Chicago Bears: 5 Bold predictions for 2019 pre-training camp
5. Allen Robinson returns to form
Last offseason, Chicago Bears general manager wanted to overhaul a wide receivers’ corps that ranked last in 2017. A big part of that overhaul was signing wide receiver Allen Robinson. He was to be the leader of a revamped group that would take the Bears’ offense to great heights.
In 2015, Robinson made 80 catches for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns. It was a career year for him and his inconsistent quarterback, Blake Bortles. The next season, however, Bortles struggled and Robinson’s numbers dropped. He finished the season with 73 catches for 883 yards and six touchdowns.
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In 2017, Robinson had high hopes of having another magical season. He suffered a knee injury in Week 1, though, and missed the rest of the season. The Bears signed him as a free agent, expecting the 2015 version.
Robinson’s first season was a mixed bag of results. he showed flashes of what he was at times, but he still wasn’t 100 percent recovered and he suffered a groin injury trying to adjust for his knee.
Trying to learn a new system and rehab from an injury proved to be a big task. There were times when he and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky were just a bit off-page. There were other times when they looked so good together. It was like they were playing catch and no one else was around.
We caught a glimpse of what could happen when Robinson and Trubisky are on the same page. In the playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles, he made 10 catches (on 13 targets) for 143 yards and a touchdown. He made a huge catch on the last drive that helped get the offense in position for a game-winning field goal.
This offseason, Robinson didn’t have to rehab an injury. He just spent the time working and getting together with Trubisky so he has a better grasp of the system. There is a lot riding on him playing well this season.
Prediction: 93 catches for 1,118 yards and 10 touchdowns