside linebacker Zach Brown sarcastically praised Cobbs’ opportunity, walking around the locker room talking out loud about how Simmie Cobbs is gonna “ball out” in New Orleans, per Peter Hailey of NBC Sports Washington.
Keep in mind, Brown has been calling out the Redskins coaching staff as of late as has safety DJ Swearinger.
The perception is the Redskins mishandle a lot of front office moves. And just like any situation perception has become reality with the Redskins. Them turning around and trying to counter the Saints’ offer indicates how the Redskins understood they may have made a mistake. Only time will tell, but all signs point to this being another blunder in a growing list of decisions by a front office that is certainly not well-liked by media, fans, and possibly players.
