NEWSLETTER
Welp, it sure sounds like Allen Robinson II is already turning heads in Rams camp.
Robinson, who signed with the defending Super Bowl champions early in the offseason after four seasons with the Bears, is already making a strong first impression upon landing with his new team:
Matthew Stafford sees the fire burning inside Allen Robinson 🔥 pic.twitter.com/xGoOlU1FSL
— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) May 31, 2022
New WR Allen Robinson was a topic after the #Rams OTA opener. Sean McVay said: "He's a stud. I think the first thing that stands out is the body control for a bigger receiver." Cooper Kupp said: "He's a big receiver that can do a lot of things that smaller receivers do."
— Kevin Modesti (@KevinModesti) May 23, 2022
"I'm really excited for him to be in this offense."
🎙️@CooperKupp on getting to run alongside @AllenRobinson. pic.twitter.com/zCFbpV1gbF
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) May 24, 2022
Seeing a strong string of comments from Rams Head Coach Sean McVay, quarterback Matthew Stafford, and fellow receiver Cooper Kupp praising Robinson isn’t particularly surprising. After all, Robinson came through with good vibes when he signed with Chicago. And in his years with the Bears, he was a popular teammate and strong contributor on offense. Hindsight being what it is, Robinson deserves a tip of the cap for elevating Matt Nagy’s stagnant offenses.
And yet, a sense of disappointment fell over me as those tweets came across my screen. Robinson’s final season in Chicago was painful to watch beyond the inability (of both sides) to get an extension done.
In short, the Bears’ play-callers (both Nagy and Bill Lazor) failed in properly deploying Robinson. A seemingly never-ending wave of hitch routes short of first-down markers stifled Robinson’s production while simultaneously mucking up Justin Fields’ development and keeping the offense stuck in the mud.
Moreover, injuries kept Robinson from playing a full 17 games. And even when he was healthy down the stretch, Robinson’s performance was disappointing. It’ll take a while to wash the bad taste from my mouth after watching Robinson’s blocking on Sunday Night Football go viral for all the wrong reasons. It was probably at that point when all parties knew a breakup was necessary. And that’s even with a new GM, head coach, and staff replacing the previous one responsible for wrecking stuff.
Even still … reading the praise being thrown in Robinson’s direction stings.
The Bears could use a receiver of Robinson’s stature to help ease Fields’ development. Someone who can take some defensive attention away from Darnell Mooney. A player with the right balance of skill and fire to help get Luke Getsy’s offense chugging along. Fields gave a public vote of confidence in sharing his belief he has in the receivers at Halas Hall. But it sure still feels like something is missing. And while I do believe that breakups can be good, seeing Robinson thrive in a new setting stings a little.
This isn’t to say part of me isn’t happy for him. Robinson deserves the glow-up. Who deserves it more after being subjected to the likes of Christian Hackenberg, Blake Bortles, Mitchell Trubisky, Chase Daniel, Nick Foles, Andy Dalton, and an underdeveloped Justin Fields? But dang … part of me wishes it could’ve happened for him here.
