The Chicago Bears have thoroughly baffled their fans for the past calendar year in their handling of Allen Robinson. Here is a wide receiver who has produced back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons despite subpar quarterback play. One would think the team would be eager to ensure they keep him long-term as they try to get that problem fixed. Instead, the two sides have been deadlocked on an extension since September of 2020.
Robinson has reiterated multiple times there is nothing new between his agent and the organization. He is fully prepared to play on the franchise tag with the belief he will be a free agent in 2022. That is unless the Bears are willing to tag him a second time, which is unlikely. Nobody knows for sure what type of money Robinson is seeking, but the general belief is it’s in the $20 million per year range.
If so, Chicago clearly doesn’t believe he is worth that much.
Now all eyes are fixed on the July 15th deadline. That is how long teams have left to negotiate a long-term deal with franchise-tagged players. After that, they won’t be able to again until after the season ends. So one can understand why many Bears fans believe if the team can’t get it done now, they are likely never going to. Will it happen? NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero doesn’t think so. Not based on his latest information.
Without any information to paint a clear picture, all fans can do is throw blame at one side or the other in this. Either they think the Bears are being too cheap or Robinson is being unreasonable in his demands.
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Are the Bears prepared to risk losing Allen Robinson?
To answer this question, one must look at the man running the show. In this case GM Ryan Pace. His track record says a lot. The man hasn’t been shy about letting productive receivers out the door. He traded Brandon Marshall in 2015. Then he let Alshon Jeffery walk in 2017. While there were valid reasons for those decisions, it nonetheless still hurt the Bears’ offense when they were made.
One could even trace this practice back to his days in New Orleans. The Saints established a reputation of their own for letting productive receivers go via free agency or trade. Firm in their belief they could replace the losses. It happened with Lance Moore, it happened with Kenny Stills, and it happened with Brandin Cooks. Pace doesn’t seem to view wide receiver as a position one should sink big money into. Why? Namely, because it is far less difficult to refill the position than others.
Just look at Darnell Mooney for a reminder.
The Bears found him in the 5th round last year. He’s obviously not at Robinson’s level but his potential after a strong rookie season suggests he will be good. Also, remember that Robinson himself was a 2nd round pick. Finding good receivers outside the 1st round is a regular occurrence these days. Chicago wants to keep A-Rob around, but it’s clearer than ever they won’t break the bank to do it.