Nick Foles, Case Keenum, Sean Mannion, Austin Davis, Shaun Hill, Kellen Clemens and a mostly invisible Sam Bradford.
These are the quarterbacks Jared Cook played with during his three seasons in St. Louis. Now operating as a rare free-agency pickup by the Packers, the pass-catching tight end made it clear that teaming up with quarterback Aaron Rodgers made his decision easy.
"It was imperative that I find a person who's known for getting the job done," Cook said of Rodgers during a Tuesday conference call, per Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
As much as Cook fills a need for Green Bay's offense, playing with an All-Pro signal-caller does the same for Cook, who also toiled with a cluster of hobby-horses under center during his four-year run with the Titans.
"You've seen the history of tight ends who have been successful in this offense in the past. (I) want to build a rapport with the quarterback," Cook said, per ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky.
To that end, Cook said he's already spoken with Rodgers, saying: "I think I was more excited than he was, just to be able to play with someone who's so great and proven."
The Packers see something similar in Cook, who has 142 catches for 1,786 yards and eight touchdowns since 2013. Green Bay hasn't run with a true pass-catching tight end since Jermichael Finley in 2013, but Cook talked about a similarity in styles, saying: "Personality-wise we're different. Playing wise, you can see some comparisons in our games."
Around The NFL's Chris Wesseling wrote Tuesday how Cook fleshes out a Packers attack well-situated to bounce back next autumn. People around the league agree.Â
"Last year you had one guy (Randall Cobb) for Aaron to throw it to," one NFL assistant told the Press-Gazette. "... Now if you get Jordy (Nelson) back, you have Cobb. Put Jared with those two guys, you're talking about some matchup issues."
While plenty gushed over the Steelers signing former Chargers tight end Ladarius Green, Green Bay's addition of Cook, in the latter and hushed stages of free agency, has an equal chance to click in 2016.
With a full complement of healthy targets back in the mix -- and a P90X'd-up Eddie Lacy in the backfield -- Rodgers has the tools in place to erase the memory of last year's awkward, off-kilter campaign.
