On Friday afternoon the Oakland Raiders announced that they have signed free agent tight end Jared Cook to a two-year, $12.2 million contract.
Cook spent the 2016 with the Green Bay Packers, where he playing in 10 games, starting five of them and caught 30 passes for 377 yards and a touchdown. He played a big part in the Packers playoff run, catching a few big passes including one against the Dallas Cowboys along the sideline that setup a game-winning field goal.
The Tennessee Titans drafted Cook in the third round in 2009 out of South Carolina. In eight NFL seasons he has 303 passes for 3,880 yards and 17 touchdowns including a career-high five in 2013 when he was a member of the St. Louis Rams. He ranks third among NFL tight ends with a 12.8 receiving average since entering the league.
Cook joins a Raiders offense that was one of the best in football in 2016, with quarterback Derek Carr using Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree as his main weapons. Carr now has two new options to throw to in Cook and wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, who was also signed as a free agent this week. Carr was said to be very involved in the recruiting of both free agents.
The 29-year-old Cook left a message for Raider fans after signing his contract, via the Raiders official Twitter account:
Our newest signee @JaredCook89 has a message for #RaiderNation. pic.twitter.com/Us1U1qczad
— OAKLAND RAIDERS (@RAIDERS) March 16, 2017
Cook along with the Raiders starter in 2016 will likely battle for the starting tight end job in training camp, although both will see their fair share of playing time in 2017.