Rams, Steelers working on trade for WR Allen Robinson: Source

By Jourdan Rodrigue, Mark Kaboly and Larry Holder

The Rams and Steelers are working to complete a trade that would bring veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson to Pittsburgh, a league source confirmed to The Athletic on Tuesday. NFL Network was first to report the news. Here’s what you need to know:

• The Rams already paid $5 million of what was owed Robinson in March, based on his initial contract structure. They will pay another $5 million ($10 million total of the 2023 money) while the Steelers will pick up the remaining $5 million, two sources with knowledge of the negotiations said. The teams will also swap seventh-round picks.
• Los Angeles gave Robinson permission in March to seek a trade, a league source confirmed to The Athletic at the time.
• The Steelers were given permission to give Robinson a physical and a deal is expected if Pittsburgh is comfortable with the results, according to multiple reports.
• Robinson is in the middle of a three-year, $46.5 million contract (signed last spring) that comes with $15.2 million guaranteed in 2023. The Rams have already paid $5.25 million of his 2023 salary, in a roster bonus that was due in March.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Robinson was pretty clearly not a fit with the Rams, but some context to his situation is needed past the stat sheet. The Rams — led by head coach Sean McVay, quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Cooper Kupp — pushed to sign Robinson in free agency last spring after losing out on edge rusher Von Miller. They believed that Robinson could pick up some of the role left behind by Odell Beckham Jr., who quickly emerged as a key element to their passing game when signed mid-2021. But Robinson’s skill set didn’t match their vision for him in their offense, and further, Stafford wasn’t able to get any throwing time with Robinson because of an elbow injury that held him to a strict pitch count right up until the start of the 2022 season.

When the season began, Robinson’s role didn’t unfold in the offense the way it had in training camp — and compounding injuries to the offensive line often meant Stafford was limited to the earliest read in his progressions: Kupp. The Robinson move, and the resulting pivot, has to be a lesson for the Rams in impulsive decision-making about their personnel and in what receivers fit the vision for their offense moving forward. — Rodrigue

This came out of the blue for the Steelers. They were interested in adding a receiver to the group headed by Diontae Johnson and George Pickens but many believed it would be via the draft. Instead, Robinson provides an instant veteran presence in the room that needed it. The trade was another big step by new general Omar Khan of providing weapons for quarterback Kenny Pickett. They have Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Pat Freiermuth, Connor Heyward and Calvin Austin III to go along with Johnson and Pickens for an offense that was bad last year.

The Steelers pride themselves in all their receivers being able to play all the positions. However, a slot guy is what they needed the most. Robinson’s slot snaps decreased each of the past five years with last year almost exclusively being outside until Kupp got hurt. He’s more than capable of playing in the slot, which is something the Steelers coveted. Robinson would have played more in the slot if he remained with the Rams, too.

The Steelers stayed away from throwing a lot last year. That won’t be the case this year with better skill players and Pickett in his second season. — Kaboly

Robinson didn’t live up to expectations during his one year with the Rams. But was it as bad as it might be perceived?

The veteran receiver produced an Expected Points Added rate per target (via TruMedia) last season that came in at 0.20, which ranked 42nd among wide receivers (minimum 50 targets). It’s the same rate as his former teammate Kupp. Robinson’s EPA per target rate in 2022 is actually his second best since his 0.27 rate in 2019 where he hauled in 98 catches for 1,147 yards and seven touchdowns.

By comparison, Johnson ranked 82nd among 86 wideouts in EPA per target last year at -0.07.

Both Robinson and Johnson played with some erratic quarterback play last season. It seems like Robinson still has some juice left given the right circumstances. Let’s see if Pickett is the right circumstance. — Holder

Robinson, 29, had 33 receptions for 339 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games before undergoing season-ending foot surgery in November.

Los Angeles is set to incur $11.2 million in dead cap money if they trade Robinson before June 1. The Rams have worked “sliding scale” trades in previous moves, in which the amount of salary the team absorbs is determined by the number/level of picks. This would be the case with Robinson.

The Rams signed him in March 2022 after he recorded 38 receptions, 410 yards and one touchdown in 2021 with a Chicago Bears that went 6-11. However, Robinson and the Rams’ plan to get his career back on track didn’t work out as hoped. Robinson suffered a stress fracture in his foot ahead of Week 12 and he missed the rest of the season. He underwent minor foot surgery and is expected to be clear for phase two of OTAs.

(Photo: Jevone Moore / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)