Allen Robinson has a unique perspective on things compared to other people. He played for the Chicago Bears from 2018 to 2021. He also played for Ben Johnson with the Detroit Lions in 2024. That means the former wide receiver understands how the two sides are trying to mesh. He stated from the beginning that Johnson would be a breath of fresh air at Halas Hall, both with his leadership and offensive genius. That proved true. He also knows a few things about some of the guys Johnson brought in, such as Kalif Raymond.
Chicago added the veteran wide receiver two months ago, trying to fill in the gaps left behind by D.J. Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus. His previous experience in Johnson’s offense made it an easy move, along with his considerable speed and Pro Bowl return ability. However, Robinson believes those weren’t the primary reasons Raymond was brought in. It had more to do with the impact he would have on the locker room, particularly his fellow receivers. Robinson explained on 104.3 The Score.
Allen Robinson just proved again how subtle Johnson can be.
From the outset of his tenure as head coach, Johnson has repeatedly stated that his goal was to get the Bears to a point where everything they did was consistently at a high level. One of his most notable quotes was memed into oblivion.
“We are not chasing labels. We are chasing growth. Consistency will determine everything.”
Then you look at the Bears’ wide receivers last year. As a group, they had 15 official dropped passes, and it was probably more. There were also several instances of guys running the wrong routes, leading to incompletions or even interceptions. For a perfectionist like Johnson, that had to drive him crazy. Coming into this offseason, he had to make a plan to get those issues cleaned up. If coaching alone wouldn’t do it, maybe bringing in someone to hold the other guys accountable would.
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That is where Raymond comes in. Johnson knew from years of working together that the receiver is a relentless worker and meticulously detailed in his approach. Combine that with vocal leadership, and it is the perfect solution to the problem. Johnson won’t be able to stay on top of the receivers all the time. Now he won’t have to.
This is a time-tested strategy for head coaches.
There have been many instances of someone taking over a team and recognizing pretty early that players don’t have a keen understanding of the preparation needed to win in the NFL. So rather than just relying on their coaching, they bring in players who live for that grind. Bill Walsh did it with Jack Reynolds in the 1980s. Jimmy Johnson did when trading for Charles Haley in the 1990s. Bill Belichick did it with Anthony Pleasant in the early 2000s. Philadelphia did it with Malcolm Jenkins in the 2010s.
Allen Robinson understands that approach as well as anybody. It was part of the reason why the Bears signed him in 2018. They knew he was a dedicated worker in addition to being so talented. Part of that was because of a bad knee injury earlier in his career. It forced him to become better at his craft. That is something Raymond will look to instill in the younger guys. If he’s successful, this Bears team will become significantly more dangerous than they were last year.
