Raiders’ Derek Carr on Free Agent Teammate: ‘We Gotta Pay That Man’

Getty Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.

Out of all the players the Las Vegas Raiders signed in the offseason, Nelson Agholor was the most pleasant surprise. Despite the addition of Henry Ruggs, Agholor ended up being the team’s best deep threat and was one of the best deep threats in the NFL. He finished second in the NFL in average yards per reception at 18.7.

When the Raiders brought him in, they only signed him to a one-year deal, which means he’s set to hit free agency once again. There’s no doubt he significantly increased his value thanks to this season. Quarterback Derek Carr quickly built an amazing rapport with Agholor and it’s clear what he wants the Raiders to do with the wide receiver.

“We’ve got to pay that man, and get him back,” Carr said of Agholor after the season finale.

Carr hasn’t had this strong of chemistry with a wide receiver since the early days of Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper. If the price is right, the Raiders need to do what they can to keep Agholor around.

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How Much Is Agholor Worth?

While Agholor was excellent for the Raiders this season, he didn’t break 1,000 yards. He’s a very good player but isn’t among the elite wide receivers in the NFL quite yet. Thanks to this past season, the over/under on his next contract should be $10 million a year.

A good comparison for Agholor is Buffalo Bills wide receiver John Brown. He’s been one of the league’s elite deep threats for years and Agholor falls into that same category after this past season. Brown’s annual salary is at $9 million a year. The Raiders need to spend what money they can to help fix their defense but if Agholor is willing to accept something in the $9 to $10 million range, the team should try to get him to stay.

Is Tyrell Williams Done With Raiders?

Agholor this season was exactly what the Raiders were hoping Tyrell Williams would be when they gave him big money. Williams has been injured for most of his tenure with the team and they can let him go this offseason without paying him any guarantees. While Williams has expressed interest in staying with the team, there’s almost no way they are going to pay him the $11.1 million he’s due next season.

Perhaps they keep him if he’s willing to renegotiate his contract but that seems unlikely. Freeing up that $11.1 million would give the Raiders enough money to pay Agholor. Williams has put together some very impressive seasons in his career but he’s not going to be as valuable to the team as Agholor is right now. There was a lot of hype surrounding Williams when he first came to the team and he did get off to a hot start. He quickly got hurt during his first season with the Raiders and it’s been a struggle ever since. If the team is determined to spend money on Agholor, Williams is almost certainly done in Las Vegas.

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