Bears’ Top Free Agent Rumored to Be No. 1 Target for NFC Rival

Getty Chicago Bears WR Allen Robinson

Allen Robinson has been the best offensive player for the Chicago Bears since he arrived in 2018. The seventh-year wide receiver signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Bears three seasons ago, and he has become an immediate fan favorite in addition to one of the team’s strongest leaders ever since.

In his three seasons in Chicago, A-Rob has 255 receptions for 3,151 yards and 17 scores, and he finished his 2020 campaign with a career-high 102 catches for 1,250 yards and six touchdowns. This season wasn’t without drama, however, as Robinson let it be known he was unhappy with not being offered a contract extension by Chicago.

The wideout deleted all things Bears related from his social media accounts early in the season, and he expressed frustration through his agent Brandon Parker about the fact that he wasn’t being taken care of financially the way, say, Keenan Allen or Cooper Kupp was.

There were no holdouts or insults thrown by Robinson, though — he simply went to work week after week and produced, endearing himself to Bears fans more and more with every remarkable catch. But with a salary cap crunch coming next season and a roster loaded with immoveable contracts on the defensive side of the ball, Robinson’s future in the Windy City is entirely up in the air, but one thing is certain: As a pending free agent, the talented receiver will have plenty of suitors.

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NY Giants Rumored to Have Robinson as Top Target This Offseason

The Bears may place the franchise tag on Robinson — but they’ll have to decide if they want to use it on him or quarterback Mitch Trubisky. If Chicago does elect to tag Robinson, he’ll be around for at least another season barring a tag-and-trade scenario, although gauging his happiness with that scenario could be difficult, as he clearly wants — and deserves — to get paid.

If the Bears decide to let Robinson walk, though, he’ll have tons of interest from several teams, culminating in a hefty payday. Dan Schneier of CBS Sports thinks one receiver-starved NFC team in particular could potentially woo Robinson with a hefty contract: the New York Giants.

If he hits the market, Bears receiver Allen Robinson should likely be the Giants’ No. 1 free-agent target. Robinson has been held back by poor QB play his entire career, but he might be the best contested-catch receiver — save for DeAndre Hopkins — as well as one of the 10 best route runners. His skill set is also a perfect fit for what Daniel Jones does best and most frequently as a passer. Think of how many contested vertical routes Giants receivers didn’t come down with in 2020? Robinson can fix that immediately. The Giants need to fill out their depth with mid-level signings at the shallowest positions (edge rusher, inside linebacker, cornerback, offensive tackle, running back), but they also need to get aggressive at the top and a receiver like Robinson is a perfect match.

Schneier makes some good points, although considering the quarterbacks Robinson has played with so far in his career (Blake Bortles, Trubisky, and Nick Foles, anyone?) — would he really want to add Daniel Jones to the list? The Bears also play the Giants fairly frequently, and they play them in 2021, so Chicago would hate to lose Robinson and see him burn them regularly.

The New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Football Team have all been mentioned as other potential suitors for Robinson next year, so things are going to get pretty interesting this offseason, Bears fans.

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