Allen Robinson has requested a trade from the Bears

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported that Chicago Bears star wide receiver Allen Robinson had requested a trade because he’s frustrated in the lack of progress towards a contract extension. On Tuesday, Robinson removed everything Bears-related from his Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Last year, we mentioned Robinson leading up to the trade deadline as a “hail mary” phone call John Lynch should make:

The Bears are 3-3 and are on the outside looking in of the NFC playoff picture. Their offense is ugly, and Matt Nagy may feel he can get by without Robinson. That is Mitch Trubisky’s go-to target, though. Again, he’s worth a phone call. Robinson is healthy, and the plays he makes every Sunday are why he’s a No. 1 receiver. He isn’t cheap. Robinson has two seasons left on his contract, and both of them have a $15 million cap hit.

He’s worth it.

Robinson is 8th in DYAR. His PFF grade is 82.1. Robinson has 41 catches for 464 yards and three touchdowns. He’s legitimately one of the best receivers in football. With his contract up after the 2020 season, perhaps a third-round pick in 2020 and a second-round pick in 2021? I’d sniff around.

The 49ers were without their top two receivers, and George Kittle was clearly affected by an injury in the second half during the Cardinals’ loss. The offense struggled without a clear go-to target. To me, this is not an overreaction if you were interested in acquiring Robinson. Adding Robinson helps your offense today, tomorrow, and in the future. The 49ers need someone that is ready to play now. Deebo Samuel is “hopeful” to return by Week 4, but there is no telling if there will be another setback before then. Brandon Aiyuk is set to return to practice, but he has yet to play an NFL snap.

Robinson would take the pressure off everyone. He’d also give Jimmy Garoppolo a veteran target that can win at every level of the field. If it’s true that Robinson is available, this should be a no-brainer for the front office to at least pick up the phone. Robinson is without question one of the seven best receivers in the NFL. He’s 27, and the Bears don’t have much leverage. If Shanahan has questions about his quarterback, why not give him another weapon to succeed? The 49ers seem to pick up the phone whenever a quality player becomes available, so I’d expect them to do their due diligence here.

The issue would be whether the team feels like they want to invest big money into Robinson after drafting Samuel and Aiyuk high in the past two drafts. Robinson’s current cap number is $15 million. The team still wants to extend Trent Williams and Fred Warner, and adding Robinson into the mix would make it tough to make all three players happy. Would you go the “rental” route with yet another receiver? I wouldn’t. The 49ers do have the draft capital to make a trade happen, however.

Would you trade for Robinson? What would you be willing to give up? Is he worth the rental? Should the 49ers extend him? There are so many questions, and it’s a fascinating conversation. To me, the answer is simple. Add a star player whenever you can and figure out the rest later. The 49ers are in their Super Bowl window now. Take advantage by adding Robinson.