Free agency will begin next month for the NFL, and with the Jacksonville Jaguars having the most cap space in the league, they could be the team to watch in terms of making the best additions. One addition in particular that the fan base has been vocal about is signing former Jags receiver Allen Robinson, who may have played his last down with the Chicago Bears.
While the argument could be made that the Jags are worse off than they were when Robinson left in 2018, the team has a chance to get better real soon. That’s because their 1-15 season in 2020 gave them a direct path to Trevor Lawrence, who most feel is a generational talent at the quarterback position. That said, if the Jags front office can sell his potential to veteran free agents, they could come away with a nice haul.
Legendary Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens receiver turned analyst, Steve Smith, believes this is exactly why Robinson should return to Jacksonville next month. After watching the young Clemson Tiger blow his pro day process out of the water in person, Smith seemingly believes Lawrence could translate well when it comes to the NFL game.
However, to do that, Smith admitted that the young signal-caller will need a go-to guy on the perimeter — and there aren’t many receivers better equipped to do so than Robinson.
“Allen Robinson should, and I’d love this story, go back to Jacksonville,” Smith said. “Also, I was down last week in Clemson seeing Trevor Lawrence [at his pro day]. Why not put a dynamic receiver [beside him] and actually give himself a quarterback who can throw the ball.
I love Trevor Lawrence, and I love him going to Jacksonville under Urban Meyer. Hey, send me a jersey. I need one. Send me a Trevor Lawrence jersey.”
Robinson has been vocal in the past about the lack of stability in Jacksonville, and how that was one of a few reasons he left. However, with the Jags signing new coach Urban Meyer last month, things clearly should be stable for a while now, especially with how patient owner Shad Khan is.
With free agency awaiting, Robinson has been vocal about all options being on the table (even Jacksonville), and with a chance to cash in on a lot of money, it’s understandable why. As Smith said, one thing that could play into Robinson’s decision (aside from stability) is finally finding a solid quarterback to pair himself with.
Since entering the league, Robinson has gone from Blake Bortles, to Mitchell Trubisky, to Nick Foles, then back to Trubisky. Additionally, they haven’t seen eye-to-eye on contract negotiations, and the reason for that could be limited cap space as they are $2.5 million over the cap right now. Sure, they can clear out more space and come with a better offer, but the open market could offer an even better opportunity financially, especially a team like the Jags.
Ultimately, fans will have to wait and see if the Bears can figure it out. However, if they can’t, Jacksonville shouldn’t be discounted as an option for Robinson — that’s if he believes in the Jags’ outlook heading forward.