This upcoming offseason is one marked by star wide receivers. Kenny Golladay, Chris Godwin, T.Y. Hilton and JuJu Smith-Schuster are just some of the big names to hit the open market. However, Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson may be best of the bunch.
The Bears have had a long time to re-sign Robinson, but the two sides have been at a standstill for a while. In November, Robinson told Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times that “After Week 2 or Week 3, I was putting that behind me”.
In recent interviews, Robinson has expressed that he is open to the idea of returning to Chicago, but it is quite possible that he plays for a different team next fall. Here are four potential landing spots for Robinson.
4. Kansas City Chiefs
Robinson has spent the first six years of his career playing amongst offensive mediocrity. Despite one exciting year in Chicago, he has never really had the luxury of playing for winning teams. By joining the Chiefs, this would completely change.
The Chiefs, already the number one seed in the AFC, have the most prolific offense in all of football. Despite their explosiveness, they do have an opening in their receiving corps. At the moment, tight end Travis Kelce and speed receiver Tyreek Hill are the no. 1 and no. 2 options for Kansas City. However, there is a bit of a drop off after that.
Behind Hill, Demarcus Robinson and Sammy Watkins are quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ best options. Both of these receivers are solid, but nothing special. They also both have expiring contracts.
If the Chiefs passed on resigning Watkins and Demarcus Robinson for Allen Robinson, their offense would be even more scary than it already is. With this offensive lineup, the Chiefs would be basically guaranteed at least a spot in the AFC Championship Game. Allen Robinson would have to pass on a big payday, but if he wants to win titles, Kansas City would be his ideal destination.
3. Chicago Bears
Despite the frustrating contract extension process with Chicago, Allen Robinson is not quite ready to give up on them yet. He has repeatedly expressed his love for Chicago, for Bears fans, for his teammates and for the Bears organization. Maybe this is just a ploy to look professional in front of media, but he seems to really mean it.
However, there are clearly some doubts for Robinson. He revealed how ineffective the Bears have been in resigning him on the Carmen and Jurko ESPN 1000 radio show last Tuesday, saying the Bears “have had an opportunity to get something done in the past 365 days.” However, he also clarified that he is not frustrated with the organization and feels no animosity. He is clearly just unhappy with how negotiations have gone.
Chicago’s offense largely relies on Allen Robinson. Without him, the minimal spark they have on that side of the ball is gone. It should be their top priority to resign him, but it remains to be seen just how hard they push for him and how dedicated Robinson is to the Bears.
Even if the two sides are unable to get a deal done, there is always the franchise tag. The franchise tag is an unpopular tool among players, but if the Bears front office feels it necessary, Allen Robinson might be playing in Chicago next year whether he likes it or not.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars
Allen Robinson spent the first three years of his career in Jacksonville. His experience there was not the best, as it was clouded by poor quarterback play and frequent injuries. However, it would make a lot of sense for him to return to his old team.
There is certainly something cooking down in Jacksonville. Their roster is loaded with young talent such as James Robinson, D.J. Chark, defensive end Josh Allen and more. With the first overall pick in the draft, they will also likely select Trevor Lawrence, quite possibly the most hyped quarterback to enter the draft in decades. Despite being the worst team last season, the Jaguars could easily be on top in the next few years.
Robinson might also be attracted to Jacksonville due to the new coaching staff. Urban Meyer, former Ohio State head coach, accepted the Jaguars head coach position on Thursday morning. No matter where he has been, Meyer has found success, which attracts a wide receiver hoping to win and see development from his teammates. Robinson, a Penn State alum, might also love to work with Meyer due to their Big 10 Conference connection.
For the Jaguars, this move would also make a lot of sense. They have the most cap space of all teams this offseason, so they could easily afford Robinson. They would also love to have a star, veteran receiver to help the development of their young quarterback and young wide receivers. Lastly, Jacksonville’s new general manager might want to make a career-defining splash move in his first offseason to gain credibility and respect throughout the organization.
1. Washington Football Team
The Washington Football Team is a very attractive attractive destination for Allen Robinson. They are a couple improvements to the offense away from being serious contenders, as demonstrated in the NFC Playoffs. Despite barely sneaking into the postseason, they almost upset Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Washington’s biggest hole, quarterback, might be addressed in the offseason as well. They have the 19th overall pick, and in a draft with a lot of top first-round quarterbacks, Alabama’s Mac Jones or North Dakota State’s Trey Lance could fall to number 19. Washington’s veteran quarterback Alex Smith would help either of these quarterbacks develop quickly and have them throwing dimes to Robinson in no time.
Washington might also like to push for Robinson. Their no. 1 receiver, Terry McLaurin, has a lot of talent, but behind him, there are not a whole lot of weapons. Therefore, defenses just focus on McLaurin and the Washington quarterbacks do not have a lot of open receivers. Signing Robinson would change that.
It would not be difficult for the Football Team to pay for Robinson either. They have the 6th most cap space with over $50 million. Washington would be the right destination if Allen Robinson wants to win sooner rather than later but also get a large paycheck.
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