Bears would be ‘foolish’ not to tag Allen Robinson, ex-NFL coach says

Former Penn State Football standout and Chicago Bears All-Pro wide receiver Allen Robinson is one of the NFL’s premier wide receivers, and has the chance to be paid like one this offseason, as he is set to become an unrestricted free agent.

However, at least one former NFL head coach believes that Robinson will have to wait at least another year to hit a mammoth pay day.

Robinson is projected to be the best available wide receiver once free agency begins, former NFL coach Jim Mora suggests that the Chicago Bears should do everything in their power to keep him, including using the franchise tag:

"“I think that [the Bears] will franchise him. I think they’d be foolish not to,” Mora said. “… If I’m Allen Robinson, though, I probably would like to get out of Chicago. We’ve seen him excel in an offense the last couple of years that really was playing with a quarterback that has not reached greatness yet, has shown inconsistency, is not that accurate, and yet Allen Robinson continues to put up big numbers. But if you put him in an offense where they’re slinging the ball all over the yard and they’re playing a system that fits him and he’s got a quarterback that can throw with accuracy and that he trusts, then this guy is going to go straight through the ceiling.”"

Retaining Robinson makes sense for the Chicago Bears, who reportedly are in the mix to trade for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Using the franchise tag would pay Robinson $16 million for one season.

The former Nittany Lions‘ standout is in the midst of a stellar NFL career, despite spending much of it catching passes from less than stellar quarterbacks.

Last season, Robinson caught 102 of his 150 targets for 1,250 yards and six touchdowns, as Bears quarterbacks produced a 90.1 passer rating when targeting him and he dropped just one pass, according to Pro Football Focus.

Currently the Bears and Robinson are locked into a chess match over long-term contract negotiations, and the tag, as Mora suggests, very much remains on the table for Chicago.