Will Agholor be back with a hefty salary increase next season?
Nelson Agholor was one of the NFL’s biggest surprises in free agency, producing as a receiver for the Raiders in a way he never did as a first-round draft pick for the Philadelphia Eagles.
He bet on himself with a one-year contract to play for coach Jon Gruden for a $910,000 minimum veteran salary and $137,500 signing bonus, producing 48 receptions for 896 yards and eight touchdowns.
Agholor’s 18.7 yards per catch led the NFL for receivers with 40 or more catches and gave Derek Carr a home-run threat the Raiders haven’t seen since the first five games of Randy Moss in 2005.
The knee-jerk reaction is Agholor is getting a big raise to stay right where he is. Not only did he produce on the field, but Gruden also loved his work ethic and offensive coordinator Greg Olson raved about Agholor’s leadership among the
position group.
Slot receiver Hunter Renfrow said Monday Agholor would arrive at the practice facility at 4 a.m. to hit the JUGS gun because he was so intent on solving the dropped passes that plagued his later years with the Eagles.
Yet it’s not as simple as giving Agholor a huge raise and cuing up “Happy Days are Here Again.”
Pieces to the puzzle include what Agholor could get on the open market, whether the Raiders think he can do it again, and if his presence would slow the ascension of second-year receivers Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards.
The Raiders are presently $7.6 million over a projected salary cap of $176 million.
It’s still unclear whether that figure could be lower or higher based on lack of revenues from a pandemic year. The overage isn’t as ominous as it seems and will be dealt with in a future post.
There’s also the question of how much actual cash owner Mark Davis has to spend after a season with no fans in Las Vegas and reduced revenues overall because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other players who had solid seasons in a free agent year include guard Denzelle Good and linebacker Nicholas Morrow. Good started 15 games at left guard and right tackle and played for $2.5 million in salary and bonus money, with Morrow getting $3.259 million on a restricted free agent tender.
Mitigating factors for Good include his age (30), where the Raiders think second-year guard John Simpson is in his development and if they plan on having Richie Incognito give it another go for $6.35 million but with no dead money were he to be released. As for Morrow, the Raiders are already invested in Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski from last year’s free agency class.
A look at Raiders’ players scheduled for free agency (tentatively scheduled for mid-March) ranked by playing time in 2020 (all figures from overthecap.com): (Position, player, age, % of snaps)
G DENZELLE GOOD, 30, 88.4>> Fellow Raiders guard Gabe Jackson stumped for Good’s return during his last press conference. The going rate for an upper echelon for an upper tier starting guard is more than $8 million in average salary.
WR NELSON AGHOLOR, 28, 67.6 >>
Agholor’s 82 targets ranked behind only Waller’s 145. Gave the Raiders at least a year for Ruggs to develop into the deep threat of their dreams.
CB NEVIN LAWSON, 30, 67.6 >> The coaches love his competitive nature and willingness to challenge wide receivers but he’s not a playmaker. Has never had an NFL interception in seven seasons and 88 games.
S ERIK HARRIS, 31, 66.5 >> Part of one of the NFL’s worst secondaries in terms of giving up the big play. Role at this point is probably as a special teams player with limited snaps on defense.
LB NICHOLAS MORROW, 26, 66.4 >> Showed playmaking and blitzing capability that wasn’t as readily apparent in his first three seasons. One of Reggie McKenzie’s best finds out of Division III Greenville.
DT JOHNATHAN HANKINS, 29, 61.9>> After playing under a $5.875 million cap number, Hankins is showing some wear and tear. His return could be based on the review of a yet-to-be-named defensive coordinator.
DT MALIEK COLLINS, 26, 46.2>> Played for $6 million hoping to break the bank this year and was ineffective to a startling degree with no sacks or pressures as a threetechnique.
TE JASON WITTEN, 39, 37.3>> Witten provided leadership as well as allowing Foster Moreau a season to get his knee fully healthy. Moreau looks ready to step in as the in-line tight end to pair with Darren Waller.
T SAM YOUNG, 34, 35.2 >> It was ordeal for Young to get through the season. Practicing sparingly, didn’t make it through some games but was still the preferred injury starter over Brandon Parker by the end of the season.
CB DARYL WORLEY, 26, 31.3 >> Worley came back to the Raiders after being cut in both Dallas and Buffalo. Missed a game due to COVID-19 and struggled along with the rest of the Raiders’ secondary.
WR ZAY JONES, 26, 26.6 >> Big 37-yard play to help beat Denver in finale notwithstanding, Jones will have a hard
time getting on the field if Agholor returns with Ruggs, Edwards and Renfrow in the mix plus the draft and free agency.
RB DEVONTAE BOOKER, 29, 22.2>> Production dipped late along with the running game as a whole but finished with 463 yards and a 4.5 yards per carry average on a veteran minimum contract.
LB VIC BEASLEY, 29, 17.9 >> Beasley played in five games after being signed in hopes of getting back so i me of the pass rush skills he had in Atlanta. Had no sacks or pressures in five games with snap counts ranging from eight to 24.
LB RAEKWON MCMCMILLAN, 25, 15.5>> Acquired from Miami along with a fifth-round 2021 pick in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the same draft. Probably a one-year depth rental at the cost of moving back a round.
DE-DT CHRIS SMITH, 29, 10.6>> Smith was a frequent veteran practice squad promotion who ended up playing eight games and surprised the coaches by proving he could play limited snaps inside at tackle.
DE TAKK MCKINLEY, 26, 7.8>> The Raiders paid McKinley to rehab a groin injury after claiming him off the waiver wire and never saw him play. Playing time was with Atlanta. If there’s not much of a market, McKinley could get a chance on a “prove it” deal.
LB KYLE WILBER, 32, 4.4>> A special teams captain, Wilber’s presence depends on special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia making his case for a return.
RB THEO RIDDICK, 30, 4.4 >> Riddick was mostly stashed on the practice squad for depth but did catch four passes for 40 yards in the finale against Denver. With expanded practice squad, hard to see him making the roster.
QB NATHAN PETERMAN, 27, 1.0>> Was the backup to Carr until Marcus Mariota got healthy. If Mariota returns along with Carr, Raiders could opt for a developmental quarterback at No. 3.
TE DEREK CARRIER, 30, 0.6>> Seldom saw the field at tight end with Waller, Witten and Moreau on hand but was a core special teams player and popular with both teammates and staff.
TE NICK O’LEARY, 29, DNP >> Underwent a heart blockage procedure in June but still hopes to play somewhere in 2021 who will pass him on a physical.