Getty Raiders free agent WR Nelson Agholor.
One of the first orders of business for the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency is to figure out what they want to do with Nelson Agholor. Based on his strong season, the team should be planning to re-sign him. It’s possible that he’s looking for a big payday but he shouldn’t cost too much.
Pro Football Focus went through all of the top free agents in the NFL and predicted that Agholor is going to end up coming back to Las Vegas.
“These flash-in-the-pan players like Agholor can be hard to project, as he’s a former first-round pick coming off a 900-yard, eight-touchdown season,” wrote PFF. “However, Agholor still had nine drops on his 82 targets, which earned him a 31.7 drop grade (109th of 115 wide receivers with at least 30 targets).”
PFF went on to predict a two-year, $15 million contract for Agholor with $9 million total guaranteed, $7 million fully guaranteed at signing. That wouldn’t be a bad deal if the Raiders believe he can continue to be the team’s number one wide receiver.
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Should Raiders Re-Sign Agholor?
If the Raiders can get Agholor at $9 million a year, they should definitely bring him back. There’s always the worry that he’ll revert back to his old ways once he gets paid but players and coaches have praised his leadership and work ethic. The nine drops are concerning but he more than made up for it with his 17.9 yards per catch average.
Quarterback Derek Carr hasn’t had such good chemistry with a wide receiver since Michael Crabtree. Carr hasn’t had a true number one wide receiver in a few years. Agholor might not necessarily be that type of player but he proved to be pretty close this season. If the Raiders cut Tyrell Williams in the offseason, they’ll have more than enough money to pay for Agholor. He was better in his one season with the team than Williams has been in two. It would be a logical swap for the Raiders to make.
Other WRs Raiders Could Target
If the Raiders decide not to bring back Agholor, they’re going to need to find another strong wide receiver. Henry Ruggs showed flashes as a rookie but still has a ton of work to do. The same goes for Bryan Edwards, who didn’t make any notable plays until the last game of the season. Those two could be the Raiders’ wide receivers of the future but it’s too early to know for sure.
Jon Gruden could get greedy and splurge on a wide receiver in free agency. He’s been desperate for a superstar out wide and there are a couple available this offseason. The two best available will be Chris Godwin and Allen Robinson. Both men have been to Pro Bowls and either would immediately be the Raiders’ best wide receiver. Godwin is only 24-years-old but Robinson is coming off a better season. Despite having inconsistent quarterback play, Robinson caught 102 passes for 1,250 yards and six touchdowns. While either guy would be a great addition for the silver and black, they’d command top dollar. If the Raiders wanted to sign one of them, it could cost in excess of $20 million per year. With a defense that needs a lot of love this offseason, it might be a bad idea to pay that kind of money for a luxury player.
The Raiders’ best move would be to retain Agholor at half the price.
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