Allen Robinson Starting to Gain Attention
Allen Robinson has finally gained some notoriety even if he hasn't gained a new contract.
The Bears franchise-tagged wide receiver was named the 34th best player in the NFL by Pro Football Focus. Those extra 4 receptions for 103 more yards and one less touchdown must have made all the difference.
Robinson couldn't make the Pro Bowl despite impressive statistics last year, and he couldn't crack the PFF top 50 heading into the 2020 season even after making 98 receptions for 1,147 yards with seven TDs in 2019. Last year he had 1,250 yards on 102 catches with six TDs but has now finally caught their attention.
"Robinson has never had an even vaguely competent quarterback throwing him the football, and that dates back to at least high school and perhaps even beyond that," PFF wrote. "The likes of Christian Hackenberg, Blake Bortles, Mitchell Trubisky and post-deal-with-the-devil Nick Foles have meant that the version of Robinson we have seen is only a fraction of what he could be with a real quarterback."
PFF had graded Robinson the fifth-best receiver in the league despite having Foles, Trubisky and even Tyler Bray throw passes his way last year. At Jacksonville he had Bortles and Chad Henne passing to him. Hackenberg, who is no longer with an NFL team, was Robinson's QB at Penn State.
PFF does this ranking of the top 50 annually and it can be expected Khalil Mack will appear somewhere in the list after he was graded the top edge player in football by PFF last year. They release the list in increments and have 30 more players to go as of Tuesday, June 22.
An interesting side to the PFF ranking is the fact former Bears nickel cornerback Bryce Callahan is considered one of the top 50 players in the NFL. Callahan is ranked 36th best overall.
Callahan has been a real pain to passing attacks when he has been available to play because of an ability to attach to receivers and stay with them from the slot, a very difficult skill to achieve.
He also has been available to play only 46 of his team's last 80 game. Callahan missed the entire 2019 season, then last year missed six games. Injuries plagued him throughout his time with the Bears, as well.
The Denver Broncos signed Callahan as a free agent after the 2018 season and now, heading into a contract year, they've had him on the field for only 10 games after giving him a three-year, $21 million deal.
PFF asks the question on social media whether Callahan is underrated.
The obvious answer should be it depends on who is paying for the contract. PFF doesn't have to pay for players who are on the field for 10 out of 32 games.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
