The Bears and WR Allen Robinson have resumed extension talks after a tumultuous week, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Chicago rebuffed trade inquiries on its star receiver while increasing the contract offer it had on the table. However, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says negotiations are not likely to last deep into the season.
Per La Canfora, Robinson and the Bears still don’t see eye-to-eye on Robinson’s value, and Robinson may be content to head into the 2021 offseason as arguably the best WR available in free agency. But La Canfora says Robinson will not hit the open market. If the two sides don’t come to terms on a new deal, look for the Bears to slap the 27-year-old with the franchise tag. Obviously, both parties would prefer to avoid that outcome, but it sounds like there is still a wide gap that needs to be bridged in short order.
Now for more from the NFC North:
- Before the season started, we heard that the Packers and RB Aaron Jones were working on a new deal. Although games are now underway, it sounds as if an extension could still get done. Jones, who is currently earning $2.133MM in the final year of his rookie contract, has seen plenty of other backs get new deals over the past several weeks and hopes he will get his big payday soon. “I’m definitely open to getting something done whenever,” Jones said, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. “But like I said, that’s not my main focus. Just gonna continue to focus on football and helping this team bring in the wins, as many as possible.”
- Another key member of the Packers who is set for free agency in 2021 is LT David Bakhtiari. As was the case with Jones, Green Bay was hoping to finalize an extension for Bakhtiari before the season, but it sounds as if the two sides are far apart in negotiations. Demovsky says the All-Pro lineman is looking to match or exceed Laremy Tunsil‘s $22MM AAV, while the Packers’ best offer to date is about $4MM per year less than Bakhtiari’s asking price.
- Lions WR Kenny Golladay will make his 2020 debut soon. Although the star receiver will miss Detroit’s Week 2 matchup with the Packers this afternoon, head coach Matt Patricia said Golladay is “really close” to a return (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network). A few weeks ago, the Lions and Golladay were said to be nearing an agreement on what will surely be a massive extension, though there were conflicting reports on that front.
- ICYMI, the Bears and RB Tarik Cohen have come to terms on a three-year extension.
Bakhtiari is worth it. Pay the man!
No way. He’s great, but u can’t spend that much on a lineman. You draft a guy and put a TE out there to help when necessary. You gotta spread that money out and bring in weapons on both sides of the ball. Extend Jones, let Bak walk, and use that cap space to be flexible so you can take advantage of opportunities for talent acquisition when it comes.
Who are they planning to use the money on if Bakhtiari is not worth it? The Packers refuse to build their offense to be competitive with that money (instead blowing it on aging tight ends), and let key linemen walk without adequate replacements (Brian Bulaga). So who will they pay? I get it, they want to dump Rodgers, but why a team would simply refuse to compete when they have elite level talent at important spots, I absolutely do not know.
Most of the time when a player demands more, he’s not worth the cap hit. But Bakhtiari is the best pass protector in the game and makes no issues on or off the field. He has been the best for some time, too. Tackles can last a while, and elite ones frequently do. Joe Thomas, Andrew Whitworth, Bruce Matthews, Anthony Munoz, Orlando Pace…
You have absolutely zero idea what you’re talking about. Stick to Madden.
Next time La Confora is right on anything Bears related will in fact be the first time