Chicago Bears: Ravens dropped out of Allen Robinson sweepstakes

Chicago Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson will no longer be pursued by the Baltimore Ravens as a free agent this offseason.

ESPN’s Jamison Hensley reported, “The expectation is Baltimore won’t pursue a No. 1 wide receiver like Allen Robinson or Kenny Golladay.” Robinson, 27, is entering free agency this offseason after failing to sign an extension with the Chicago Bears in the early portion of the 2020 NFL season.

Robinson is looking to sign a bigger contract that further suits the value he can bring to a team. ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote about the Robinson dilemma back in September, saying “don’t think that’s not on his mind,” when speaking of Keenan Allen’s $20 million per year salary.

Robinson had his best year this past season in the three seasons he has played with the Bears. He caught 102 passes for 1,250 yards and six touchdowns. He delivered a career-best 67.5% catch rate. Remember, the only quarterbacks Allen Robinson has played with include Mitch Trubisky, Nick Foles, and Blake Bortles. Yet, he is still arguably a top-ten receiver in the NFL.

What is going on with the Chicago Bears and Allen Robinson as far as a contract?

Bears fans know Robinson’s situation all too well. He stands before multiple paths that his future could go down. The Bears could tag him, tag-and-trade him, resign him, or he could sign with a brand new team.

General manager Ryan Pace has failed to show his appreciation for Allen Robinson. They have not made the necessary cap room to keep their best offensive asset and failed to sign him to an extension in the previous offseason.

The Bears did start making room by cutting Buster Skrine on Monday. If done after June 1, this move can save them up to $5 million in cap space. They will need to make more cuts to make a Robinson signing possible. More cuts should be coming on the offensive line, possibly starting with Bobby Massie.

Another move the Bears might consider is the dreaded franchise tag. Today, March 2, marks one week to go before the franchise tag deadline is over. Although, Robinson would be likely to sit out the season if the Bears decide to this.

Does the Ravens’ exit from the Robinson sweepstakes help the Bears?

Not really. Robinson will always have plenty of interested teams ready to pay him top dollar. The New York Jets are in desperate need of help in most positions and will have the second-most projected cap space this offseason to work with. Not to mention, the Jets should have the second pick in the draft that could turn into Justin Fields or Zach Wilson.

The Indianapolis Colts just traded for Carson Wentz and only took a $22 million cap hit, giving them close to $60 million to play with in cap space. While young guys like Michael Pittman and Parris Campbell are on the rise, T.Y. Hilton is nearing the decline of his career.

Robinson’s old team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, is one team that Robinson said (on Sirius XM) that he would be interested in joining. The Jaguars have the most cap space this offseason to work within the NFL. They will be attractive if they draft Trevor Lawrence in the NFL draft because he is one of the most anticipated NFL draft prospects in recent history.

Robinson’s talent and consistency throughout the Bears’ struggles make him quite appealing for teams that can build a better supporting cast around him. A team like the Colts could let Robinson thrive on their well-rounded team, especially if Carson Wentz works out for them.

The Bears’ front office needs to come to their senses and resign their most valuable offensive asset. Robinson has been here for the highs (2018 season) and lows (last two seasons) of the Bears during the Matt Nagy era. With that said, there’s no need to reiterate that to Bears fans now. The only thing Bears fans should know is that things will start moving quickly with Robinson’s situation, especially if the front office decides to tag him.