Tag: Allen Robinson

Where will Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk rank among all-time Jaguars WR duos?

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ duo of Calvin Ridley and Christian Kirk have high expectations, but how will they rank against former Jaguars receiving pairs?

Ahead of the 2022 NFL season, the Jacksonville Jaguars invested in the Trevor Lawrence era in a big way. The Jaguars gave former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Christian Kirk a four-year, $72 million contract to give Lawrence his biggest target to date.

The move was met with criticism, but Kirk was crucial to Lawrence’s development into a projected 2023 Most Valuable Player candidate. The Jaguars then made a move for the future ahead of the 2022 trade deadline.

Jacksonville sent a 2023 fifth-round pick and a conditional fourth-round pick that could become a second-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons for wide receiver Calvin Ridley.

The former Falcons receiver became the featured target in Atlanta due to Julio Jones’ decline and departure. However, he dealt with injury during the 2021 and only played five games because of a fractured foot and time off to address his mental health.

Ridley was then suspended for the entire 2022 season for violating the league’s gambling policy. If he can return to form following his nearly two-year-long break from football, Ridley and Kirk will likely form one of the best duos in Jaguars history.

Based on production in a single season, Jacksonville hasn’t seen many dominant receiver pairings in its short history. Ridley and Kirk will automatically be one of the most talented duos Jacksonville has seen, but how do they stack up compared to past Jaguars pairs?

5) 2012: Justin Blackmon and Cecil Shorts III

Heading into the second year of Blaine Gabbert’s tenure in Jacksonville, the Jaguars decided to give him the top receiver in the 2012 NFL Draft. They selected wide receiver Justin Blackmon with the fifth overall pick.

Blackmon didn’t have a great career, but he looked the part of the fifth overall pick in his one full season. The former Oklahoma State Cowboys star earned 132 targets and tallied 64 catches for 865 yards and five touchdowns in his rookie year.

Blackmon quickly became Gabbert’s favorite target, but Cecil Shorts III — who was in his second season in Jacksonville — was the second half of a solid receiving duo. The reliable Shorts had the best season of his career in 2012.

Shorts garnered 105 targets and capitalized on them for 55 receptions, 979 yards and seven touchdowns.

The duo of Blackmon and Shorts didn’t last long in Jacksonville, but their production in the 2012 season ranks among the best single-season receiving duos in Jaguars history.

Blackmon and Shorts combined for 119 catches, 1,844 yards and 12 touchdowns.

4) 2010: Marcedes Lewis and Mike Thomas

In a season in which the Jaguars went 8-8 and missed the playoffs, the 2010 pairing of Marcedes Lewis and Mike Thomas made the season somewhat memorable. Lewis is now a Jaguars legend, but in 2010, he was in only his fifth of 12 seasons in Jacksonville.

He is most known as a blocking tight end, but Lewis had his most productive receiving season in 2010. The former Jaguar pulled in 58 passes for 700 yards and 10 touchdowns to earn his first and only career Pro Bowl appearance.

Outside of the Jags legend’s best season, 2010 also featured the heroics of Mike Thomas. The receiver made the Jaguars’ play of the year when he caught a deflected hail mary to beat the rival Houston Texans on Nov. 14.

Thomas contributed 66 catches for 820 yards and four touchdowns in total during the best season of his career.

Lewis and Thomas combined for 124 catches, 1,520 yards and 14 touchdowns in the season.

3) 2022: Christian Kirk and Zay Jones

Few expected Kirk and Zay Jones to form one of the most productive wide receiver duos in Jaguars history when they first joined the team in 2022. However, by the end of the season, it was hard to deny their impact.

Kirk’s contract distracted NFL fans from the player Jacksonville was adding to their roster. He was a consistent contributor for the Cardinals throughout his four seasons with the team.

The former Cardinals receiver spent the first three seasons of his NFL career in the shadows of Larry Fitzgerald and then DeAndre Hopkins. However, Hopkins was suspended to start the 2021 season, and Kirk produced his best season to date, tallying 77 catches for 982 yards and five touchdowns.

In one season in Jacksonville, Kirk quickly proved his worth. He registered 84 catches for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns as Lawrence’s featured receiver.

However, he had plenty of help from another misunderstood route runner. Former Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders receiver Zay Jones had been in the league for five years. His best season came in his sophomore year when he produced 56 catches, 652 yards and seven touchdowns.

Despite his career slowing down, the Jaguars brought Jones into Jacksonville, and he quickly became the No. 2 option. Jones caught 82 passes for 823 yards and five touchdowns.

Jones and Kirk helped Lawrence transform into one of the league’s top young quarterbacks. The pair combined for 166 receptions, 1,931 yards and 13 touchdowns.

2) 2015: Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns

The 2015 season was former Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles’ second year in the league, and his surrounding cast lifted him to the best season of his career. Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns formed a highly productive duo to help Bortles achieve 4,428 yards and 35 touchdowns.

Robinson looked the part of a true No. 1 option and is still trying to replicate the numbers he produced in 2015. He reeled in 80 passes for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns in his second season in the NFL.

His yards were the second best single-season total in franchise history, and his 14 touchdowns stand as the most in a single season in Jaguars history.

Hurns played the perfect partner alongside Robinson. He was a dynamic second option that turned 64 catches into 1,031 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Robinson and Hurns combined for 144 receptions, 2,431 yards and 24 touchdowns. They are one of two pairs in Jaguars history to each have 1,000 receiving yards in a season.

1) 1996-2001: Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell

And if there was ever any doubt, Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell are the best receiving pair in Jaguars history. It was impossible to pick just one season for them, as their six seasons together would all rank in the top 10 receiving seasons in Jaguars history.

They are the only other duo in Jacksonville’s history to each contribute 1,000 receiving yards in the same season; they did it four times in six seasons.

Smith and McCardell are also the only duo to have sustained success for more than just one or two seasons.

Smith is easily the best receiver in Jaguars history. He leads the franchise in career targets, receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns and was a Jaguar from 1995 to 2005.

McCardell checks in as the second best receiver in franchise history. He is second in franchise history in targets, catches and receiving yards and is third in receiving touchdowns.

Smith and McCardell played together from 1996 to 2001 and consistently got open for former Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell. Smith never had less than 1,200 receiving yards during the stretch, and McCardell never had less than 800.

The Jaguars legends combined for 1,061 catches, 14,365 and 71 touchdowns during their six years together.

Where will Ridley and Kirk rank?

Assuming Ridley and Kirk are healthy for the entire season, they will likely become at least a top-three receiving duo. Ridley’s past suggests he’s a clear upgrade from Jones. If Kirk plays the same as he did in 2022 and Ridley returns to form, they will surpass Kirk and Jones’s production in 2022.

Ridley’s 2020 season showed his ability to excel in the No. 1 receiver role. He produced 90 receptions, 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns in 2020, so he could give Robinson’s 2015 season a run for its money.

If Kirk reproduces his 2022 numbers, he and Ridley would pass Robinson and Hurns for the second-best receiving duo in Jaguars history. While it isn’t impossible for them to put up numbers similar to Smith and McCardell, they likely won’t catch them unless they stick together for a long time in Jacksonville.

It’s entirely possible for Ridley and Kirk to become the second-best duo in Jaguars history, but they have much to prove in their first season together.

Allen Robinson shares what went wrong with the Rams, citing never-ending injuries

Allen Robinson’s first and only season with the Rams didn’t go according to plan and he talked about what went wrong in LA

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Allen Robinson was one of the Rams’ two prized free-agent signings in 2022, along with star linebacker Bobby Wagner. He was supposed to be their No. 2 receiver alongside Cooper Kupp, hopefully taking pressure off the reigning Offensive Player of the Year and drawing coverage his way.

Nothing about the signing went according to plan, unfortunately.

Matthew Stafford didn’t throw during OTAs due to an elbow issue and when training camp rolled around, he was limited to mostly individual drills. Early in the season, the offensive line suffered injury after injury, to the point where they started three different centers and three different right guards by Week 6. Then the injury bug bit Robinson himself missing the final seven games of the season with a foot ailment that he says popped up in Week 6 or 7.

Robinson was asked on the “Rich Eisen Show” this week what went wrong in L.A. and he attributed it to the never-ending injuries the team suffered.

“I was tough, man. I think one of the big things was we never really had a full, healthy group, even going back to OTA time and training camp and things like that,” he said. “I thought personally, I had one of my best training camps of my career. But unfortunately through a lot of that, Matthew wasn’t 100% healthy. He was still coming off an injury he had from their Super Bowl year. So we kind of had that. Then as the season progressed from Week 1 moving forward, O-line-wise, we were kind of banged up. Once we got to Week 6 or 7, I was kind of nursing a foot. Cooper was banged up. So for our team, we never actually could hit a groove and hit a stride that we wanted to hit. Then from a schematic standpoint, I just feel like everything was kind of thrown off a little bit by so many people in and out of the lineup.”

The Rams traded Robinson to the Steelers this offseason, simply to get out of his $46.5 million contract. The two teams swapped seventh-round picks, while the Rams took on $21.45 million in dead cap this year. They also freed up $18.55 million in cap space next year, which was their primary goal.

The idea of Robinson in Sean McVay’s offense was a good one but between injuries and a lack of offseason work together, things simply didn’t work out the way either side planned.

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Rams have 2nd-most dead money in NFL this year: Here’s how it breaks down

The Rams currently have $74.2 million in dead money this year, which is the second-most in the NFL.

It’s no secret that the Los Angeles Rams are looking toward the future with how they’ve conducted business since the conclusion of the 2022 season. After acquiring them via trade or in free agency in recent years, the Rams have parted ways with Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Floyd, Bobby Wagner, and Allen Robinson — among others — this offseason.

By moving on from these players, the Rams have freed up cap space for future years, but they’ll be eating quite a bit of dead cap in 2023, as a result. Dead cap, or dead money, is defined as money that a team still owes when a player is released, traded, or if they have void years included in their contracts.

According to Over The Cap, following the Robinson trade, the Rams currently have $74.2 million in dead money this season. That is the second-most dead cap in the NFL right now, only behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who currently possess $75.3 million in dead money.

With a large amount of dead money sitting on their books, the Rams are limited in cap space, having only $1.5 million to spend (fifth-fewest in the NFL) right now. Guys like Ramsey, Floyd, Wagner, and Robinson make up a big chunk of the dead money, but we’ll be taking a look at all of the players contributing to the dead cap number below.

Allen Robinson suggests Rams didn’t use him properly in 2022

Allen Robinson shared an interesting analogy Monday to suggest the Rams didn’t use him correctly in their offense

There are a few reasons Allen Robinson’s brief tenure with the Los Angeles Rams didn’t work out. He got hurt 10 games into the season, he barely had any time to work with Matthew Stafford in the offseason and his role within the offense may not have fit his skill set properly.

The Rams tried to utilize him in multiple ways, moving him around the formation rather than keeping him on the outside as the X-receiver with his physicality and size. However, things just never seemed to click with him and Stafford, resulting in a disappointing 33-catch, 339-yard campaign in 2022.

The Rams shipped Robinson off to Pittsburgh in a trade with the Steelers last week and on Monday, he was introduced to the media. During his press conference, he used an interesting analogy that suggests he wasn’t utilized properly in the Rams offense.

Robinson did say he feels he has “a lot of football left” with his route running and red zone work, saying he “felt good” about those things last year. He also believes he was impactful as a run blocker, something the Rams always ask their receivers to do.

He credited the Rams for bringing that part of his game out, improving his skill set as a blocker on the outside.

It’s disappointing that Robinson’s time with the Rams didn’t work out after signing a three-year, $46.5 million deal in 2022, but he seems excited about his next opportunity with the Steelers.

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Cooper Kupp is grateful for brief time with Allen Robinson, wishes him well in Pittsburgh

Cooper Kupp loved being teammates with Allen Robinson, even if it was only briefly

Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson looked like they were poised to be one of the best receiving tandems in the NFL last season, but things didn’t go according to plan. The Rams offense was a certified mess in 2022, gaining the fewest yards in the league and suffering injury after injury from start to finish.

Kupp and Robinson were among the players to go down with injuries, causing them to miss 15 games combined. After Robinson was traded to the Steelers this week, the veteran duo was split up one season into what looked to be a three-year partnership.

Kupp shared a cool message for Robinson on Twitter Friday, sharing his appreciation for their one year together and wishing him well in Pittsburgh.

Kupp caught 75 passes for 812 yards and six touchdowns in the nine games he played before suffering an ankle injury, once again finishing as by far the most productive player on the Rams. Robinson’s numbers were less impressive, catching only 33 passes for 339 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games before injuring his foot.

The Rams will need to find a new No. 2 receiver to play alongside Kupp, or they could simply elevate Van Jefferson into a bigger role on offense.

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Allen Robinson shares message thanking Rams after trade to Steelers

Allen Robinson thanked the Rams for the opportunity after he was traded to the Steelers this week

Allen Robinson’s tenure with the Rams was short but he appreciated the opportunity he got in Los Angeles. Now a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Robinson shared a message on Twitter thanking the Rams with a few of his favorite shots from last season.

Robinson seems excited to be with the Steelers now, returning to Pennsylvania where he played college at Penn State. He won’t necessarily be the No. 1 receiver there either, but he could get more looks than he did last season with the Rams when he only caught 33 passes.

The Rams didn’t get much in return for Robinson, only swapping seventh-round picks with the Steelers to get it done. But with $18.55 million now available in 2024, it’s easy to understand why they were willing to make the move.

How much cap space do the Rams have after trading Allen Robinson?

After trading Allen Robinson to the Steelers, how much cap space do the Rams have?

The Los Angeles Rams came into this week with about $10.6 million in cap space. They’re ending the week with less than that despite not adding a single player – and actually losing a starting wide receiver.

Their decision to trade Allen Robinson to the Steelers has hurt the Rams’ salary cap situation this year, reducing their space by $3.4 million in 2023. According to Over The Cap, the Rams now have just $7.23 million in cap space, which ranks 18th in the NFL.

When it comes to effective cap space – which is the cap space they’ll have with 51 players on the roster after signing their draft class – the Rams are projected to be over by $16,417. With only 44 players on the roster, they aren’t even halfway to the limit of 90 players, so they’re bound to add a bunch of players in the coming weeks and months.

Robinson has the biggest dead cap charge on the Rams at $21.45 million, but the Rams accomplished their goal of clearing his contract off the books in 2024. They’re now projected to be under the cap by $73.8 million next year, which is when they can make bigger moves.

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Rams’ grades for Allen Robinson range from F to B+

Analysts handed out grades for the Rams’ trade of Allen Robinson and they range from F to B+

The Los Angeles Rams moved on from yet another pricey veteran this week, trading Allen Robinson to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a seventh-round pick swap. The Rams ate $21.45 million in dead money to make it happen, $3.4 million more than it would’ve cost them to keep him on the roster.

Obviously, the return for their prized free-agent signing from 2021 was minimal, and it’s not as if they saved money this year. However, they will save $18.55 million in cap space by trading Robinson now.

Here’s how experts around the internet graded the trade for the Rams.

5 takeaways from Rams’ trade of Allen Robinson

Everything we learned from the Rams’ decision to trade Allen Robinson to the Steelers

Allen Robinson’s tenure with the Rams only lasted one season after Los Angeles traded him to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday. It wasn’t a completely shocking move considering the Rams granted Robinson permission to seek a trade earlier this offseason, but no one expected his time with the Rams to last only one year.

By making this trade, Los Angeles is eating a ton of dead money, which has been the trend of the offseason. But it also opens up $18.55 million in cap space next year, part of the team’s goal to contend again in 2024.

Here’s what we can take away from the Rams’ latest trade, which only returned a pick-swap in Round 7.

Rams and Steelers officially complete Allen Robinson trade

Allen Robinson passed his physical with the Steelers and has officially been traded by the Rams

It was reported on Tuesday that the Los Angeles Rams planned to trade Allen Robinson to the Pittsburgh Steelers, pending the wide receiver passing a physical. Well, that final hurdle has been cleared and the deal is being completed.

Robinson passed his physical with the Steelers and is officially being traded to Pittsburgh, according to ESPN. The Rams will give up Robinson and the 251st pick in the draft in exchange for pick No. 234. Essentially, the Rams are trading Robinson in order to move up 17 spots in the seventh round.

It’s not much in return for the former Pro Bowl receiver, but the Rams were able to clear $18.55 million in cap space next year by making this deal.

Robinson played just one year in Los Angeles after signing a three-year contract worth $46.5 million last year. It was a disappointing performance, too, finishing with 33 catches for 339 yards and three touchdowns. He missed the final seven games with a foot injury, which required surgery.