Lions Should Pursue WR Allen Robinson in Free Agency
The Detroit Lions have found their new general manager in Brad Holmes, and one of the biggest decisions he will have this season is what to do at the wide receiver position.
The team’s top three wideouts -- Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones Jr. and Danny Amendola -- are all impending free agents.
The new Lions regime could re-sign or extend one of them, but a new general manager isn’t necessarily tied to the old regime’s players, either.
There are quite a few big-name receivers set to hit the open market this offseason.
Not only that, as seemingly every year, the draft is loaded at the position, and this year is no exception.
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One hometown free agent that should warrant some interest from Detroit is Chicago Bears receiver Allen Robinson.
Obviously, Robinson will command quite a bit of money, and the Lions will have to be prudent with how they spend their money and draft capital.
Could Robinson be in play for Detroit over Golladay?
Both Robinson and Golladay are in line for a hefty payday.
Despite Robinson being drafted three years ahead of Golladay, they are only a few months apart in terms of age.
Yes, Golladay is a playmaker, but so is Robinson. They both are great in contested catches.
Taking into account who Robinson has had throwing him the ball for a majority of his career -- Mitchell Trubisky with the Bears and Blake Bortles with the Jaguars -- makes his stats all the more impressive.
Robinson has gone over 1,100 yards in each of the last two years, and went for 1,400 yards in 2015. In short, he has done more with less.
Now, the big question will be if the Lions want to allocate that much money to the position at all.
The receiver spot is one of the easier ones to replace, and well-rounded teams with a solid quarterback don’t need to overspend at wideout.
If they cost roughly the same, the Lions should strongly consider Robinson.
Who knows where Golladay stands on coming back to Detroit. He has said in the past that he would like to stay with the Lions. But, at what cost?
Maybe those comments were just the correct thing to say at the time.
No matter the case, though, Robinson may be a better option than Golladay.
In my opinion, if the Lions want to pay big money to a receiver, Robinson should be a priority.
However, I would be content going the cheaper route in free agency and looking in the middle rounds for great value that slips due to all the talent the draft has.
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