‘He’s got it all’: Nelson Agholor has meant a lot to the Raiders this season. Here’s why
It has been a career year for Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Nelson Agholor.
The six-year pro has put up numbers that exceeded his time with the Philadelphia Eagles.
It was a much-needed production that the Raiders needed in the absence of Tyrell Williams whose season ended before the 2020 NFL season started.
“I knew Nelson when he was 15 or 14 years old back in Tampa when he was at Berkeley Prep High School,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden told The Fresno Bee in Wednesday’s Zoom teleconference. “When he went to USC, he was a highly touted, young athlete in Florida and I just saw him play live and I knew he was a great talent. But I’m not really shocked. I expect a lot more from him. I think he can be one of the best receivers in football. He can run, he’s tough, he’s smart and he’s become one of the true leaders on this football team. He’s got it all.”
Here is what Agholor could accomplish in the season finale against the Denver Broncos on Sunday:
▪ He is looking to record a 100-yard receiving game for the fourth time this year.
▪ Catch for 100 or more yards in consecutive games for the first time in his career.
▪ Record a touchdown reception of 20-plus yards for the seventh time this season. He’s currently second in the NFL in this category.
▪ Surpass his single-season career high in receiving touchdowns. He also caught eight touchdowns for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017.
In the 26-25 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Saturday, Agholor finished with five receptions for a career-high 155 receiving yards. His previous high, while with the Philadelphia Eagles, was 141 yards in 2017 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Agholor has a career-high 839 yards this season and his eight receiving touchdowns are the most by a Raiders receiver since Michael Crabtree scored eight in 2017.
What to do with Agholor
Agholor signed a one-year, $1.04 million contract in the offseason to give the Raiders another receiving threat. He would’ve paired with Williams, Hunter Renfrow and Henry Ruggs III, but an injury to Williams prevented that from happening.
Agholor has produced on a consistent basis. After Sunday’s game, he will head into the offseason as a free agent and the Raiders will likely find ways to re-sign the former USC standout.
Agholor is expected to test the market. According to Over The Cap, the Raiders are projected to be close to $8 million above the threshold, but can free up cap space by voiding, restructuring some contracts and a trade.
Raiders general manager Mike Mayock and Gruden will have some decisions to make if they want to bring back Agholor and keep that key piece on offense while focusing some of the cap space on defense.
NFL salary cap expert Jason Fitzgerald said on his recent podcast that Agholor could be looking at a deal like Jamison Crowder, who signed a three-year, $28 million contract with the New York Jets. Crowder made $8 million this past season.
‘His work ethic is second to none’
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr looked up Agholor’s statistics and came away surprised. His surprise was due to the career numbers Agholor has put up with the Raiders.
Carr had a theory into why that happened.
“Sometimes a change of scenery doesn’t mean the player has changed, just means he fits better in that system or he fits better in that scheme or it just works out better for him,” Carr told The Bee. “Sometimes a change of scenery is good for people. Nelly showed up here and I remember him as a speedster, a big time play maker with all the highlights I saw, and when he got here, before he arrived in Las Vegas.”
Agholor has been reliable on big plays for Carr this season, with catches of 20 or more yards 14 times and 40 or more four times. He has also converted 36 first downs.
As Carr got to know Agholor a bit more, he learned what he was about.
“His work ethic is second to none,” Carr said. “The way he and Zay (Jones) work and push that receiver room is unbelievable. The way they hold each other accountable makes you thankful as a quarterback. Nelly is someone that what he can do on the field is only scratching the surface of what he brings to a football team.
“I think once I saw that work ethic, once I saw how he works, those big plays and highlights were no shock to me with why they happened because that man is diligent in his work ethic and it’s really impressive.”
This story was originally published December 30, 2020 at 5:22 PM.
