At exactly 3:00 PM CT today, the deadline for teams to extend their players under the franchise tag has passed. Seven tagged players entered the deadline without an extension and Carolina Panthers Tackle Taylor Moton was the only one who survived and came out with an extension.
As Bears fans are well aware, Allen Robinson, our stud Wide Receiver, was amongst those who were tagged and did not receive an extension. That means he will play out the entire 2021 campaign without any long-term security that he has been seeking.
The contract battle between Robinson and General Manager Ryan Pace has been a hot topic within the Bears community for over a year at this point. No one can deny the talent that Robinson offers and the impact that he has made on the franchise. But both parties involved have just not been able to hammer out a deal, and fans are left to wonder what may happen with their superstar receiver.
In this article, I discuss the year-long battle that has taken place, the impact that Robinson offers and what he has gone through, plus what this whole saga means for the upcoming season .
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A Long Battle That Has Yet To Be Resolved
In March 2018, the Bears were able to sign Allen Robinson at the beginning of free agency on a three-year, $42 million deal; Earning themselves a much-need top target for then-Quarterback Mitch Trubisky coming off his rookie season. Robinson already proved himself as a solid weapon with gobs of potential at such a young age. The problem? He tore his ACL in 2017, which was a risk for anyone to take on.
In the 2018 campaign, Robinson was a worthy top target that helped Trubisky develop, but we all knew that he could produce more. Finally, in 2019, he shook off all rust possible and broke out again, earning his status as a legit Wide Receiver in the league. Then, 2020 came, and Robinson proved that his prior season was no fluke and was arguably even better. With his combination of credentials and unreal skill, fans hoped the Bears would make the intelligent decision and lock up their undisputed top offensive weapon.
However, both sides worked at it, and nothing came to be. So Ryan Pace decided to franchise tag Robinson before free agency at $18 million.
Robinson has been on record stating that he loves Chicago and would like to remain a Bear, and Pace has reiterated the importance of Robinson towards the team. So why has nothing come to fruition?
Money; it all comes down to money. It has been reported before that Robinson was asking for $20 million a year, but the team refused to give him that money. With that, Robinson has not been willing to compromise and agree to take anything less. Robinson believes he is a top-five receiver in the league and wants to be paid like one. I believe he is looking at a fellow receiver, such as Dallas Cowboys' Amari Cooper, who received a 5-year, $100 million contract before the 2020 free agency period. If you do the simple math, that means Cooper is getting paid $20 million annually.
Many criticized the deal given to Cooper (and still do today), as most could argue that someone like Robinson deserved that deal, or perhaps more. Robinson is well aware of Cooper's deal and is likely using such a deal to benchmark what he believes he deserves. While no one can fault Robinson for using Cooper's deal as a benchmark, that negotiation tactic has clearly not worked with the Bears to this point.
In fact, it was reported that both Robinson and the Bears have not talked in months. Furthermore, a peculiar tweet appeared the other day, pointing out how Robinson rejected an offer of over $20 million. It could very well be a rumor, but regardless of what either Robinson or the Bears have done, both sides could not agree to terms on anything. As each day passed by, the uncertainty and worry have draped over Bears fans. Now, with the extension deadline passing, their only hope is for this continuing battle not to affect team morale and ruin anything with the upcoming season.
Arguably No One Deserves Better
If any player has had the worst surroundings and team support in the league, Allen Robinson can make a good case for himself. Since his rookie year in 2014, the Quarterbacks that threw to him most often between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago bears were Blake Bortles and Mitch Trubisky, with minor appearances from Chase Daniel and Nick Foles.
If you think that he has never played with an actual QB, or at least one near his level of play, you would be correct! The fact that Robinson had put up solid numbers with Bortles and Trubisky for most of his career seems unheard. Sure, when someone like Robinson was the undisputed top target on his team, he was bound to get fed with targets, and high volume usually helps produce significant numbers. But the fact that a player of his talent has had to deal with poor QB play for his entire career (minus 2017, thanks to a torn ACL) is a travesty.
Mitch Trubisky and Allen Robinson Embracing Each Other After A 2018 Win Over The
Los Angeles Rams (Credit: Brian Cassella via Twitter)
Don't believe me? Allow me to offer some proof (all stats courtesy of PFF): Despite posting two solid seasons in a row with the Bears, only 64% of Robinson's passes thrown to him were catchable, one of the lowest marks in the league. Also, despite the low mark of catchable passes, he has accumulated 200 receptions in those two seasons. How many drops as he had between then? Only 4. Robinson is also known as one of the most dominant contested catchers in the league and is tied with Arizona Cardinals' Deandre Hopkins for the most catches versus single coverage in the league since 2018 at 39.
Of course, stats are one thing, and he has accumulated plenty of that. But wins are another thing, which any genuine competitor should strive to earn. In all of his healthy seasons (2014-2016 with Jacksonville, 2018-2020 with Chicago) he has been a part of 39-57 team records and two playoff appearances. That record could certainly be worse, as his time in Chicago has provided far more wins than Jacksonville. But being nearly 20 games under .500% is no happy matter, as it is certainly disappointing.
With all that he has been through on the field, Robinson has every right to not only want a hefty contract but play for a winning franchise. While Chicago has stayed above .500% in his tenure there, they have undoubtedly disappointed based on their expectations, and the franchise's future is a substantial question mark at this point. The fact that he wanted to stay for the right price surprised me, because deep down, he deserves better than the Chicago Bears.
What To Expect For 2021
At this point, any bickering about the situation is essentially meaningless because he cannot receive an extension or any contract whatsoever until next year's free agency approaches.
But the question must be begged: what if the Bears trade A-Rob?
It is undoubtedly fascinating to ask. On the one hand, it would seem foolish to trade away a superstar receiver and the most critical piece of our offense. Also, the timing of a trade would only become worse and more awkward as Training Camp is less than two weeks away. On the other hand, no one would want to see Robinson potentially leave in next year's free agency for nothing, so why not trade him?
Keep in mind, the Bears are without a first and fourth-round pick next year, so we are short on draft capital. Either way, any way you can gain draft picks is essential for a team to increase their likelihood of improving. Although I do not believe he will return us a first-round pick, a second-rounder will still be happily accepted.
Robinson Catching One Of His Two Touchdown Receptions Against The Dallas Cowboys in 2019
(Credit: Bears Wire - USA Today)
Heading into the offseason, I have been a strong advocate of trading Robinson because he can give us a very valuable return, and he deserves so much better than the Bears. Any team would be fortunate to get a Wide Receiver who has done so much and (if put in the right situation) can potentially play even better. I kept teams such as the Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, and San Francisco 49ers as a few I thought that would be great for Robinson.
However, there is only one main reason as to why I would want the Bears to keep Robinson, and that is Justin Fields.
The Fields Effect
Even before he has taken his first official snap in the league, Justin Fields has changed everything for the Bears. Everything in terms of hope, morale, direction, and potential long-term outlook for the team. The production and wins and losses, of course, have yet to be determined.
But remember how I ranted about Robinson never had a real QB throwing him passes? Well, that has a decent chance to change in 2021.
Now I am well aware of the addition of Andy Dalton, and I do believe he is a slight upgrade over others such as Trubisky and Foles. However, a "slight upgrade" will not cut it, and an electric college QB in Fields will be the only way to elevate the team in its entirety.
Who knows how long it may take for Fields to make his professional debut, but it may not take long for him to officially become the best QB Robinson has ever played with. Hell, jokingly or not, people are already declaring Fields as the best Quarterback that Robinson has ever played with.
But with Fields in the building, it would be a real shame to have the team trade away what would be his top target, and a hell of a player for that matter, as the season is quickly approaching. With Robinson, Fields has the opportunity to throw to a genuine WR1 in the league, which not many veteran QB's alone have the privilege of claiming.
Justin Fields Standing Around And Observing His Surroundings At Rookie Minicamp
(Credit: Da Windy City)
With Robinson out of the picture, that will undoubtedly hurt the development of Fields to a significant degree, as the depth chart behind him is not the best. While Darnell Mooney is looking to rise after a promising rookie season, Anthony Miller is talented but has severely disappointing thus far. Also, other one-year deal vets such as Marquise Goodwin and Damiere Byrd highlight the backups. Fields could have Tight Ends Cole Kmet and Jimmy Graham plus Running Backs David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen to throw to. But without A-Rob, the overall offense's picture would look significantly worse (duh).
Battling The Short Term vs. Long Term
What would you prefer, keeping a stud in Robinson and hope he can help Justin Fields develop into a franchise QB and try to win games this year. Or trade Robinson while we can at his high value, preventing the possibility of losing him for nothing.
Again, if we were not blessed with the presence of Justin Fields, I would be clamoring for the Bears to trade Robinson. Even if they do at this point, I will never complain about the idea of receiving more draft picks. However, their trade-up/investment in Fields and commitment to remaining competitive this year would seem like lost causes if they indeed trade away Robinson. It is undoubtedly a tough call, but I, like many, would like to see Fields (whenever he plays) with a player of Robinson's caliber. At the same time, if Fields pops off, we may have yet to see the best of Robinson on the field.
However, I cannot fail to acknowledge the fact that if Robinson performs better, his already high asking price will undoubtedly go up. If he and Ryan pace could not agree to terms on a deal around $20 million, I would be shocked if they would agree on anything higher afterward.
No matter what happens, or when it may happen, Robinson will get PAID. But the hopes it to be from the Bears have never been lower. While I am not surprised by there being no extension, it is certainly disappointing.
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