Earlier this week, the Chicago Bears made their first big step into the off-season when they placed the franchise tag on wide receiver Allen Robinson. The former Pro-Bowl wide receiver was the main question mark since last year’s training camp, when everyone and their brother wondered if and when he would get a reprieve.
Robinson, who had 102 catches, 1,250 receiving yards and six touchdowns last season, has yet to sign a long-term deal, but has guaranteed about $ 18 million under the tag with the Bears this season. But while the team knows they’ll have their star receiver in tow for at least another year, there’s still the big question of who will throw him the ball.
With trade rumors and reports of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson swirling faster than the wind at Soldier Field, you have to wonder if trading Robinson might be the key to hitting their main quarterback target for the Bears.
Wilson has been the talk of the town for the past few weeks. The Seahawks quarterback caused a stir last month when he expressed frustration with the Seahawks organization for not being adequately protected in the pocket. Things escalated further when a report surfaced stating that Wilson was willing to waive his no-trade clause to play for four other teams, including the Bears, if he formally requests to be treated.
Since then, the Bears have reportedly made trade in Wilson a high priority. The problem is, Seattle is still not keen on trading their franchise quarterback and if they do, it is believed that the Bears don’t have enough assets to entice them with a deal. This is where Robinson comes into play.
While it is difficult to determine a player’s worth in the trading market, it is possible that Robinson is worth the first round, presumably in the backend of the round. Teams like the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars, holding the 23rd and 25th overall picks respectively, are two possible options given their need for the position. Both teams have plenty of cap space and have multiple first-round picks in this year’s draft.
Additionally, Robinson has shown vague interest in playing for both teams as well. The Baltimore Ravens, who hold the 27th overall pick, may also be players, but they are reportedly not interested in Robinson at this point.
Should the Bears find a deal for Robinson that would get them one of those selections, they would have two picks in the first round this year, albeit in the 20s, as Bears’ own draft pick is 20th overall. Still, it’s another major trading ship and could push the Bears’ bid to Seattle over the edge.
It’s no secret that general manager Ryan Pace is desperate for a quarterback, and there’s news that the Bears are pushing to make Seattle an offer they can’t refuse. The problem is, their offer probably isn’t very strong at the moment. Seattle would likely want to bring in another solid quarterback in the deal, which the Bears can’t provide, and NFL teams can only trade draw picks up to three years into the future.
However, they can make as many first-round picks as they want as long as they’re out for three years, according to Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus. With Pace looking to blow the Seahawks out of the water with an attractive offer, he might consider letting Robinson make an additional first-round pick to sweeten the deal.
Are four firsts plus extra assets too much to give up for Wilson? For some it is, but Pace and the Bears don’t seem to mind paying too much for a player of Wilson’s caliber when their job is on the line.
Losing Robinson in the process would hurt the offense, but the class of recipients from free agents is quite deep. Signing someone like Marvin Jones Jr., Corey Davis, Will Fuller V or even Kenny Golladay and pairing them up with Darnell Mooney and Anthony Miller wouldn’t be the worst that would happen. There is also no guarantee that Robinson will be with the Bears beyond the 2021 season, as both sides still cannot agree on an extension.
When the Bears are serious about trading for Russell Wilson, they need whatever means possible to entice Seattle to trade with him. Robinson could be the key to getting the bid over the edge. And if the trade still fails, the Bears have that extra choice to use as an asset to either move up in the draft, to use as a trade chip for another experienced passerby who could become available later in the off-season, such as Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson or Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. The Bears could also keep knocking if nothing comes out and draft another impact rookie.
Regardless, the Bears seem ready to do whatever it takes to land Wilson. That could possibly mean that Robinson has to say goodbye for it to happen.