LAKE FOREST – Even though the season is not quite at the halfway point thanks to a new 17-game schedule, some are already wondering if the focus for the Bears should be on the future.
At 3-5 on the season and four full games behind the Packers for first in the NFC North, it was thought that Ryan Pace might pull the trigger on a few deals before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. One of those players thought to be on the trading block is receiver Allen Robinson, since he remains only on his franchise tag deal for the 2021 season.
That along with the fact that he’s not been able to have the production like the past with quarterback Andy Dalton then Justin Fields made him a candidate in some people’s eyes to be dealt. But Tuesday came and went without a single trade from the Bears, with Robinson and others remaining on the roster.
Frankly, that wasn’t a surprise to the receiver as he spoke to reporters at his weekly news conference on Wednesday.
“Besides seeing anything when I check Twitter or nothing like that, nothing really came up or nothing really led me to think anything,” said Robinson.
It’s certainly been an unusual season for the receiver, who managed to catch 200 passes over the last two years despite inconsistency at quarterback and throughout the offense. So far this season, he has just 26 catches on 44 targets for 271 yards with just one touchdown, which is well off his pace of 102 catches for 1,250 yards and six touchdowns.
Robinson is aware of the dip in production and has begun looking for solutions through self-examination.
“It’s been just trying to just account for everything, trying to see what I can do differently, trying to figure out what there is that could be done differently, again, on my end and control the things that I can control to possibly change whatever is going on or to increase my production, or whatever the case may be,” said Robinson. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do each and every week; just been trying to get better myself, just trying to continue to focus on improving the things that I can.”
Robinson said that a nagging ankle injury has bothered him but not had any effect on his performance at all this season. One thing that has been asked is if the time to build chemistry with Fields has been an issue in the receiver’s decreased numbers this season.
His season-high in targets was 11 in the opener against the Rams when Dalton took the majority of the snaps. The most throws that Robinson has seen his way since was seven against the Packers in Week 6, but he along with other receivers have been putting in extra work on Zoom to try and build chemistry over the last few weeks.
As that happens, and as Robinson continues on with the final nine games of this year, the key for the veteran receiver is to make the most of his chances.
“Even going back to the Detroit game, it was three opportunities that we had and that we hit on,” said Robinson. “Stuff like that is what we talk through in practice and we had our opportunities and we hit those opportunities. So, for us, it’s just figuring out whatever those ‘ops’ are, whenever those ‘ops’ come, how can we hit those and execute those.”
Getting more opportunities to do that would certainly help the Bears get arguably their best player on offense back to where he was the last two years.
