Club Snub: Bears See Allen Robinson Slighted Again
Roquan Smith again failed to receive a first-team honor but at least this time he wasn't completely ignored.
Allen Robinson was.
Official All-Pro designation is bestowed upon players only by the Associated Press and the only Bears player to make the first team announced on Friday was kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson.
The 50 media members voting for All-Pro did put Bears linebackers Khalil Mack and Roquan Smith on the second team but wide receiver Robinson was left off entirely, just as he was with the Pro Bowl team.
The two first-team edge rushers making the first team ahead of Mack were Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt and Cleveland's Myles Garrett.
Linebackers who beat out Smith for first-team All-Pro included the same two who beat him out for the NFC Pro Bowl team: Fred Warner of the San Francisco 49ers and Bobby Wagner of the Seattle Seahawks. Darius Leonard of Indianapolis was the third first-team linebacker.
All-Pro is not chosen by conference. Rather, it is the best players at each position for the full league regardless of conference.
Smith made it onto the second team—barely. He tied for the last spot in the linebacker group with Tampa Bay's Lavonte David. The other two second-team linebackers were Devin White of Tampa Bay and Demario Davis of the New Orleans Saints.
Pittsburgh's inside linebacker Avery Williamson was the only player in the league with more solo tackles than Smith. Williamson, who failed to make the team, had 98 solo tackles and Smith 96. Smith missed most of the final Bears game with the elbow injury.
Smith led all NFL linebackers with 15 tackles for loss. The only player with more was Pittsburgh edge rusher T.J. Watt., who made 18.
Smith had more combined tackles (solo and assists) than Wagner, Leonard, Warner, Davis and David. The only one of the Pro Bowl linebackers—first team or second team—to make more overall tackles than Smith was White, who had one more overall tackle (140).
Mack finished with nine sacks this season, while Patterson led the NFC in kick return average at 29.1 yards a return.
"I love the fact that he's getting recognized," Bears coach Matt Nagy said of Patterson. "And then on top of this, too, you all know the type of personality that he is. But he's the glue that keeps a lot of us together, and I appreciate that about him.
"He's a positive, happy-go-lucky guy that is very selfless, and it's a reflection and speaks highly of who he is."
Robinson finished the season with 102 receptions and missed both the Pro Bowl team and All-Pro. He was a steady threat in an offense lacking consistency. He also had 20 more catches for 283 more yards and two more touchdowns than Buffalo's Cole Beasley, who did make second team All-Pro.
Robinson's strength was the contested catch, and was in the top three virtually all year in the NFL in this category. He did not drop a pass until the 15th game.
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