Allen Robinson is the best offensive player the Chicago Bears have. That much is obvious from what happened last year. He had almost double the production of the next receiver on the roster (Anthony Miller) with 1,147 yards and seven touchdowns. It’s little wonder fans continue to press the team on social media to get a contract extension done as soon as possible. His worth to the offense can’t be understated.
So why is Robinson so good? Most people always think speed is the defining factor for great receivers. While this can be true in a lot of cases, it’s not the primary factor. Robinson is 6’3 which is good size for a receiver but nobody would call him imposing on that front either. Where the 26-year old truly separates himself from so many others is his route running.
The man is an absolute technician when it comes to fine-tuning and crafting how he runs his route on every single play. Details matter and this is why even top cornerbacks have had a hard time covering him. A perfect example came in a recent interview with Alex Rollins of SB Nation where he broke down a game he had back in 2015 against the New York Jets. A game where he was often matched up against All-Pro Darrelle Revis.
Allen Robinson showed everybody he was for real that day
That was one of those games that really got attention from the national media. Though the Jaguars lost, Robinson went for 121 yards that day. Most of the time with Revis shadowing him. It was a high-profile matchup against one of the best of that era and he won. This is undoubtedly why the Bears targeted him in free agency a few years later. That route running skill is vital to proper execution in a West Coast-style offense that Matt Nagy runs.
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It’s a big reason they traded up to draft Miller that same year. When the Bears have the right guys in place, they can execute this offense at its peak levels. People are still wondering though what Robinson at his best looks like. Thus far he’s played with Blake Bortles and Mitch Trubisky in his career. Not the cream of the QB crop by any stretch of the imagination. Could Nick Foles unlock some of that untapped potential?
Fans may find out this fall.