Many have pegged Allen Robinson as a perfect New York Jets’ free-agency target, but the Chicago Bears have franchise-tagged him.
The Chicago Bears have franchise-tagged receiver Allen Robinson, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Bears placed franchise tag on WR Allen Robinson, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2021
Kept off the market, for the time being, Robinson has been considered a primary target for the New York Jets‘ free agency exploits once the period gets underway next week.
Robinson has been the top target for Chicago quarterbacks in each of the past three seasons, earning 1,205 yards on a career-best 102 receptions (ninth and sixth-best in the NFL respectively) last year.
The tagging was necessitated by the Bears’ failure to reach a long-term deal with the former Jacksonville Jaguars draftee prior to last season. Robinson originally signed a three-year, $42 million deal in the Windy City back in 2018.
According to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN, Bears brass appears confident that Robinson will be back on a long-term deal.
“It’s a process. It takes both sides to work through that, and every one of them is unique. I do like to lean on our history. I think [director of football administration] Joey Laine does a great job of working through that and building relationships with those agents. Allen has a really good agent that we’ve worked with in the past, and it’s a process. We’re kind of going through that.”
With the Jets seeking offensive weaponry for their 2021 quarterback, be it Sam Darnold or otherwise, Robinson has been pegged as a worthy addition. Robinson has also made little effort in his thoughts about joining the Jets.
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Social media sleuths have caught Robinson liking several posts that put him in a green jersey as well as those harkening the news of Robert Saleh’s hire.
In another metropolitan connection, Robinson posted an unusual tweet concerning NBA news on Tuesday morning. The receiver channeled his inner-Adrian Wojnarowski by placing Cleveland Cavaliers star Andre Drummond on the Brooklyn Nets roster, as the team sets its sights on a run to the NBA Finals.
Per sources, Andre Drummond will be signing with the nets. They get some reinforcement on the defensive end and the glass. Look for them to still be active around the trade deadline lol
— Allen Robinson II (@AllenRobinson) March 9, 2021
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
