Tag: Nelson Agholor

Grading WR Nelson Agholor’s deal with the Patriots: C+

The New England Patriots added a wide receiver on the first day of tampering. Is Nelson Agholor the answer to fans’ prayers?

Bill Belichick had money to spend, and he’s going to spend it.

A busy day in New England continues as the Patriots made another addition, agreeing to a deal with free agent wide receiver Nelson Agholor. After struggling to make the most of his opportunities in Philadelphia with the Eagles — and struggling to catch the football at times — Agholor joined the Las Vegas Raiders a season ago and had something of a breakout campaign.

Last year with Derek Carr, Agholor turned into more of a vertical threat. That led to his increased production, as he caught 48 passes for 896 yards and eight touchdowns. That represented a career-high mark for yardage, tied his career-high mark for touchdowns in a season, and Agholor averaged a whopping 18.7 yards per reception, over six yards higher than his previous best of 12.4 yards per reception back in 2017.

Sounds great, right?

Well…

Let’s consider this. Spotrac’s market value model projected Agholor to receiver a two-year deal for $19.5 million, working out to just under $10 million per year. Pro Football Focus projected something in the realm of $15 million for two years, coming in under $8 million per.

Of course, this contract number requires the usual caveats. It looks like $13 million per season on paper, but the bottom-line numbers might not reflect that in the end. However, this looks like a big overpay for Agholor, particularly when you look at the rest of the New England receiver room. Jakobi Meyers, N’Keal Harry, Damiere Byrd and Gunner Olszewski provide New England with perhaps four different slot receiver options, and while Agholor emerged as more vertical of a threat last season, it is unlikely that Belichick and Josh McDaniels view him as a pure X receiver. In all likelihood, Agholor is going to see snaps at the Z, and he will probably see snaps in the slot.

So this tells us perhaps two things: It could be that the Patriots are going to look to the draft to acquire the X type of player. A wide receiver room with the above players and, say, Dyami Brown or Rashod Bateman could lead to a solid 11 personnel receiver trio. Or, when you look at the Agholor move and combine it with the addition of Jonnu Smith and last year’s pair of rookie tight ends (Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene) perhaps the Patriots are going to move to more of a 12 personnel grouping, where Smith and one of the rising second-year tight ends are on the field along with say Meyers and Agholor.

We’ll learn more about where this offense is heading over the next few weeks. Perhaps the contract is loaded more into the second year, which might see the salary cap rise, but right now, this move does seem like a reach.

Report: Patriots agree to terms with WR Nelson Agholor

The Patriots have an outside threat at receiver.

The New England Patriots have agreed to terms with receiver Nelson Agholor, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Agholor is coming off a season with the Las Vegas Raiders where he posted 48 receptions, 896 yards and eight touchdowns. He also had a wild 18.7 yards per reception. It was his most impressive season after spending five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he was buried underneath a deep and talented receiver group. Playing both outside and in the slot, Agholor was a deep threat who could stretch the field, a role he’ll likely have in New England.

It’s possible the Patriots view Agholor as an upgrade over Damiere Byrd. They have comparable playing styles, with Agholor likely to be a better option.

Agholor joins a group of receivers which includes Julian Edelman, Jakobi Meyers, N’Keal Harry, Marqise Lee and Gunner Olszewski, among others.

Agholor is one of five players who have agreed to terms with the Patriots on Monday. New England also put together deals for tight end Jonnu Smith, edge Matthew Judon, defensive tackle Davon Godchaux and cornerback Jalen Mills.

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Former Eagles WR Nelson Agholor agrees to a 2-year, $26 million deal with the Patriots

Former Eagles and Raiders WR Nelson Agholor agrees to a deal with the New England Patriots

The Patriots are filling their roster with former Eagles and just hours after agreeing to a deal with Jalen Mills, former Eagles first-round pick and Raiders wideout, Nelson Agholor, will join New England as a free agent as well.

Agholor was selected by the Eagles in the first round with the 20th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft and he’s coming off a breakout season in Las Vegas.

Agholor logged a 48-catch season with 896 yards and eight touchdowns and an average of 18.7 yards per reception, giving Cam Newton a deep threat that was sorely lacking in 2021.

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Fantasy football free agency roundup

NFL free agency will drastically help reshape the fantasy football landscape as the new league year begins.

Now that NFL free agency is upon us, here is where we’ll run through the fantasy football outlooks for trades, re-signings, midrange players, and tag recipients.

This analysis will be updated as players sign/re-sign in free agency, so be sure to check back regularly.

Signed with new team or traded

RB Mark Ingram, Houston Texans: The 31-year-old inked a one-year, $2.5 million deal in Houston to pair with fellow well-aged runner David Johnson. The duo will create a one-two punch, so long as what we saw from Baltimore making Ingram a healthy scratch late last year wasn’t foreshadowing. Some of that was due to him not playing special teams and the team wanting to get a closer look at rookie J.K. Dobbins. Presuming quarterback Deshaun Watson returns, Ingram still has a dicey outlook. The Texans’ porous defense has so many needs that it’s tough to see the offense being able to consistently run the ball if the other side cannot contain opposing offenses. Ingram needs bulk to make a mark in fantasy lineups, which rarely will be the case, unless he finds regular success around the goal line, consider the veteran merely roster depth or a handcuff to Johnson.

Re-signed/extensions

QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys: There’s no surprise associated with the four-year, $160 million extension Prescott signed prior to free agency opening. He wasn’t ever going to be allowed to leave the building, as evidenced by a formality of being tagged again. As long as his ankle rehab goes according to plan, this potential No. 1 overall fantasy quarterback has the tools to pick up where he left off.

QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers:While it’s technically an extension, Big Ben’s deal was reworked to provide cap relief for the Steelers and keep him in a black-and-yellow uni for one last go of it. Roethlisberger will almost assuredly be without WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Pittsburgh has a new offensive coordinator in Matt Canada, but there’s still enough to like about the situation for Roethlisberger to be in the conversation of a low-tier rotational starter.

QB Cam Newton, New England Patriots: The knee-jerk reaction is to scoff at Newton getting a one-year, $14 million deal to re-sign with the Pats. A closer look should elicit a more measured response. Last year, just about everything worked against Cam finding success. He signed late (June 28), there was no offseason program, the offensive system is intricate, New England lost several key players to the opt-out, the offensive line had to shuffle talent several times, no receivers to speak of, zero tight ends of consequence, an erratic rushing attack, and Newton was returning from foot surgery prior to joining New England. Excuses, you may say … perhaps, but all of those factors are undeniable reality. Newton is finally healthy after three straight offseasons of rehabbing from surgery. Wait to see how the Patriots address wide receiver and tight end concerns, but it’s unwise to entirely dismiss a rebound by Newton.

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QB Taylor Heinicke, Washington Football Team: The former Panther parlayed an admirable playoff start into a two-year extension in Washington. He knows the system and the brain trust’s nucleus from his time in Carolina. Alex Smith’s release opens the door for Heinicke to compete for a starting job while having the upper hand against a newcomer who won’t be as familiar with the playbook. It’s unlikely, however, Heinicke is the season-long starter for this offense as an incoming rookie or free-agent acquisition will have that momentum on his side.

Franchise/transition tagged

WR Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: No one paying attention expected the Buccaneers to allow Godwin to walk into free agency. Look for a stronger showing in 2021 after an injury-pocked season a year ago derailed Godwin’s campaign from nearly the onset. He’s a legit WR2 in all settings, but his upside is capped at that position overall with the bevy of talent around him in the passing game.

WR Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears: It seemed for quite some time that Chicago wouldn’t have the cap space to tag Robinson, but he was indeed slapped with the tender of $17-plus million for 2021. While he would like a long-term deal, and the team may still yet find a way to meet his demands by July 15, there also remains a chance this could get ugly. Robinson doesn’t want to play on the tag, nor must he sign the tender. He then wouldn’t play or get paid, so there’s that, and $17.89 mill is nothing to sneeze at during an offseason in which the salary cap actually goes down. At 27, Robinson could put his John Hancock on the offer sheet and still hit free agency in 2022 young enough to get one last shot at a huge deal when teams will have more money to throw around. Long story short, he mostly is quarterback-proof, but Chicago still needs to put a better product on the field. Whether it is Nick Foles or someone else under center in 2021, A-Rob is a viable PPR WR1 with a hint of downside.

Remains unsigned

  • Quarterbacks: Alex Smith, Mitchell Trubisky, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jameis Winston, Jacoby Brissett
  • Running backs: Aaron Jones, Chris Carson, Kenyan Drake, Todd Gurley, Duke Johnson, Tevin Coleman, James White, Matt Breida, Brian Hill, Leonard Fournette, Malcolm Brown, Jerick McKinnon, Adrian Peterson, Le’Veon Bell, Kalen Ballage, James Conner, Marlon Mack, Wayne Gallman, Jamaal Williams, Mike Davis
  • Wide receivers: A.J. Green, T.Y. Hilton, Emmanuel Sanders, Larry Fitzgerald, Golden Tate, DeSean Jackson, Adam Humphries, Sammy Watkins, Marvin Jones, John Brown, Breshad Perriman, Corey Davis, Willie Snead, John Ross, Keelan Cole, Kendrick Bourne, Will Fuller, Demarcus Robinson, Antonio Brown, Curtis Samuel, Damiere Byrd, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Nelson Agholor, Rashard Higgins, David Moore, Kenny Golladay
  • Tight ends: Hunter Henry, Rob Gronkowski, Kyle Rudolph, Jared Cook, Tyler Eifert, Gerald Everett, Jordan Reed, Jonnu Smith, Trey Burton

Colts’ 2021 free agency target: WR Nelson Agholor

Taking a look at WR Nelson Agholor as a potential free-agent target for the Indianapolis Colts in 2021.

The Indianapolis Colts could be spenders in free agency during the 2021 offseason so we will be profiling several potential targets at positions of need.

Adding to the wide receiver position will be vital for the Colts this offseason even if they retain veteran T.Y. Hilton, who is set to be a free agent in March. With Michael Pittman Jr., Parris Campbell and Zach Pascal currently leading the room, the Colts can look to free agency for some help at the position.

So as free agency gets closer, we will do our best to preview and profile potential targets for the Colts this offseason. With roughly $43 million in projected salary-cap space, the Colts can go after whoever they want.

Please note that these articles aren’t reporting who the Colts will go after or who they have an interest in. This isn’t inside information but instead suggests who may be potential fits for the Colts to consider.

Other wide receivers we have profiled:

  • Marvin Jones (link)
  • Curtis Samuel (link)

Nelson Agholor reportedly told Raiders teammates they ‘suck’ after crushing Week 16 loss

Oh boy.

Well this is quite a story about Nelson Agoholor, set to be a free agent this offseason after a surprisingly good season in 2020, and maybe after you hear this one, he might not be staying in Las Vegas.

Per The Athletic, the receiver came into the Raiders’ locker room after a huge game — 155 yards and a score — but after the Dolphins won a 26-25 game in the last second. Before head coach Jon Gruden addressed the players, Agholor went off.

“Agholor, according to those in the room, said his teammates were selfish and didn’t work hard enough, and that they had quit against the Dolphins as well as in the previous two losses,” The Athletic’s Vic Tafur reports. Here’s what happened next:

He said there was no accountability in the locker room, and on winning teams players play for one another and the coaches. The Raiders’ performance over the previous six games was unacceptable, and too many people within the team were just flat-out accepting it.

Agholor told his teammates that they sucked.

Apparently, Gruden nor anyone else responded. But I can’t imagine that the locker room would take that well.

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It turns out the Dolphins broke the Raiders in Week 16

It turns out the Dolphins broke the Raiders in Week 16

Week 16 of the 2020 Miami Dolphins season will go down as one of the more memorable come from behind victories for the franchise in recent memory. The knockout blows exchanged in the final 5 minutes of the contest made for great television and drama — and the Dolphins ultimately came out on top thanks to a late field goal from Jason Sanders and a miraculous heave by Ryan Fitzpatrick. The aftermath of the game, which was the Dolphins’ final win in 2020?

Pandemonium. Chaos. And a whole lot of happy Dolphins fans and players.

But for every ecstatic Dolphins player, there was absolutely a dejected Raiders player. And now, with the season put behind us, we are finding out that the Miami Dolphins broke the Las Vegas Raiders. More specifically, the Miami Dolphins pushed WR Nelson Agholor over the edge and to a point you very rarely see a player on a contract year be so willing to go. The story comes courtesy of Vic Tafur of the Athletic, who described a postgame scene that featured Agholor calling his teammates that they “sucked” and  “quit” throughout the Dolphins game as well as their previous two games, both of which were losses.

Considering some of the locker room conflicts the Miami Dolphins have endured over the years, such as Jeff Ireland versus Joe Philbin, Brent & Miko Grimes versus Ryan Tannehill, Adam Gase versus everyone & etc., it certainly is nice to see the friction fall on the other side of the field for once. And even in the offense chance that Brian Flores’ Dolphins locker room experienced such a rift, the odds of hearing about it would probably be slim to none. The Dolphins may not have qualified for the playoffs this season but they did get to serve as the grim reaper for two separate teams in consecutive weeks — officially ending the Patriots and Raiders’ playoff hopes in back to back weeks.

And, at least in the case of the Raiders, Miami’s presence seemed to break the whole locker room open, too.

Fantasy Football Targets, Touches and TDs: Week 15

A deep dive into the wide receiver position as we near the end of 2020.

Wide receiver has been fantasy’s unquestioned deepest position for several years running now.

As a result, leagues with three starting wide receiver slots have become increasingly common, and the weekly lineup decisions surrounding those starters often are among the toughest to make with fantasy general managers regularly choosing from a pool of similarly productive and intriguing WR options.

So what separates one talented wideout from another or one WR2 from the next?

This week’s TT&T will attempt to answer some of those questions by taking a look at deeper and lesser-known wide receiver statistical metrics and see what light they can shed on actual efficiency and true productiveness at the position this season.

In the process, some underrated and overrated wideouts are sure to emerge along with some hidden gems, and that should help in regards to some of those tough weekly WR lineup decisions.

Team target share

(source: Lineups.com)

Top 10

  1. DeAndre Hopkins, Cardinals 25.2 percent
  2. Stefon Diggs, Bills 25.1
  3. Keenan Allen, Chargers 25.0
  4. Davante Adams, Packers 24.8
  5. Marquise Brown, Ravens 24.2
  6. Terry McLaurin, Washington 23.1
  7. Jarvis Landry, Browns 22.7
  8. Robby Anderson, Panthers 22.7
  9. Allen Robinson, Bears 22.3
  10. Tyreek Hill, Chiefs 21.9

Notable

  • Brown (36th among wide receivers with 80 total targets ) and Landry (27th with 87) are the only wideouts ranked in the above top 10 who are not among the top 25 at the position in total targets. They also are the only ones in the above group averaging fewer than 8.5 targets per game with Landry averaging 6.7 and Brown averaging 6.2.
  • Aside from the just-mentioned Landry and Brown, Anderson (18th among WRs with 15.1 point-per-reception fantasy points per game) and McLaurin (19th with 14.9) rank the lowest among this group in fantasy production, and most of it is due to their combined five touchdowns. The other six (Hopkins, Diggs, Adams, Allen, Robinson and Hill) have 53 TD receptions between them with none with fewer than five.
  • 49ers rookie Brandon Aiyuk (17th with 15.8 fantasy points per game) has missed three full games due to injury and consequently owns the lowest team target share (13.9) of any current top-20 fantasy wideout. However, he’s drawn at least 23 percent of San Fran’s targets in each of his last five games with a minimum of seven targets in each outing.

Air yards before catch per reception

(min. 35 receptions, ProFootballReference.com)

Top 10

  1. Nelson Agholor, Raiders 13.0
  2. Calvin Ridley, Falcons 12.8
  3. Mike Williams, Chargers 12.5
  4. D.K. Metcalf, Seahawks 12.5
  5. D.J. Moore, Panthers 12.5
  6. Darius Slayton, Giants 12.0
  7. Jerry Jeudy, Broncos 11.9
  8. Justin Jefferson, Vikings 11.5
  9. Will Fuller, Texans 11.1
  10. Tim Patrick, Broncos 10.9

Notable

  • This is not only a good indicator of which wide receivers are getting targeted with the coveted/more fantasy-lucrative deeper passes, but how many of these deeper passes are actually being caught. The Bucs’ Scotty Miller (13.6 yards on 28 catches), the Packers’ Marquez Valdes-Scantling (13.2 on 31) and the Bills’ emerging Gabriel Davis (12.4 on 28) are among those who just fell short of the minimum-catch threshold.
  • Agholor popped again Sunday with five catches for 100 yards and a TD on nine targets in the Raiders’ 44-27 loss to the Colts, but even with that, he’s only averaging 11.1 fantasy points per game and has had more than twice as many sub-top-40 finishes (seven) than top-25 finishes (three) on the season — a true boom-or-best receiver with a few too many busts to be started with any confidence.
  • It’s not too surprising to find a pair of Broncos on this list, considering QB Drew Lock leads the league with an average of 9.1 intended air yards per passing attempt, but hopefully most fantasy GMs have realized by now that Patrick is by far the team’s best WR3/flex option as his 64.2 catch percentage is far superior to Jeudy’s 46.5. Patrick has a team-most six TD receptions while Jeudy and the rest of the team’s wideouts have combined for seven.

Yards after catch/reception

(min. 30 receptions, NFL Next Gen Stats)

Top 10

  1. Deebo Samuel, 49ers 12.3
  2. Mecole Hardman, Chiefs 7.6
  3. Danny Amendola, Lions 7.2
  4. Michael Pittman Jr., Colts 7.1
  5. A.J. Brown, Titans 7.1
  6. Hunter Renfrow, Raiders 6.7
  7. Valdes-Scantling, Packers 6.6
  8. McLaurin, Washington 6.5
  9. Moore, Panthers 6.4
  10. Robert Woods, Rams 6.2

Notable

  • Samuel, who could miss the rest the season due to Sunday’s opening-play hamstring injury, is averaging nearly five more yards after the catch than any other qualifying wideout. Samuel also has a negative-7 total air yards on his 33 receptions, meaning he has more yards after the catch (398) than he does total receiving yards (391) on the season. That’s truly a rarity for a wide receiver, but Samuel seems to be paying a price health-wise for his physical style as he’s played in only seven of 13 contests this season.
  • The rookie Pittman has drawn physical comparisons to his AFC South counterpart in Brown, so it’s wholly fitting that their YAC averages are near identical. Pittman, though, is averaging 2.4 fewer targets and 1.3 fewer receptions per game and has had five or fewer targets in three of his last four contests after a bright but brief midseason surge.
  • Woods and fellow Rams WR Cooper Kupp, rank fourth and second among wideouts with YAC totals of 463 and 473, respectively. That obviously beefs up their own fantasy numbers as well as QB Jared Goff, who ranks third at the position with an average of 6.0 YAC per completion. Only Aaron Rodgers and the Niners’ Nick Mullens, at 6.2 apiece, average more, and only Patrick Mahomes (1,965) has benefited from more total YAC than Goff’s 1,945 to date on the season.

Team red-zone TD share

(min. 10 red zone targets, Lineups.com)

Top 10

  1. Adam Thielen, Vikings 58.0
  2. Ridley, Falcons 55.0
  3. Allen, Chargers 44.0
  4. N’Keal Harry, Patriots 40.0
  5. Mike Evans, Bucs 38.0
  6. Adams, Packers 36.0
  7. Aiyuk, 49ers 27.0
  8. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers 26.0
  9. Hill, Chiefs 26.0
  10. Amari Cooper, Cowboys, 25.0

Notable

  • Thielen ranks eighth at the position with an average of 17.5 fantasy points per outing, and he owes it much to his top-of-the charts red-zone efficiency. A league-high 11 of his 12 total scoring grabs have come in the red zone, and he’s done it on 16 targets (fourth) and 14 receptions (third) inside the 20.
  • Ridley and Allen are the only other wideouts to have snared more than 40 percent of their teams’ red zone TD tosses with rounded-up percentages of 55 and 44, respectively. It’s particularly notable that Ridley has been on the receiving end of six of the Falcons’ 11 TD throws. WRs Russell Gage and Brandon Powell have two apiece and tight end Hayden Hurst has the other, leaving Julio Jones with a shocking zero on eight inside-the-20 targets and four receptions.
  • On the flip side, the Panthers’ Anderson, Washington’s McLaurin, the Bears’ Anthony Miller and the Saints’ Michael Thomas are the only wide receivers with 10 or more targets inside the red zone and no receiving TDs. All have exactly 10 inside-the-20 targets apiece with 17 combined receptions. Bengals TE Drew Sample (10 scoreless red-zone targets) is the only other pass-catcher without a TD on double-digit red zone targets.

Drop percentage

(min. 35 targets, ProFootballReference.com)

Top 10

  1. Hardman, Chiefs 13.3
  2. KJ Hamler, Broncos 11.5
  3. Valdes-Scantling, Packers 10.2
  4. Diontae Johnson, Steelers 8.8
  5. Moore, Panthers 7.9
  6. Kendrick Bourne, 49ers 7.9
  7. Thielen, Vikings 7.7
  8. Tyler Lockett, Seahawks 7.5
  9. Gage, Falcons 7.1
  10. Michael Gallup, Cowboys 7.1

Notable

  • Johnson has been poster player for drops with a league-high 10 on 113 targets. His unreliable hands have been especially glaring of late, and he even earned a seat on the bench for much of Sunday night’s loss in Buffalo after a pair of glaring early-game drops. Johnson is certainly not alone on the Steelers as QB Ben Roethlisberger has been victimized by a league-most 33 dropped passes and only the Cowboys’ Andy Dalton, at 7.0 percent, has had a higher percentage of his passes dropped than Big Ben’s 6.4.
  • It’s a bit shocking to see Thielen and Lockett on this list considering the former’s sure-handed reputations and the latter’s sheer volume (106 targets) and penchant for reeling in low-percentage passes, but they have had seven and eight drops on the season, respectively. Of course, Thielen and Lockett really don’t have to worry about much of a decrease in targets if the dropped opportunities continue, but players like the just-mentioned second-year Johnson are in danger of seeing their looks and snaps take a dip if the frustrating miscues persist.
  • On the flip side, the Browns’ Rashard Higgins, the Texans’ Randall Cobb, the Broncos’ Patrick, the Bucs’ Antonio Brown and Bears rookie Darnell Mooney are the only wide receivers without a drop and at least 34 targets, according to ProFootballReference.com data.

5 Raiders the Colts must game plan for in Week 14

Keep an eye on these Raiders.

The Indianapolis Colts (8-4) travel west to take on the Las Vegas Raiders (7-5) in a must-win game for both sides. The Colts hope to keep pace with the Titans in the AFC South, while also holding onto their wild card spot. The Raiders are on the outside looking in, which gives them even more incentive to pick up a win.

Jon Gruden’s team has struggled in recent weeks with injuries on both sides of the ball. After narrowly beating the Jets last week, the Raiders are trying to salvage their season and make a playoff push.

The injury to Josh Jacobs will be one to monitor as it isn’t clear whether he will play. If he were to make it onto the field Sunday, he would be the top player to game plan for.

Here are five Raiders the Colts must game plan for in Week 14:

8 sleepers in fantasy football for Week 12

Fantasy football sleepers in Week 12.

Whether you’re in the final week before the postseason or only have a couple of weeks left, now is not the time to make any mistakes when it comes to setting your lineup.

The waiver wire still has a lot of value, and that one player to take your team over the top could just be sitting out there. Or maybe its a player on your bench you’re questioning to plug into your lineup.

Here are eight sleepers in fantasy football for Week 12: