Can anybody with a deep knowledge of the Chicago Bears history name the number of times they’ve had a legitimate #1 wide receiver on their roster? They could probably count that number on one hand and not use all the fingers. Brandon Marshall is the only one who stands out in recent memory. Marty Booker flirted with the tag briefly. Willie Gault? Not really. It just proves how poor the Bears have been at identifying talent at that position.
Meanwhile, their arch rivals like Green Bay and Minnesota have rattled them off with relative ease. Jordy Nelson, Donald Driver, Randy Moss, Cris Carter, Antonio Freeman and Sterling Sharpe are just some of the example since the 1990s alone. People wonder why they’ve done so much more winning.
At last, though it seems like the Bears are catching on. GM Ryan Pace made it his mission to completely overhaul their passing attack. It started with the drafting of Mitch Trubisky in 2017. Next, he would have to find a way to get him weapons. Landing a true #1 receiver was next on the list. Was he able to accomplish his goal?
Chicago Bears landed one of just 18 receivers rated as a #1 target
Mike Clay of ESPN conducted an interesting study on what determines the difference between those who are considered at #1 and those who don’t quite make the cut. There were plenty of opinions on the matter. In the end, he determined that one thing above all stood out on it and that the Bears check that critical box thanks to their newest addition Allen Robinson.
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“The answer? Target share.
Target share is the percentage of the team’s total targets handled by a single player. For example, the Houston Texans registered 508 targets last season and 172 of them were directed at DeAndre Hopkins. That works out to a league-high 33.9 percent share (the NFL’s third-highest mark since 2007)…
…Robinson is the first player on our list who changed teams during the offseason, but there’s no doubt he’s Chicago’s No. 1 wideout after signing a three-year, $42 million contract. The former Jaguar went down with a torn ACL after three snaps last year but ranked top eight in the league in targets in both 2015 and 2016. He handled a 25 percent target share both seasons.”
Robinson certainly flashed that potential in 2015 when he rampaged for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns in Jacksonville. His mixture of size, route running, and underrated speed made him a matchup nightmare even with an inconsistent passer like Blake Bortles throwing him the ball. If only he could land in a more passing-friendly scheme with an accurate QB.
Enter Matt Nagy and Mitch Trubisky. Both offer Robinson what he’s been missing, which may explain why he was so open to joining the Bears back in March. His presence could open up the entire offense in ways this team hasn’t seen in years.
