Trading Allen Robinson Might Be Preferable Now

Getting it done early on the field this season could mean everything if the Bears really do have designs on retaining Allen Robinson.

Although the Bears did not get Robinson a new contract before the July 15 deadline, it doesn't mean they would allow him to depart without another contract offer.

This would seem unlikely, but it could happen.

Robinson can still be signed after this season before March 15, 2022 or even be tagged again, although tagging someone two straight years isn't something the Bears have done in the past. And if they weren't willing to meet Robinson's demands now, why would it be expected they would do it in the future?

Robinson will be 29 when the 2022 season begins and wide receivers are either hitting or about to hit the downside of their careers at this point.

The diminished salary cap resulting from COVID-19 can largely be a thing of the past by next season and the Bears could have more cash available then for Robinson but the desire to keep him would drop.

A real problem at that point would be the contracts they'll need to get done with other players, like Bilal Nichols and James Daniels. They'd also need future cash to get extensions to David Montgomery and Roquan Smith, whose deals expire after the 2022 season.

Still, bottom line is the Bears currently are slated to have the 12th most cap space available in 2022 according to Overthecap.com, at $36.2 million based on a cap of $208 million. And because the pandemic is largely over in terms of how it affects the NFL, it's possible revenue could climb.

There could be more money anyway.

Who were the best WRs in #ReceptionPerception's success rate vs. man coverage last year?

Top 5:
1) Stefon Diggs
2) Davante Adams
3) AJ Brown
4) Allen Robinson
5) Terry McLaurin

Full data table: https://t.co/IPXbzwcXwg pic.twitter.com/LCxfNaYGTH
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) July 14, 2021

It's very possible they wouldn't have Robert Quinn on the payroll next year. Quinn had $27 million in guaranteed salary and $6.2 million in guaranteed bonus working for him last year and this year, but after this season there is no more guaranteed money beyond his prorated signing bonus of $9.3 million split from 2022-2024. He can be cut and the Bears would save $12.9 million against next year's cap as well as avoid paying the $26,800 in salary he'd be due the final two years of the deal and $300,000 in workout bonus money.

They can save $3.5 million by cutting Danny Trevathan with a post-June 1 designation next year. They will save $3 million when Nick Foles is no longer on the payroll for 2022. There are several other players who could be cut and money would be saved, including Eddie Goldman if his return from COVID-19 opt-out doesn't work this year. They even could save $17.75 million by trading Khalil Mack post June 1 if they wanted to do something so foolish.

So there are plenty of ways the Bears would have enough money to pay Robinson the cash he wants on a future contract if they desired a 29-year-old X-receiver for 2022 who catches everything and would be theirs for three or four more years.

There is the catch. They may have decided already Robinson at this point in his career is not someone they want to commit to for the future.

In that case, the start of this season becomes very big because then it's possible Robinson wouldn't even be with the Bears by the end of this season.

The trade deadline for the NFL is 3 p.m. on Nov. 3 for this season. Before the deadline, the Bears start their season against the Rams, Bengals, Browns, Lions, Raiders, Packers, Buccaneers and 49ers.

If the Bears are mired in a stretch of losses then, they become the seller.

To the people crying about Cole Kmet not getting enough separation:

You do know that Allen Robinson, an elite WR on our team, is 84th in the NFL in target separation… Right?

You can make a living in contested catches and bullying defenders. Absolutely childish knock. #Bears pic.twitter.com/JxhuGA7Jik
— Joseph Herff (@JosephHerffNFL) July 14, 2021

Would they be expected to turn it around against the Ravens, Lions, Cardinals, Packers, Vikings, Seahawks, Giants and Vikings in the second half? It's a fairly balanced schedule from first half to the second half and there is no reason to think they'd do any better against the teams after Nov. 3, than before the trade deadline.

So Robinson could be someone the Bears would look to trade if the season starts out on the down side.

Or, if they see someone emerging in training camp and preseason, they could actually deal him before the season even begins the way the Raiders traded them Khalil Mack. They'd get more in return by trading him when they're not up against the trade deadline, when other teams know they're desperate to make a deal.

Keeping many players in Robinson's situation if the season turns bad could be a detriment. After all, who wants a player in the locker room who wants out and the team is losing? But in Robinson's case, he has virtually always been a class act and the Bears probably would not need to worry about this.

Trading Robinson would not only bring back something in return, it would prevent him from signing as a free agent after this season with another NFC North team or even another NFC team.

Trading a franchise free agent is usually something teams do well before the July 15 deadline for getting a long-term deal done, but it has been done. The Jadeveon Clowney situation was one example, and it wasn't a good situation.

The Bears risk getting back only a mid-round draft pick as compensation then, but at least it would be something.

They could take all of this out of play by winning most of their games in the season's first half, getting into contention for the division and then making another decision after the season on whether they want to go through the whole franchise player nightmare again in 2022 for a 29-year-old receiver.

With all of the other options available to them then in free agency or the draft, it's not a scenario likely to repeat itself.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven