When we think of the additions the Las Vegas Raiders made at wide receiver this year, we think of Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards. Another move the team made that is receiving less attention is the signing of Nelson Agholor.Â
Nelson Agholor has never posted great numbers but that’s ok
The Philadelphia Eagles selected Agholor in 2015’s draft. At that time, Chip Kelly was their coach and the ‘Birds’ were coming out of a playoff season. The USC standout would be one of the final pieces that would take them to the top, or at least that’s what they thought. Nevertheless, Agholor never became the receiver the Eagles expected and never had more than 770 yards in a season. In fact, that was his career-high in 2017 and his production decreased afterward.
After a five-year tenure, the Eagles decided against keeping Agholor. He became a free agent and joined the Raiders this offseason and signed a one-year $910,000 contract. That isn’t outlandish and instead, it could turn out to be a bargain if he becomes a steady contributor, which coincidentally, it is what he currently is for the Silver and Black’s offense.
This season, Agholor has hauled in four receptions for 74 yards. While it might not look like much at first, all of those have been key completions. Furthermore, his very first catch of the year was a 23-yard touchdown against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1. He’s currently averaging 18.5 yards per catch. He won’t likely top 700 yards in 2020, but has carved up a nice niche for himself in the Raiders offense.
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The Raiders need players like Agholor
Based on Agholor’s production so far, we doubt his production will exponentially ramp up. However, the Raiders benefit from his contributions on the field and his mindset. In his latest press conference, the veteran wideout talked about how losing isn’t a pleasant experience but it can teach us many lessons.
“A loss is a loss to me, nobody wants to lose in this league, but one thing you can learn from a loss is that you gotta go harder, you gotta work harder, you gotta prepare better. There’s a reason why you fell short. There is a reason why you felt short, can you be better this week than you were the week before?”
That’s the kind of mindset that is going to help the Raiders build a winning mentality. No NFL team can go undefeated, but it’s crucial that they embrace a loss and what comes with it the way they do with wins. The Silver and Black just lost to the New England Patriots, but that doesn’t mean their season is over. They have to regroup and get ready for the Buffalo Bills.
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Top Photo: Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal