After all the speculation, Allen Robinson officially received the franchise tag last week and is not happy about it. He has been liking tweets about how the franchise tag is disrespectful to high caliber players and reportedly has no intention of signing the contract until he receives a long term deal. This is going to be problematic for the Bears, creating a contract bidding war that can quickly become a huge distraction during a make or break year for Chicago. With the offseason kicking off, Ryan Pace and the Bears need to figure out the situation with Allen Robinson as soon as possible.
The Bears have the QB situation to figure out along with a one year window to win with this core. However, if Allen Robinson wants the $20M he is supposedly asking for and will not play on the tag, the Bears need to trade him this offseason for a high draft pick. Receiver is a very replaceable position with the stacked free agent and draft class. There is no point to keep around a disgruntled receiver if he is going to cause a distraction in such an important year for the franchise.
Last year’s trade sending Stefon Diggs to the Bills is a great reference point for what we could get for ARob. In case you forgot, Diggs had a falling out with the Vikings in 2019 due to being vocally unhappy with his role in the Minnesota offense. He was in the second year of his five year contract extension with Minnesota, giving Buffalo security at the receiver position in exchange for the 22nd pick in last year’s draft, along with a 5th and 6th rounder from last year and a 4th round pick in 2021. Allen Robinson had a very similar statistical performance to Diggs’ 2019 season. They both had the same amount of touchdowns, and while Diggs had a higher YPC, ARob averaged 120 more total receiving yards. Their statistical similarities show that ARob should command a similar return in draft capital.
With a loaded receiver class, the Bears should cut their losses with ARob and follow the blueprint the Vikings did last season. Trade ARob to a team for a late first round pick, and draft an intriguing prospect with that pick, with options like Reshod Bateman or Ka’Darius Toney available. While it is a risk, Justin Jefferson and Stefon Diggs’ performances last season proved a deal can be done that benefits both sides.
What do you think? Do you think a trade is best for Allen Robinson and the Bears?
I think an ARob trade is not likely because Pace and Negy are in job saving mode. They need as much stability in as many positions as possible so they can focus on the QB position. Those jokers have created a must-win this year situation for themselves and as much stability everywhere else on the field allows them to put all of their attention to the QB position. Even though I am a Bears fan I have no confidence in their QB development abilities even if they get a veteran through free agency/trade. I say trade ARob while he still has value.
Wow. Such an ungrateful fan. What kind of money do you think another high quality FA WR is going to command? And why would Chicago even be an enticing destination given the quarterback situation? So ungrateful, he’s the only consistent playmaker on the team, and the only reliable guy late in games. Disgraceful