Around the NFL

February 16, 2022

Allen Robinson

Does pending free agent have anything left?

Story out that the Bears won't be looking to bring back wideout Allen Robinson in free agency. It's not surprising, in that Robinson comes off a terrible season in Chicago. But it seems a little quick to be writing off one of the very best receivers of the previous two seasons.

Robinson was dreadful last year, of course. In 12 games (11 starts), he put up just 410 yards and 1 TD. That was one of the worst seasons by a starting wideout in the last five years. Among all wide receivers to start at least 10 games in those seasons, he was one of just 33 at the position to average under 40 yards per game. The company he's keeping in that group is either players predominantly known for blocking in run-first offenses, or also turning in lousy seasons, like final-year Larry Fitzgerald or A.J. Green his last season in Cincinnati. And some of the other awful 2021 wideouts, like Kenny Golladay and Jalen Reagor.

(Table shows all wideouts with 10-plus starts in any of the last five seasons who averaged under 40 yards, sorted by yards per start. The 2021 guys are in bold.)

UNPRODUCTIVE WIDEOUTS, LAST 5 YEARS (UNDER 40 Y/ST)
Year	Player	GS	Tar	No	Yds	TD	Yds/S
2021	Allen Lazard, G.B.	13	60	40	513	8	39.5
2018	Danny Amendola, Mia.	15	79	59	575	1	38.3
2018	Kelvin Benjamin, 2TM	10	67	25	380	1	38.0
2018	Michael Crabtree, Balt.	16	100	54	607	3	37.9
2020	Henry Ruggs, L.V.	12	43	26	452	2	37.7
2020	A.J. Green, Cin.	14	104	47	523	2	37.4
2021	Allen Robinson, Chi.	11	66	38	410	1	37.3
2021	Kenny Golladay, NYG	14	76	37	521	0	37.2
2018	Kenny Stills, Mia.	15	64	37	553	6	36.9
2017	Jeremy Maclin, Balt.	12	72	40	440	3	36.7
2017	Brandon LaFell, Cin.	15	89	52	548	3	36.5
2021	Nelson Agholor, N.E.	13	64	37	473	3	36.4
2019	Nelson Agholor, Phil.	10	69	39	363	3	36.3
2020	Jalen Reagor, Phil.	11	54	31	396	1	36.0
2017	Josh Doctson, Was.	14	78	35	502	6	35.9
2021	Adam Humphries, Was.	11	62	41	383	0	34.8
2018	Ryan Grant, Ind.	10	52	35	334	1	33.4
2021	Robby Anderson, Car.	16	110	53	519	5	32.4
2021	Chris Conley, Hou.	10	37	22	323	2	32.3
2017	Jordy Nelson, G.B.	15	88	53	482	6	32.1
2017	Zay Jones, Buff.	10	74	27	316	2	31.6
2020	Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz.	13	72	54	409	1	31.5
2019	Willie Snead, Balt.	11	46	31	339	5	30.8
2017	Torrey Smith, Phil.	14	67	36	430	2	30.7
2019	Cody Latimer, NYG	10	42	24	300	2	30.0
2021	Zach Pascal, Ind.	13	69	38	384	3	29.5
2021	Demarcus Robinson, K.C.	10	41	25	264	3	26.4
2018	Chris Conley, K.C.	13	52	32	334	5	25.7
2018	Tajae Sharpe, Ten.	13	47	26	316	2	24.3
2021	Jalen Reagor, Phil.	13	57	33	299	2	23.0
2018	John Ross, Cin.	10	58	21	210	7	21.0
2020	Miles Boykin, Balt.	13	33	19	266	4	20.5
2019	Miles Boykin, Balt.	11	22	13	198	3	18.0

Ugly group, and at least a couple of those guys (like Allen Lazard) made themselves useful in the red zone, catching a handful of touchdowns. Robinson scored only once. He's 29, and might well be facing a frosty free agent market.

But Robinson was really good more recently than you might think. He was a top-10 PPR wideout in both 2019 and 2020 -- yes, just a year ago -- for a Chicago offense that was starting Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles at quarterback. He had 2 of the 20 best wide receiver seasons in those years. Should he really be kicked to the fantasy curb after one bad year?

TOP WR FANTASY SEASONS, 2019-2020
Year	Player	Tgt	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD	PPR	Rk
2019	Michael Thomas, N.O.	185	149	1725	11.6	9	374.6	1
2020	Davante Adams, G.B.	149	115	1374	12.0	18	360.4	1
2020	Tyreek Hill, K.C.	135	87	1276	14.7	15	328.9	2
2020	Stefon Diggs, Buff.	166	127	1535	12.1	8	328.6	3
2020	DeAndre Hopkins, Ariz.	160	115	1407	12.2	6	291.8	4
2020	Calvin Ridley, Atl.	143	90	1374	15.3	9	283.5	5
2019	Chris Godwin, T.B.	121	86	1333	15.5	9	276.1	2
2020	Justin Jefferson, Min.	125	88	1400	15.9	7	274.2	6
2019	Julio Jones, Atl.	157	99	1394	14.1	6	274.1	3
2020	DK Metcalf, Sea.	129	83	1303	15.7	10	273.3	7
2019	DeAndre Hopkins, Hou.	150	104	1165	11.2	7	270.6	4
2019	Cooper Kupp, LAR	134	94	1161	12.4	10	270.5	5
2020	Tyler Lockett, Sea.	132	100	1054	10.5	10	265.4	8
2020	Allen Robinson, Chi.	151	102	1250	12.3	6	262.9	9
2019	Keenan Allen, LAC	149	104	1199	11.5	6	261.5	6
2019	Julian Edelman, N.E.	153	100	1117	11.2	6	258.8	7
2019	Allen Robinson, Chi.	154	98	1147	11.7	7	254.9	8
2020	Adam Thielen, Min.	108	74	925	12.5	14	254.0	10
2019	Kenny Golladay, Det.	116	65	1190	18.3	11	250.0	9
2020	A.J. Brown, Ten.	106	70	1075	15.4	11	249.5	11

I'm not expecting Robinson to get a big contract in free agency, nor should he be targeted in drafts next year as the kind of player he was in 2020. But he also shouldn't be dismissed as the disaster he was in 2021. In the right situation (he could scarcely land with a shakier quarterback situation in a more-broken offense), a bounce-back season is very possible.

--Andy Richardson

Allen Robinson

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