Getty One Patriots pass-catcher who could be cut is a good fit for the Ravens.
Wide receiver remains the one obvious uncertainty on the Baltimore Ravens’ roster headed into the 2022 NFL season. Things haven’t been cleared up at training camp, nor by performances during the team’s 23-10 preseason victory over the Tennessee Titans on Friday, August 12.
Injuries to some members of a relatively unproven group only increase the need for the Ravens to add a veteran wideout to the mix. One receiver not linked with the team represents a good scheme fit if he’s cut by the New England Patriots.
This former first-round pick has been tipped to be released before the season begins. He’d make a difference to a pedestrian Ravens passing game still lacking a credible deep threat.
Top-20 Pick Makes Sense for Ravens
Nelson Agholor has barely lived up to expectations since being drafted 20th overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015. He never tallied more than 768 yards receiving in a single season throughout five years with the Eagles, before signing with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020.
Agholor enjoyed his best season in the pros as a member of the Silver and Black. He made 48 catches for 896 yards and eight touchdowns.
The well-travelled veteran parlayed those numbers into a deal with the Patriots a year ago, but Agholor struggled to make an impact. He tallied just 37 receptions for 473 yards and a mere three touchdowns.
Now, Bleacher Report’s Ian Wharton believes Agholor is the one player the Pats must cut before the season: “The 29-year-old is in the second year of a two-year, $21.8 million deal, and his $14.9 million cap hit is an albatross. New England can save $4.9 million if it cuts him now.”
Agholor’s career CV doesn’t look too impressive, but he has one quality the Ravens should covet Namely, the ability to stretch the field.
Agholor has averaged over 12 yards per catch in a season four times throughout his career, including 18.7 per reception for the Raiders. This 57-yard catch against the Denver Broncos, highlighted by B/R Gridiron, showcased the vertical speed Agholor can bring to an offense:
Derek Carr goes DEEP to Nelson Agholor 😯
(via @NFL)
The Ravens should make room for this kind of big-play speed.
Ravens Lacking True Deep Threat
Agholor averaged nearly 19 yards a catch with the Raiders. Contrast that with the players the Ravens are counting on for big plays on the outside in 2022.
Second-year man Rashod Bateman works better over the middle, while Devin Duvernay averaged 8.2 yards per reception last season. James Proche managed 12.6 per grab and Tylan Wallace averaged 11.5 yards. Wallace was the only member of the group to suit up against the Titans, and he caught just one pass for three yards.
Those numbers won’t wow anybody, but Duvernay has shown a possible flair for the big play by hauling in this catch from Lamar Jackson during camp:
Unfortunately, “injuries that knocked Duvernay and now Proche out of practice for chunks of time do bring up depth questions,” according to Ryan Mink and Clifton Brown of the Ravens’ official site.
Agholor could be the field-stretcher the Ravens are missing, provided he gets back to 2020 form. He was off his game last season, but Wharton thinks New England’s quarterback situation was part of the problem.
Wharton cited stats from Pro Football Focus’ Bryant Horn revealing Mac Jones ranked 21st among the league’s deep passers. Jones’ numbers with the deep ball were lacking, but he still fared better than Jackson, who ranked 28th.
Jackson’s vertical game would improve with a target like Agholor catching his passes. The latter still showed his knack for taking the top off of a defense by making this 60-yard grab against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8:
Mac Jones deep bomb to Nelson Agholor.
Agholor can still be a playmaker in the right system. It means there’s a chance he might make an impact with the Patriots, even though some think he should be traded.
Among those who share that view, Cam Garrity of Patriots Wire named the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers as potential trade partners. Yet, not everybody shares Garrity’s view, with Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar believing “trading Agholor feels like a premature move that could create more depth issues than it’s worth.”
The Ravens would obviously prefer Agholor was put on the free-agent market where he could be acquired without having to give anything away. It won’t happen if Agholor shows improvement this offseason, something that could happen after Lazar called him “New England’s best receiver on the field” during a recent joint practice with the Carolina Panthers.
Significantly, Agholor’s performance against the Panthers included the kind of highlight-reel catch the Ravens need to see more of from their own receivers, per PFF’s Doug Kyed:
Of course, one good play at this time of the year does not guarantee a roster spot. If Agholor can’t lock things down with the Patriots, he could be available in time for the Ravens to make a smart, late move to shore up the lingering problem area on the team.