Getty WR Allen Robinson
The Eagles don’t need another receiver but let’s throw Allen Robinson’s name on the wish list. Why not?
Philadelphia gets linked to every potential free agent or trade victim anyway. Robinson is coming off a nice Week 1 where he hauled in five receptions for 74 yards on nine targets. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder sits atop the Bears depth chart at wideout, but reportedly wants a long-term contract extension. The trade winds started blowing after he scrubbed his social media accounts clean of all Bears references. All this despite Robinson’s agent denying he requested a trade out of Chicago.
Are you still with us? Good. According to Milwaukee-based NFL writer Evan Massey, the Eagles are a “potential trade destination” for Allen Robinson if the Bears move him. He ended his tweet by saying: “Expect Chicago to still try to get him locked up.” Robinson has 360 career catches for 4,823 yards and 33 touchdowns in seven NFL seasons. He made the Pro Bowl in 2015 after recording 1,400 yards.
It seems like a risky move for Philly considering their recent history with Bears receivers (see: Alshon Jeffery). In addition, the Eagles aren’t really in a situation to be taking on big contracts. And definitely not a good idea if they have any intention of extending Zach Ertz. Then again, the three-time Pro Bowl tight end could be an enticing trade piece in a deal for Robinson who is in the final year of a three-year, $42 million deal.
Brandon Parker, agent for Bears’ WR Allen Robinson, said he and his client have not requested a trade. However Robinson, who is in the last year of his contract, is unhappy that Chicago has been unwilling to pay him market value for wide receivers.
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Eagles Prefer “Explosive” Offense Over Long Drives
The Eagles really have no need for Robinson. While immensely talented and productive, the Penn State product adds no new dimension to the offense. He’s built in the same mold as Alshon Jeffery and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, two other big-bodied, lanky, possession-style wideouts. Plodding styles of play.
A move for Robinson wouldn’t jive with the “splash” plays and “explosive” offense that Carson Wentz has been begging for going back to last season. The Eagles invested in speed this offseason and that 55-yard bomb shot to Jalen Reagor provided a glimpse of what that might look like in 2020. They narrowly missed another home-run hitter later in the game.
DeSean Jackson was limited to only 54-percent of the snaps in Week 1, a trend not likely to continue — and the team will try to get rookies John Hightower (four targets versus Washington) and Quez Watkins (IR until Week 4) more involved.
Stretching the field, without stretching their wallets, is what the Eagles want to do. That’s the identity this offense wants. Robinson is not that guy.
“For me, I would also like to see us have more explosive plays,” Wentz told reporters in early August. “We had a lot of long drives and obviously getting DeSean back, and some of these younger guys can lend itself to some more explosive plays. Maybe we always don’t have to put together 15-play drives, if that’s what we got to do, that’s what we got to do. But I’d love to see more explosive plays.”
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