Getty The Patriots could target wide receiver Allen Robinson in free agency.
The New England Patriots will likely be looking for a No. 1 wide receiver this offseason. And in this proposed scenario, they can sign a former Pro Bowler during free agency.
The Patriots had a resurgent 2021 season, capped by their first playoff berth of the post-Tom Brady era. New England rode a strong defense — No. 2 in the league — and a balanced run/passing attack behind rookie Mac Jones to success.
However, New England started to falter down the stretch, losing four of their last five games. Their lone victory came against one of the worst teams in the league in the Jacksonville Jaguars.
If the Patriots want to ensure that this past season’s run was no fluke, they’ll likely have to acquire a playmaker at wide receiver. According to Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, Chicago Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson could “blow up” on the Patriots. Robinson will enter free agency after a rough 2021 campaign with the Bears.
“Chicago Bears wideout Allen Robinson II has been a potent offensive weapon before,” says Knox. “He was a Pro Bowler in 2015, and he amassed 1,250 receiving yards in 2020. However, Robinson caught just 38 passes for 410 yards and a touchdown in 2021.
He could blow up once again if he gets out of Chicago.
Several factors limited Robinson this season. Inconsistent quarterback play certainly didn’t help—Bears passers posted a cumulative 75.7 rating. Robinson also missed three games because of a hamstring injury and two because he was on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
His relationship with former head coach Matt Nagy deteriorated as well.
During an appearance on Keyshawn, JWill and Max (h/t Brendan Sugrue of Bears Wire), Robinson said he didn’t speak with Nagy for five months during the 2021 offseason, during which he was franchise-tagged.
Given a more stable coaching situation and an opportunity to be a No. 1 receiver—perhaps with a team such as the New England Patriots—Robinson should stand a good chance of returning to a Pro Bowl level.”
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Robinson Has Excelled in Less-Than-Ideal Situations
The 28-year-old Robinson once posted an 80-catch, 1400-yard, 14-touchdown season with the Jaguars with Blake Bortles as his quarterback. Outside of that ridiculous 2015 season, Robinson also posted back-to-back 98-plus reception, 1,100-yard seasons with the Bears in 2019 and 2020 with Mitch Trubisky as his quarterback.
Needless to say, Robinson hasn’t had the best quarterbacks throwing to him — both Bortles and Trubisky are currently backups — and he still has carved out elite numbers when given the opportunity.
During the 2021 season, Robinsons struggled with COVID-19 and fell out of favor in Chicago, catching just 38 passes for 410 yards and a touchdown. Due to that one-season decline in statistics, the Patriots could find themselves a bargain signing in the former Pro Bowl wideout.
According to Spotrac, Robinson’s market value is $16.3 million per season. However, the Patriots could manage to sign Robinson to a cheaper deal if other potential teams decide to focus their attention on bigger-name free agency wide receivers such as Davante Adams and Chris Godwin.
Jones Could Use a True No. 1 Receiver
Most notably, Jones could use a legitimate No. 1 receiver in Robinson.
While Jones clearly demonstrated he was the best quarterback of the rookie class, he did start to show struggles towards the end of the season. Some of that can be chalked up to your typical rookie struggles combined with stronger opposition, but a top-tier receiver can usually alleviate that decline in play.
During the months of December and January, the 23-year-old quarterback threw eight touchdowns against seven interceptions for a completion rate of just 60.6% for an average of just 6.6 yards per pass attempt. Every single one of those numbers are a stark decline compared to his whole season numbers (22 touchdowns versus 13 interceptions, 67.6% completion rate and 7.3 yards per pass attempt).
If the Patriots want to remain a playoff team for the 2022 season in a stacked AFC, acquiring a true No. 1 receiver is at the top of their list. And considering Robinson may be available for below his market value, Bill Belichick may just pounce and pull off one of the biggest bargain signings of the 2022 offseason.