When the Raiders signed Nelson Agholor to a modest one-year contract last offseason, it was viewed as a low-risk, high-reward opportunity for the franchise. It’s safe to say Las Vegas hit its bet.
But will the Raiders be able to keep him around this offseason? Vic Tafur of The Athletic tweeted on Tuesday that Agholor could “test the market” after his rebound campaign.
Agholor has been one of the league’s most explosive wide receivers in 2020 despite a salary of just $1.05 million, making him the position’s 106th-highest paid player, per Spotrac. His 17.9 yards per reception is tied for the second-best in the NFL this season, and Agholor leads Las Vegas wideouts in receiving yards (839), touchdowns (eight), targets (78) and ranks second in receptions (47).
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Tight end Darren Waller remains the team’s best pass-catcher but Agholor has emerged as the No. 1 wide receiver, adding two 100-yard games in the past three contests. He also showed off his speed with a go-ahead, 85-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of last week’s 26-25 heartbreaking loss vs. the Miami Dolphins.
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Not bad for a guy who arrived in Las Vegas with a reputation for buttery hands. His dropped-pass exploits in Philadelphia got so bad that he became a meme after a local news interview demeaning Agholor went viral.
Credit Agholor for keeping his head down, taking an 89 percent pay cut to sign with the Raiders, producing this season and setting himself up for a multi-year payday. It would behoove the Raiders to keep him around, but there will likely be more enticing quarterbacks and systems for Agholor to consider.
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Las Vegas is expected to do some major salary restructuring this offseason and will have to make some big cuts to get under the projected figure of $175 million. Players like Tyrell Williams ($11.6 million cap hit), LaMarcus Joyner ($11.2 million) and Marcus Mariota ($10.1 million) are all prime candidates to be cut due to their big salaries.
If they have the money, the Raiders should capitalize on Agholor’s career year with Carr and make a legit offer to keep him around. The team is also lacking any receiver depth, with the next best options being Hunter Renfrow and Henry Ruggs III, who is talented but was underutilized his rookie year.
But even though Agholor was Derek Carr’s favorite receiver to throw to this year, there’s a chance the 27-year-old could be suiting up for the final time in Silver and Black on Sunday against the Denver Broncos.