Beginning on March 14th, NFL teams are permitted to speak to unrestricted free agents, with free agency officially beginning on the 16th. The Arizona Cardinals, coming off a disappointing playoff loss, have some work to do on the open market as well as internally.
General manager Steve Keim took a swing on former Cincinnati Bengals superstar A.J. Green in 2021. While Green flashed at times, particularly when utilized as the No. 2 receiver, it appears as if both parties will be moving on.
That, once again, leaves a hole at outside receiver for the Cardinals. It’s a position they’ve struggled to fill for years, so the team would be wise to search for a younger option that can provide stability for at least a couple of seasons.
Enter former Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson. The 28-year-old Pro Bowler had a rough season in 2021 under the crumbling Matt Nagy/Ryan Pace regime that also featured a developing rookie quarterback in Justin Fields. It’s a story that has seemingly plagued Robinson his entire career — not being able to reach his potential due to poor quarterback play questionable playcalling.
In case you ever feel sorry for yourself, here's a list of Allen Robinson's No. 1 QBs since his sophomore breakout at Penn State.
– 2012: Matt McGloin
– 2013: Christian Hackenburg
– 2014-16: Blake Bortles
– 2017: Torn ACL
– 2018-19: Mitchell Trubisky
– 2020: Nick Foles (so far)— Matthew Freedman (@MattFtheOracle) November 2, 2020
In Arizona, Robinson’s production would have the highest potential of any in his NFL career from a supporting cast standpoint. He would go from a quarterback carousel to Pro-Bowl stability in Kyler Murray, whom the Cardinals would be wise to surround with talent amidst their drama.
Robinson would face a ton of single coverage due to the threat of DeAndre Hopkins. He would likely bolster his receptions and play-making opportunities in Kliff Kingsbury’s quick passing game. Robinson’s ceiling is much higher than that of 33-year-old A.J. Green, who struggled at times last season.
Robinson has posted three 1,000-yard seasons since entering the league in 2014, with two of his years being hampered by injury. Aside from his rookie season, he has primarily operated as the No. 1 receiver.
Playing alongside former Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky in two seasons, Robinson compiled 2,397 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns.
In 2021, however, the former Pro-Bowler only managed 410 receiving yards. He missed five games due to injury and was hampered in the contests he did suit up for. There was obvious discontent with the offensive gameplan coupled with the instability at quarterback, which he detailed in an interview with ESPN.
“Coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, as I’m going through the season seeing some of these game plans…how I’m not really being involved and doing some of the things I’ve done in the past. For me, personally, it was very frustrating,” he said.
Could a team like the Cardinals be able to land the Pro-Bowler for below market value? His previous seasons give him credibility in contract negotiations, but his market remains unclear following the struggles surrounding him in 2021. Spotrac has his projected market value at $16 million per year, which seems unlikely at this point.
Would you like to see the Cardinals add Allen Robinson to pair with Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins?
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