Chicago Bears Twitter debates whether or not a tag-and-trade of Allen Robinson for Sam Darnold is worth it.
The Bears could seriously use an upgrade at quarterback, and Bears fans already know this. General manager Ryan Pace explained the quarterback situation, vaguely, at his press conference Tuesday afternoon.
“Everything’s on the table regarding the quarterback situation. And honestly, that includes players on our current roster, free agency, trades, the draft. We have a plan in place and now it’s about executing that plan,” said Pace via the Chicago Bears website.
The Bears’ front office could not give away any specifics to maintain a competitive advantage, but there are a lot of options the Bears could seek, including one quarterback from New York.
Crazy idea: #Bears tag @AllenRobinson. @nyjets trade Sam Darnold for Robinson. #Jets sign Robinson to long term deal.
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) March 3, 2021
Sam Darnold, 23, has been tossed in numerous trade possibilities around the league with the idea that the Jets will take a quarterback in the upcoming NFL draft. That being said, the concept of the tag-and-trade including Robinson for Darnold is wildly egregious.
Is Allen Robinson that good?
Yes! Allen Robinson is one of the best wide receivers in the league and a lethal skill player. In the past two seasons with the Bears, he has put up two straight 1,000 yard seasons, averaged 100 catches, and recorded 13 total touchdowns.
It’s important to remember the struggles Robinson had to face along the way. Last season, the Bears had the 23rd ranked offense in the league, quarterback struggles, changes in play-calling, and constant pressure from the league’s best defenders.
Besides all of that, he ranked in the top-ten of the league in targets, catches, and yards. If you think Robinson is going to slow down at some point, you would be wrong.
How bad is Sam Darnold?
Sam Darnold, on the other hand, has shown zero signs of potential outside of his age. Last season, Darnold threw as many touchdowns as Dak Prescott, who fractured his ankle and played just five games.
Darnold has had just one season throwing over 3,000 yards, zero seasons with more than 20 touchdowns, and throws a career 59.8% completion percentage in three seasons.
Yes, of course, Darnold faced obstacles too, much worse than Robinson’s I’ll admit. He had Adam Gase as his coach, a below-average offensive line in the last two seasons, and a defense that never ranked higher than 16th in the NFL. Plus, at the beginning of last season, the leading receiver for the Jets was Braxton Berrios, who I’m positive no one knew until then.
Is it possible Darnold makes a breakout? Yes, he is only 23 and has never had the supporting cast to allow him to be great.
Would the trade between Robinson and Darnold be reasonable? No.
It would take a lot of steps for the Bears to even talk about this trade. On Sirius XM radio, Robinson stated he would be interested in returning to the Bears or going back to his old team, the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Bears are still in the beginning stages of this negotiation.
Furthermore, the Bears, while unlikely, could make the cap space for Robinson by making cuts to the team’s roster. They already started this process by cutting Buster Skrine on Monday.
Even if trade talks transpired, Pace and the front office would realize that Robinson for Darnold is unfair for the Bears. Yes, Robinson’s situation creates an upper hand for buyers, but the deal has to be fair. The Jets have 19 draft picks in the next two NFL drafts, and they might have to hand over a future first-day pick for Robinson to make it even.
Think about the Houston Texans’ current situation. Deshaun Watson, unlike Robinson, has already declared that he will never play for the Texans again. Yet, their front office seems to believe they will be able to keep him. Even then so, teams are already storming up fair value trades that include three first-round picks. Just because Robinson wants to leave, does not mean he’s fair game in the trade market for pennies.
