Rams Allen Robinson still deserves larger role in the offense

The LA Rams have been a bit puzzling over how the team has determined how often to throw to wide receivers. The Rams made it a point to sign free agent wide receiver Allen Robinson in the offseason, with many expecting his arrival to handle vacated targets of both Robert Woods and Odell Beckham Jr., two Rams receivers who were no longer on the roster for the 2022 NFL season.

Instead, the Rams have used Robinson in more of a Josh Reynolds-like role, throwing just a token number of passes his way. In ten games played this season, Robinson has been targeted 52 times and caught 33 of those passes for 339 yards and three touchdowns.

In nine games for the Rams in 2021, Robert Woods was targeted 69 times and caught 45 of those passes for 556 yards and four touchdowns. In eight games for the Rams, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. caught 27 of 48 passes for 305 yards and five touchdowns.  But somehow, their production did not get transferred to Robinson this season. But Robinson can make clutch catches too:

Is it the fact that Robinson cannot get open? That was the rationalization of many who discussed the matter. But data proved that Robinson was more open than either WR Cooper Kupp or TE Tyler Higbee, two Rams players who have been targeted quite often in the passing game this season.

Rams Robinson awaits a breakout game still

Even when Cooper Kupp was out in Week 11, the Rams targetted Robinson five times, which was no more often than his average number of targets all season. That’s right, even without Cooper Kupp on the football field, Allen Robinson was not targeted more frequently.

Disconnect? If the Rams intended to play Robinson no better than a WR3 or WR4 role, why sign him to the roster at all? The Rams surely understand that the team has to keep defenses guessing. To accomplish that, the offense has to mix things up in each game, but strive towards a balanced offense overall.

Right now, the Rams are doing neither. The team continues to toss the football in the same priority each week but fails to commit to changing it up. And the Rams are finally starting to commit to running with the football, but abandon the run if the team falls behind on the scoreboard.

Some have laid the blame for Allen Robinson’s ineffectiveness with the Rams’ offense on the player. I don’t think that’s it at all. I think the Rams have failed the player this time. And with that, I have to wonder if the lack of development from other players in this offense falls into a similar category. We may never know the answer to that one. One thing we do know is that Allen Robinson deserves a bigger role in this offense. Now with the Rams looking at starting backup quarterback Bryce Perkins, he may have to wait until 2023.