It’s been years since the Chicago Bears have had a true No. 1 receiver. When he was signed as a free agent back in 2018, there was some hope that maybe Allen Robinson could fill that role admirably, and he did tally two 1,000-yard seasons, but his 410 receiving yard year in 12 games in 2021 didn’t provide many reasons for optimism.
Now, Robinson is set for unrestricted free agency. Although the Bears’ receiving corps isn’t exactly the deepest unit on the roster, the new regime isn’t expected to retain one of their top free agents according to Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic.
Instead, Bears new general manager Ryan Poles will have to hope Darnell Mooney continues developing, but at 5-foot-11, despite Mooney’s 1,055-yard season, the speedster receiver isn’t likely to become a team’s top option going forward.
Expect the Bears to search high and low for wideouts who they feel could become Justin Fields‘ go-to receiver in short order.
Finding a receiver better than Allen Robinson won’t be easy
The issue with letting Allen Robinson walk is they might not find a more proven receiver in Chicago right away.
Top free agent WRs available include Davante Adams, Chris Godwin, Odell Beckham Jr., and Michael Gallup. Three out of the four tore their ACL late in the season, which likely keeps them out of the lineup until the middle of the season at the earliest.
And Adams, being he’s always been a member of the Green Bay Packers, seems unlikely to stick around in the NFC North unless he’s looking for revenge. But he comes off more interested in finding a way to win or possibly land in a package deal elsewhere with Aaron Rodgers.
Not to mention, the lack of wide receivers available in FA who can step in right away could drive a team to shell out some extra cash for Robinson, which the Bears may have zero interest in offering anything extra.
While the Bears may immediately struggle to find another capable wideout for Fields, avoiding paying Robinson a high dollar amount is likely the best move for the Bears. Let’s face it, Robinson wasn’t a difference-maker in their offense with Fields, who’s to say Luke Getsy, their new offensive coordinator can get any more out of the Fields-Robinson connection?
It makes sense to clean house in this example, to allow Getsy to find receivers that fit his scheme and general offensive direction. This likely means the Bears will be quite busy during the pre-draft process, trying to identify one or two receivers who could make a near-instant impact.