Bears OTA 2

[soulman]

Report: Allen Robinson expected to be at minicamp

ByZack Pearson 22 hours ago

https://247sports.com/nfl/chicago-bears/Article/Report-Allen-Robinson-expected-to-be-at-Chicago-Bears-minicamp-166543367/?utm_source=247Sports%20Newsletter&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=210615_102834_ChicagoBears&utm_content=Link&eid=f8cc5dfd3b95ab773724e79962a594fb5c6a851038cf8d3d8719d069999d6b94

(Photo: Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire, Getty)

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Chicago Bears are set to continue their offseason program this week with mandatory minicamp at Halas Hall. Chicago will host practices this week with three (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) open to the media and when they do return to the field, wide receiver Allen Robinson is expected to be there.

The 27-year-old Robinson was one of the players that wasn't at the team's voluntary OTA's over the past two weeks but was the most notable omission from the offensive side of the football. But according to Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times, that's expected to change this week.

READ: FIVE THINGS TO WATCH FOR AT MANDATORY MINICAMP

This week will mark the first time this offseason Robinson will be at the team's facilities after training on his own, including in Florida. However, it's unknown how much work he will actually be doing on the practice fields during the three practices.

After a long year of contract negotiations last season, the Bears and Robinson couldn't come to an agreement on a new long-term deal. That forced the Bears to use the franchise tag on Robinson this offseason, something he has been vocal about not wanting. Robinson did sign his franchise tag early in free agency and he's set to make $17.9M for the upcoming season in Chicago. The goal is to get Robinson a long-term contract to keep him in Chicago especially with the addition of rookie quarterback Justin Fields who the team hopes is their franchise quarterback for years to come.

Robinson will also get the chance to work with Fields and free-agent signing Andy Dalton for the first time at Halas Hall as Chicago looks to improve their offense.

In three seasons with the Bears, Robinson has 255 catches, 3,151 yards and 17 touchdowns including going over 1,000 yards in each of the previous two seasons. He also had 102 receptions a year ago.

[soulman]

Wish we had more insight into the hang ups over getting ARob a new deal.  He seems to be one of the few FA we've signed who absolutely deserves a long term deal and hasn't gotten one.  Given our lack of success drafting top WRs in the early rounds not getting a 27 year old WR in his prime with his kind of production extended longer term as a priority has me puzzled.

They can't really be thinking of Mooney as a #1 can they?

[WindyCity]

Graham said he almost retired, that would have been a real cap space win.

7 million to play 25-30% of snaps would be too much for me to pass on

[abstract_thought]

1 hour ago, soulman said:

Wish we had more insight into the hang ups over getting ARob a new deal.  He seems to be one of the few FA we've signed who absolutely deserves a long term deal and hasn't gotten one.  Given our lack of success drafting top WRs in the early rounds not getting a 27 year old WR in his prime with his kind of production extended longer term as a priority has me puzzled.

They can't really be thinking of Mooney as a #1 can they?

I hope not... Mooney impressed in his role and deserves more opportunities, but the Bears have a young QB and need to keep as much talent around him as possible. Jettisoning a reliable WR like Robinson would be a typical Bears move, and not in a good way.

[soulman]

4 minutes ago, abstract_thought said:

I hope not... Mooney impressed in his role and deserves more opportunities, but the Bears have a young QB and need to keep as much talent around him as possible. Jettisoning a reliable WR like Robinson would be a typical Bears move, and not in a good way.

That's why this deal has been such an enigma.  They began talks last summer and those ended when the season began.

Essentially 2020 was a "prove your worth" year for ARob and he did.

It seems to me that before the 2021 cap was set ARob was looking to force his way out according to rumors by asking far more than he knew the Bears would pay and by being somewhat sketchy about signing his tag tender.

That stopped once he and his agent saw what others were getting based on a $182 mil cap and he signed his tender.

He and Pace/Laine have 30 days to either agree upon a longer term deal or he plays 2021 under his tender.  What is he looking for and what are the Bears offering is they mystery right now.  I really do believe the Bears want to re-sign him.

[soulman]

As of tomorrow evening I'm gonna be outta here more than on here as I embark on a two week journey back to Wisconsin to spend Father's Day with my Dad and my daughters and grandson.  Then I'll swing up to The Cheese Tundra for a few day to visit with my old friends there.

My only source of Wi-Fi for two weeks will be public libraries.  I'll check in as best I can but in reality it's gonna be pretty much dead air time as soon as this mini-camp is over.  Be back around the 1st or July or so and possibly with more news about Rodgers.

[Sugashane]

5 minutes ago, soulman said:

As of tomorrow evening I'm gonna be outta here more than on here as I embark on a two week journey back to Wisconsin to spend Father's Day with my Dad and my daughters and grandson.  Then I'll swing up to The Cheese Tundra for a few day to visit with my old friends there.

My only source of Wi-Fi for two weeks will be public libraries.  I'll check in as best I can but in reality it's gonna be pretty much dead air time as soon as this mini-camp is over.  Be back around the 1st or July or so and possibly with more news about Rodgers.

Have fun and safe travels!

[soulman]

22 minutes ago, Sugashane said:

Have fun and safe travels!

Thanks brother.  I've made this trip so many times over the years I could almost fall asleep and let the car do the driving.....if I had a Tesla that is.  LOL

[HuskieBear]

36 minutes ago, soulman said:

As of tomorrow evening I'm gonna be outta here more than on here as I embark on a two week journey back to Wisconsin to spend Father's Day with my Dad and my daughters and grandson.  Then I'll swing up to The Cheese Tundra for a few day to visit with my old friends there.

My only source of Wi-Fi for two weeks will be public libraries.  I'll check in as best I can but in reality it's gonna be pretty much dead air time as soon as this mini-camp is over.  Be back around the 1st or July or so and possibly with more news about Rodgers.

you aint got a cellphone? 

also, 2 weeks to get back to sconnie? i just made that drive from michigan overnight on monday - let's go old man

[soulman]

FWIW.....Here's Brad Biggs on the ARob deal.

BEARS Q&A
Robinson 1 month from deadline to sign multiyear contract
By Brad Biggs Chicago Tribune

Allen Robinson is expected to attend minicamp beginning Tuesday at Halas Hall, starting the one-month countdown for the wide receiver to sign a multiyear contract with the Chicago Bears or play out the 2021 season on the franchise tag.

Robinson’s arrival for the mandatory minicamp is noteworthy considering he skipped the voluntary portion of the offseason program at the team facility, forgoing a $100,000 workout bonus. The question now is whether the Bears and Robinson’s representation can agree on a deal before the July 15 deadline.

If not, the Bears would have to use a second consecutive franchise tag to keep Robinson in 2022 or risk watching him sign elsewhere in free agency next spring.

Here are some frequently asked questions covering the issues at stake for the Bears and Robinson.

How much money is he set to make this season?  Because Robinson’s 2020 salary-cap number was higher than the franchise-tag number for wide receivers this year, he will receive 120% of his previous year’s pay. That means he’s on the books for $17.88 million in base salary. The tag number for wide receivers this season is $15.983 million.

Where would $17.88 million rank among wide receivers in terms of annual average?  That would rank Robinson ninth in the league. The eight receivers making more — DeAndre Hopkins, Julio Jones, Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, Michael Thomas, Tyreek Hill, Kenny Golladay and Odell Beckham Jr. — are on multiyear deals, meaning they have more than one season guaranteed.

If the Bears decide to go down this path again, how much would the franchise tag cost in 2022?  A second tag would come at 120% of Robinson’s 2021 pay, meaning the bar would jump to $21.456 million with another $100,000 workout bonus. That would set Robinson’s two-year haul under the tag at $39.336 million before the workout bonuses. No, the Bears could not save money by using the transition tag in 2022. Any tag would set his pay at 120% of the current level.

Doesn’t a long-term contract make sense for the Bears as it would lower his cap hit of $17.98 million?  Sure, there is some merit to that thinking. It would give the Bears more operating space for the season ahead. But it’s not like a multiyear deal that lowers Robinson’s cap number by a few million dollars would create the space needed to retain cornerback Kyle Fuller, who was released in March because of cap ramifications. That ship has sailed. The same goes for left tackle Charles Leno, who was released last month with the cap potentially playing a factor. In other words, I don’t know that lowering Robinson’s cap hit for 2021 is a necessity at this point. If the Bears thought they could have extended Robinson and used the cap savings to keep Fuller, they probably would have made an effort to do so.

What’s the biggest stumbling block?  Money, money, money. The sides haven’t been able to find common ground on an extension, and when these things drag out, it almost always comes down to the dollars involved. Period. Then you get into structure, cash flow and the fine details of the contract. As best I understand the situation, not much has happened since early September, when the Bears made a run at an extension. The sides didn’t come close. Thus, you have the current impasse.

But the Bears repeatedly have said they love Robinson. What gives?  Of course the team loves Robinson. He has been the only consistent threat on offense the last three seasons. He hasn’t called attention to the team’s quarterback struggles, as we’ve seen players at his position do elsewhere. He’s also heavily involved in the community. Add it up and he has been a model employee. But business is business.

What would it take for Robinson to sign?  This requires some speculation, but it’s a good bet Robinson’s camp is using Keenan Allen’s extension last September as a measuring stick. The Los Angeles Chargers signed Allen to a four-year extension worth $80.1 million just before the season. That deal included $32 million fully guaranteed. Robinson’s camp can point to similar production by the players over the last three seasons and can argue Allen was playing with a higher-caliber quarterback. The 27-year-old Robinson — who is fourth in the league in receptions (200) and receiving yards (2,397) since 2019 — is also one year younger than Allen.

Here’s how the numbers stack up since 2018:

Allen Robinson
399 targets
255 receptions
3,151 yards
12.36 yards per reception
7.90 yards per target
17 TDs
172 first downs
48 receptions of 20-plus yards

Keenan Allen
432 targets
301 receptions
3,387 yards
11.25 yards per reception
7.84 yards per target
20 TDs
190 first downs
38 receptions of 20-plus yards

If the Bears offered Robinson a deal that used the Allen contract as a blueprint, that seemingly would push the sides toward an agreement.
OK, but the free-agent market was soft for wide receivers in March.

Isn’t that a factor?  Probably depends on which side you ask. The free-agent wide receivers didn’t move the bar, and Kenny Golladay got the best deal among a group that included Curtis Samuel, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Will Fuller and Sammy Watkins. Golladay got $72 million over four years from the New York Giants, including $28 million fully guaranteed. Golladay missed 11 games last season with the Detroit Lions, which might have affected his market value. The soft market for wide receivers was likely a factor in Robinson quickly agreeing to sign the one-year franchise-tag tender.

What is the Bears’ history of using the franchise tag?  Robinson is the fifth player they have secured with the franchise tag. Of the previous four, three played the season under the tag, while running back Matt Forte received a four-year contract on the deadline day in 2012. Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (2016), defensive tackle Henry Melton (2013) and linebacker Lance Briggs (2007) played a full season under the tag.

Jeffery is the only previous player who received the franchise tag from current Bears general manager Ryan Pace. The Bears placed the transition tag on Kyle Fuller after the 2017 season, a move that achieved the desired result as the Green Bay Packers signed him to an offer sheet that the Bears matched. Briggs eventually got a multiyear deal from the Bears after testing the free-agency waters in 2008. Melton suffered a torn ACL playing under the tag, which changed the trajectory of his career. Jeffery got the riches he was seeking in free agency from the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017.

After Jeffery exited in free agency, the Bears had a mess at wide receiver in 2017 with Kendall Wright, Josh Bellamy and Dontrelle Inman leading the position in receptions. If nothing else, that makes a new contract for Robinson a must for Ryan Pace, right?

The Bears like Darnell Mooney a lot and believe he’s poised to take a big step forward in his second season. But without Robinson, wide receiver would become a critical need in free agency next March, when the Bears will likely still have some salary-cap issues to sort through.

It’s worth remembering they lack a first-round draft pick in 2022 as part of the trade up to get quarterback Justin Fields. After that 2017 season, Pace said he felt wide receiver was a position that could be rebuilt quickly, and the team signed Robinson and Taylor Gabriel in free agency and traded up to draft Anthony Miller that offseason.

Robinson was a hit coming off an ACL tear in 2017 and stands as one of the best free-agent moves by Pace, who has leaned heavily on the March signing period to construct the roster. Gabriel was overpaid and was an undersized speedster on the outside who ran into concussion issues. Miller’s last two seasons have been marred by inconsistency.

Speaking of Fields, shouldn’t the arrival of the next potential franchise quarterback make Robinson an even greater priority?

That’s the thinking a lot of fans have adopted, but I don’t sense a new quarterback changes the way the front office looks at negotiations for a player at another position. Robinson has been highly productive with a cast of underwhelming quarterbacks throughout his career, going back to his days with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He will put up numbers regardless of who is taking snaps. I don’t know that Fields’ arrival would move the Bears off their current position, but anything is possible.

What’s the biggest issue for Robinson to consider?  Robinson assumes risk if he plays out another season in a contract year. He can purchase an insurance policy that would protect him in the event of a catastrophic injury. That’s the leverage the team has at this point as a multiyear contract offers long-term security. Robinson has been in a contract year twice before, including in 2017 when he was injured during the Jaguars’ season opener. If Robinson is confident in betting on himself, he’ll be able to go through a third contract year in a five-year span.

Don’t the Bears have a track record of taking care of their own?  Yes, they do. Pace has consistently done a good job of getting the team’s top players re-signed — both draftees who have come out of their rookie contracts and free agents who earned second paydays with the club. But every negotiation is its own entity and can take its own path. Just because two sides would like to reach an agreement doesn’t mean that outcome is always achieved.

Cut to the chase. What’s the next move?  If there is a next move, negotiations with players under the tag that get to the end of the offseason program usually don’t crank up until just before the deadline. If something is going to materialize for Robinson and the Bears, that probably wouldn’t begin until the second week of July. Nothing has happened recently that would spark optimism.

But a nearly yearlong stalemate could be solved quickly if one or both sides is willing to move off its current position. Both sides appear entrenched, and the best guess is Robinson will play this season on the tag. There’s a month remaining for that to change.

[soulman]

8 minutes ago, HuskieBear said:

you aint got a cellphone? 

also, 2 weeks to get back to sconnie? i just made that drive from michigan overnight on monday - let's go old man

I do but I'm not all that adept as using it like I do my laptop.

There are libraries in both Muskego where my Dad lives and in GB where I'm staying that are only 10 minutes away but I have some things to focus on this trip that will take up a lot of my time during the day and libraries aren't open much at night when I often post.

Nah, it only takes about 16 hours to drive the 1000 miles from my front door to my Dad's.  I'll be there for roughly two weeks before heading back.  Then it's another 1000 mile drive which is getting much tougher on my old bones than it did 35 years ago when I first made them.

Ordinarily I stay for about a month but for reasons I won't get into yet this trip will be a shorter version.

[abstract_thought]

2 hours ago, soulman said:

FWIW.....Here's Brad Biggs on the ARob deal.

I’ll just say that if Biggs is accurately representing the Bears’ perspective… that’s an extremely disappointing outlook. The feeling I got was that they don’t want to pay him, their decision isn’t affected by having a young QB, and they see Mooney as a suitable replacement. Yikes.

[WindyCity]

Eddie Goldman is an unexcused absence.

 

No showing the first mandatory team activity after sitting out a season is super fishy.

I am not sure we should be relying on Eddie to show up in the fall no matter what Nagy says.

[Heinz D.]

3 hours ago, soulman said:

I do but I'm not all that adept as using it like I do my laptop.

There are libraries in both Muskego where my Dad lives and in GB where I'm staying that are only 10 minutes away but I have some things to focus on this trip that will take up a lot of my time during the day and libraries aren't open much at night when I often post.

Nah, it only takes about 16 hours to drive the 1000 miles from my front door to my Dad's.  I'll be there for roughly two weeks before heading back.  Then it's another 1000 mile drive which is getting much tougher on my old bones than it did 35 years ago when I first made them.

Ordinarily I stay for about a month but for reasons I won't get into yet this trip will be a shorter version.

We'll sees ya when we sees ya. Have a good trip, dude. 

[dll2000]

26 minutes ago, WindyCity said:

Eddie Goldman is an unexcused absence.

 

No showing the first mandatory team activity after sitting out a season is super fishy.

I am not sure we should be relying on Eddie to show up in the fall no matter what Nagy says.

Nagy was pissed.  I would be too.