Raiders free agent profile: Why re-signing receiver Nelson Agholor is a ‘no-brainer’
It is time to take a look at the most important Las Vegas Raiders unrestricted free agents the team should re-sign.
The Raiders have 21 unrestricted free agents hitting the market on March 17.
Those players are wide receiver Nelson Agholor, linebacker Vic Beasley, running back Devontae Booker, tight end Derek Carrier, defensive tackle Maliek Collins, guard/tackle Denzelle Good, defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, safety Erik Harris, wide receiver Zay Jones, cornerback Nevin Lawson, defensive end Takk McKinkley, linebacker Raekwon McMillan, linebacker Nicholas Morrow, tight end Nick O’Leary, quarterback Nathan Peterman, running back Theo Riddick, defensive end Chris Smith, linebacker Kyle Wiber, tight end Jason Witten, cornerback Daryl Worley and right tackle Sam Young.
The Raiders will not re-sign all of them, but The Fresno Bee will take a look at the top five important in-house free agents the franchise must re-sign.
The next profiled player will be Jan. 29.
Without further ado, here is the no-brainer of a free agent the Raiders must re-sign:
Nelson Agholor
In the offseason, the Raiders signed Agholor to a one-year deal.
He provided a huge spark the Raiders (8-8) were looking for, especially when wide receiver Tyrell Williams missed the 2020 NFL season because of a torn labrum.
Agholor stepped up in a big way, finishing with 48 receptions for a career-high 896 yards and matched a career high with eight touchdowns.
Many of his teammates complimented Agholor especially for his work ethic. Just ask fellow receiver Hunter Renfrow, who saw that up close.
“He’ll show up to the facility at 4 a.m. and be on the JUGS at 4:30,” Renfrow said after being asked by The Bee during a season-ending Zoom teleconference about Agholor. “I know one of the things that he wasn’t pleased with maybe is having some drops. He attacked that head on. He said, ‘I’m going to be in the facility every morning at 4:30 and I’ll be catching’ off the JUGS (before) and after practice. I’m impressed by that part of his game.
“To be able to come in and play the outside and dominate the way he did on the deep balls ... it was impressive as the season went along and how many more he could’ve gotten.”
Renfrow is hoping Agholor returns so he can help him, Bryan Edwards and Henry Ruggs III keep developing. Renfrow will be in his third season, while Edwards and Ruggs III will enter their second.
“I’m doing my best recruiting pitch because he’s a special player and he’s a special leader in our room,” Renfrow said. “He’s a special player and a special person.”
There will be other unrestricted wide receiver free agents hitting the market, including Allen Robinson of the Chicago Bears and Juju Smith-Schuster of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
While both players sound enticing, the Raiders can’t spend a lot of money on receivers because the top priority is on the defensive side.
Bringing back Agholor seems logical for the Raiders who provided a deep threat for quarterback Derek Carr.
Raiders players can only hope to see Agholor return to Las Vegas.
This story was originally published January 22, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
