Nelson Agholor

Ravens Extend WR Nelson Agholor

February 18th, 2024 at 10:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Ravens saw contributions from a number of new faces in the receiving room in 2023, and at least one veteran member of that group will remain in place for another year. The team announced on Sunday that Nelson Agholor has signed a one-year extension.

Agholor joined the Ravens on a one-year deal last offseason, but multiple void years were added to his pact for salary cap purposes. As The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec notes, his deal was set to void on Monday, which would have set him up for free agency. Instead, the veteran will remain in place as a complementary option in Baltimore’s passing game.

Four years removed from a career-year in Las Vegas, there were relatively low expectations coming into the 2024 for Agholor. While his production this season doesn’t jump off the stat sheet by any means, he proved a reliable target for MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. He finished third in the team’s receivers room in yards (381) and second in touchdowns (4), and despite a career-history of questionable hands, Agholor caught a career-high 77.8 percent of his targets, only dropping two passes.

With Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and return specialist Tylan Wallace all set to return on their rookie contracts, the Ravens were set to enter the offseason with Agholor, Odell Beckham Jr., and another return specialist in Devin Duvernay headed towards free agency. When asked in a recent interview whether he’ll need to rebuild the wide receivers room again this offseason, general manager Eric DeCosta said, “I think (Bateman) is going to have a great season. We got Zay. I feel really good about where we are.” He went on to mention that the team had already had conversations about re-signing some of the veterans set to leave the building, and Agholor appears to have been one of those considerations.

It remains to be seen whether or not Agholor is just the first domino to fall. Though Beckham once again fell short of achieving the highs of his days in New York, the 31-year-old still finished second on the team in receiving yards and displayed some decent chemistry with Jackson at times. Duvernay’s receiving contribution took a huge step back after taking a larger role in 2022, but the 26-year-old still has some of the talent in the return game that made him a first-team All-Pro in 2021.

Regardless, with Agholor back in the fold, alongside Flowers, Bateman, and Wallace, the Ravens have a functional receiving corps. The team may still pursue contracts with the departing vets or perhaps some new talent from the college ranks, but with today’s signing, any such move would be considered an upgrade, as opposed to a necessity.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Contract Details: David, Eluemunor, Agholor, Howard

March 29th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are a few contract details on deals recently reached around the league:

Lavonte David, LB (Buccaneers): One year, $4.5MM. The deal, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports, is quite a complicated one. It has guaranteed money at $3.34MM, consisting of David’s signing bonus. The remainder of the contract value is a veteran league minimum salary of $1.17MM. The signing bonus is spread out over four void years that help dissipate his cap hit.
Nelson Agholor, WR (Ravens): One year, $3.25MM. The contract, according to Wilson, is fully guaranteed with a $2.09MM signing bonus adding to the veteran league minimum base salary of $1.17MM. There is $3MM of incentives based on playing time, playoffs, catches, yards, and touchdowns. The Ravens somewhat uncharacteristically gave Agholor a high enough value to qualify him as a seventh-round valued compensatory free agent signing. The move wipes out a sixth-round compensatory pick that Baltimore would’ve received in 2024 for the departure of tight end Josh Oliver. The team also continues to go outside their comfort zone by once again creating a contract with void years, something they had never done prior to this offseason. Agholor’s deal has four void years to spread his cap hit out over time.
Jermaine Eluemunor, T (Raiders): One year, $3MM. The new contract, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, has a guaranteed amount of $2.29MM, which includes a signing bonus of $491,000 and most of Eluemunor’s base salary. The deal includes a $142,000 workout bonus and a per game active roster bonus of $30,000 for a potential season total of $510,000.
O.J. Howard, TE (Raiders): One year, $1.23MM. The deal, according to Wilson, includes a guaranteed amount of $451,250, consisting of a $76,250 signing bonus and $375,000 of his base salary (worth a total of $1.08MM).

Ravens, WR Nelson Agholor Agree To Deal

March 24th, 2023 at 11:33am CST by Sam Robinson

Nelson Agholor‘s Baltimore visit will produce a deal. The former first-round pick is signing with the Ravens, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec reports (on Twitter).

While the one-year contract could max out at $6.25MM, Zrebiec adds the base value will come in at $3.25MM. The Ravens will be Agholor’s fourth NFL team. Agholor will reunite with Ravens assistant coach Tee Martin. While Martin is now the Ravens’ quarterbacks coach, he was USC’s wide receivers coach throughout Agholor’s time with the Trojans.

As expected, Agholor’s fourth NFL contract will not be worth anywhere near his Patriots pact. During an uncharacteristic 2021 spending spree, the Pats gave Agholor a two-year, $22MM deal. At the time, the 2015 first-rounder was coming off a bounce-back Raiders season that featured career-high receiving yardage (896) and touchdown (eight) numbers. Agholor was unable to replicate that showing in New England.

Agholor, who will turn 30 in May, did not match that 2020 Las Vegas yardage or touchdown total in two Patriots seasons. He topped out at 473 yards and five touchdowns in New England, which had Jakobi Meyers in place as its lone reliable wide receiver over the past two seasons. Meyers has since joined the Raiders on an $11MM-per-year deal, while the Patriots have brought in JuJu Smith-Schuster for slightly less.

This Ravens deal can be categorized as a flier for a team perpetually in search of receiver help. Agholor joins 2021 first-rounder Rashod Bateman as the biggest names in Baltimore’s receiving corps, though last year’s No. 2 wideout — Devin Duvernay — is under contract for one more season. Both Bateman and Duvernay suffered season-ending foot injuries last year. The Ravens added DeSean Jackson last year as well, but the 36-year-old deep threat is no longer under contract.

Agholor has earned the inconsistent label attached to him, but he has done well for himself financially and made impacts for successful squads. The 6-foot wideout combined for 1,504 receiving yards and eight TD catches for the Eagles from 2017-18. He came through during Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LII upset, hauling in nine Nick Foles passes for 84 yards. The time between then and this agreement limits that game’s reference material regarding Agholor’s current form, however.

The Ravens will see what the ninth-year veteran has left in the tank, though everything non-Lamar Jackson looms as a secondary matter until the franchise determines a resolution with its disgruntled quarterback.

Ravens Host WR Nelson Agholor, To Meet With S Adrian Amos

March 23rd, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Adrian Amos is considering a homecoming. The Baltimore native who has spent his entire career in the NFC North is visiting the Ravens on Thursday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.

The Ravens are fairly set at safety, rostering Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton, but the team rolled out three-safety looks last season. The third man in those sets, Chuck Clark, has since been traded to the Jets.

Additionally, the Ravens have Nelson Agholor on their radar. The free agent wide receiver met with the team this week, Field Yates of ESPN.com adds (on Twitter). Agholor played out his two-year, $22MM Patriots contract. The former first-rounder’s uneven performance in New England will not make him a candidate for a similar deal this time around.

The Packers gave Amos a four-year, $36MM contract in 2019, and the former Bears draftee played out that deal. Amos, who will turn 30 next month, would provide his next team with plenty of experience. He has started 122 career games. Amos’ role in Vic Fangio‘s No. 1-ranked Bears defense catapulted him into free agency, and the former Day 3 draftee did well to play out a four-year second contract. He joins the likes of John Johnson and Eric Rowe as safeties seeking a third contract this offseason.

Pro Football Focus viewed Amos as declining in 2022, ranking the Penn State alum as a bottom-10 safety after slotting him in the top 20 at the position in each of his first three Packers slates. The advanced metrics site graded Amos as the league’s second-best safety in 2020, behind only Jessie Bates. The new Falcons safety lapped the field in terms of earnings among free agents this offseason, agreeing to a four-year, $64MM deal. Bates’ ex-Bengals teammate, Vonn Bell, landed $7.5MM per year on his third NFL deal. Amos is unlikely to command that at this stage of his career, but the Ravens will see if their terms align with the hometown defender’s hopes during his second free agency stay.

One of the league’s more maligned wideouts, Agholor has still done well financially. He tacked on that $22MM to his first-round rookie contract. The former Eagles and Raiders pass catcher, however, did not top 500 receiving yards in either of his Patriots years. In 2022, the former Super Bowl starter caught just 31 passes for 362 yards and two touchdowns. To be fair, it was not a good year to be a Patriots offensive player; dysfunction on that Matt Patricia-run unit produced steady scrutiny. But Agholor, 29, being unable to build on his 896-yard Raiders contract year has reduced his value.

Perpetually in search of receivers to play in their run-focused offense, the Ravens bottomed out at the position in 2022. Both Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay suffered season-ending foot injuries, with Bateman’s coming early in the year. The Ravens, who have Lamar Jackson‘s $32.4MM franchise tag salary clogging their cap, have not made any additions at the position thus far in free agency.

Patriots Interested In Re-Signing Jonathan Jones; Jakobi Meyers Expected To Reach Market

March 12th, 2023 at 7:35am CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 12: One team that has looked into Meyers’ market believes the NC State product will command a $15MM/year deal, a source tells Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. If that projection is accurate, then it becomes even more unlikely that Meyers returns to Foxborough, and Doug Kyed of AtoZSports.com says fellow wideout Nelson Agholor also appears to be headed elsewhere.

Per Reiss, Jones has indicated that he would like to re-sign with the Pats and that the two sides have discussed a new contract.

MARCH 7: Jonathan Jones played out his second Patriots contract in 2022. The veteran cornerback now joins Jakobi Meyers in free agency. New England appears interested in retaining Jones, while Meyers’ expected price tag may be too steep.

The Pats are interested in re-signing Jones, Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald reports. Substantial talks do not appear to have taken place, but the former Super Bowl contributor does not profile as the top corner available in free agency like J.C. Jackson did a year ago. Meyers, however, may be the top option at his position. That stands to complicate a return to the Pats.

Meyers has engaged in conversations about staying in New England, but ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes the sides have not made too much progress. This thin receiver market stands to inflate Meyers’ value. Odell Beckham Jr. is the biggest name available at receiver, but the 30-year-old standout’s injury issues complicate his market. Ditto DJ Chark. JuJu Smith-Schuster and Meyers do not carry such baggage, though the former would seem a strong candidate to stay in Kansas City given his production spike when teamed with Patrick Mahomes last season.

New England extended Jones just before the 2019 season, signing him to a three-year, $21MM deal. A similar accord may be enough for the Pats to retain Jones on a third contract, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes Jones is likely headed to the open market (video link). He would join the likes of Jamel Dean, James Bradberry and Byron Murphy here.

Murphy and Jones each bring slot and boundary coverage experience, with the latter serving as New England’s top slot option for most of his tenure. Pro Football Focus graded Jones as the No. 5 overall corner in 2020, his most recent full season as a slot player. Jones suffered an injury midway through the 2021 season but bounced back in 2022. Jones played on the outside more in 2022, out of necessity but has earned a solid reputation in the slot over the course of his career.

Still, his age (30 in September) will provide some limitations in free agency. Although the Pats are interested in keeping Jones, Rapoport tweets a franchise tag should not be considered in the equation. With the cornerback tag being $18.3MM, Jones was never a candidate to be cuffed. Slot corners’ value has not come up near the point a tag would enter the picture.

Entering his age-27 season, Meyers is coming of back-to-back 800-plus-yard receiving campaigns. After Pats signings of Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne produced inconsistency, their UDFA success story has provided some security. Meyers’ relatively low yards-per-reception totals (12.4 is his career-high mark) could cap his value, but this year’s receiver market will still put him in position to command a lucrative accord.

Injury Notes: Allen, Colts, Dalton, Zappe

October 15th, 2022 at 9:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Chargers have been without Keenan Allen since he suffered a hamstring injury during the team’s season opener. While he has yet to officially be ruled out for Monday night’s game against the Broncos, it appears his return will come no earlier than Week 7.

The 30-year-old said as much when speaking to NFL Network’s Bridget Condon. Allen was expected to be on the field by this point in the season after suffering the injury, but a setback pushed his recovery timeline into October. “I wouldn’t say it was going well,” Allen said of his first rehab attempt. “I think I pushed a little too fast. I wasn’t ready obviously and reaggravated it.”

Here are some other injury updates ahead of tomorrow’s action:

The Colts have had an extended rest period prior to Week 6 by virtue of playing on Thursday night last week. However, they will still be without running back Jonathan Taylor, as the team confirmed on Saturday. His absence against the Broncos placed a higher burden on backup Nyheim Hines, but he, in turn, left that contest with a concussion. Per the team’s injury report, Hines will also miss tomorrow’s game against the Jaguars as he recovers, leaving Indianapolis particularly thin at the position.
For the third consecutive week, the Saints will turn to quarterback Andy Dalton as their starter. Head coach Dennis Allen confirmed that the veteran will fill in for Jameis Winston, who is continuing to deal with back and ankle injuries. With him still sidelined, Dalton will face the Bengals, with whom he spent the first nine years of his career. While he will be eyeing his second New Orleans win against his old squad, he will be without his top receiving target; Michael Thomas has also been ruled out and will miss his third straight contest.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com adds that Winston will be active and in uniform (Twitter link). The Saints will only turn to him in the event of an injury to Dalton, but proceeding in this fashion means that the team does not have to promote a practice squad passer, which would then require a corresponding release. Indeed, the Saints waived QB Jake Luton on Saturday to help make room for their WR and DB needs (h/t Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.football on Twitter).
Sticking with the QB position, the Patriots are in store for a repeat of last week’s decisive win over the Lions. Rookie Bailey Zappe is expected to start once again, per Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. He was thrust into the No. 1 role after Mac Jones‘ ankle sprain and Brian Hoyer‘s concussion. Jones has officially been listed as questionable, but it is unlikely that he will be able to suit up, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets. The news is an encouraging step for the 2021 first-rounder regarding his recovery, though. Zappe and the Patriots will, on the other hand, be without receiver Nelson Agholor, who was ruled out on Saturday.

AFC East Notes: Bills, White, Moss, Patriots, Jets

August 23rd, 2022 at 6:22pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bills are hoping Tre’Davious White can avoid a stint on the PUP list to begin the regular season. While speaking to reporters, GM Brandon Beane said the team is going to “run out the clock” when it comes to White’s roster spot in the hope that he’ll progress over the next week.

“We don’t have the final answer,” Beane said (via Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic on Twitter). “I can’t sit here and say, ‘He’s going to be here on this day.'”

The cornerback tore his ACL last November, and while reports have indicated that he’s progressing well in his return to the field, it’s still uncertain if he’ll be ready to go for Week 1. White landed on the PUP to start training camp, but the team will have to make an important decision on him as they reduce their roster to 53 players. If White is placed on PUP to begin the regular season, he’ll miss Buffalo’s first four games.

The former first-round pick has spent his entire career with the Bills, earning All-Pro nods in both 2019 and 2020. In 11 games last season, White collected 41 tackles, six passes defended, and one interception.

More notes out of the AFC East…

To enter Bills camp, there was an expectation that free agent acquisition Jamison Crowder would battle with holdover Isaiah McKenzie for the starting slot receiver role. As Buscaglia writes, the team has given every indication that McKenzie has won that position battle, and Crowder’s training camp struggles may have put him on the roster bubble. Despite his assessment, Buscaglia later opined that the veteran’s experience will ultimately earn him a spot on the 53-man roster.
Elsewhere on offense, it sounds like the Bills are ready to roll with a RB committee. Buscaglia writes that both Devin Singletary and rookie James Cook could end up seeing extensive work outside of the red zone, while Zack Moss is expected to serve as the team’s goal-line running back. Moss has gotten an extensive look during the preseason, and while the writer hints that the coaching staff could be showcasing him for a trade, he also acknowledged that the team has been happy with the RB’s performance during training camp and preseason.
Before rookie wideout Tyquan Thornton went down with a shoulder injury, the Patriots were fielding offers on their receivers, according to Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus. However, it now “seems unlikely” that the Patriots would subtract from the grouping of Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne, DeVante Parker, and Nelson Agholor. Meanwhile, the trio of Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Kristian Wilkerson, and Tre Nixon are competing for limited roster spots, while Ty Montgomery‘s best chance of making the roster may be as a running back.
While cornerback Sauce Gardner and wideout Garrett Wilson are expected to play important roles for the Jets next season, their other first-round pick may see more of a complementary role. Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post writes that Carl Lawson, Quinnen Williams, Sheldon Rankins, and John Franklin-Myers are expected to start along the defensive line, meaning Jermaine Johnson will have to compete with Jacob Martin for the role of “situational rusher.” “However I can help the team win is honestly how I look at it,” Johnson said. “I practice like I’m a [undrafted] free agent anyway, so I don’t really care. It’s like I’m fighting for my life. That’s how I am, what I believe and how I practice — and it just lines up perfectly with what Coach Saleh is all about: Practicing hard, balls to the wall, giving 110 percent not only for yourself but for the team.”

WR Notes: Packers, Brown, Agholor, Bucs

August 19th, 2022 at 9:34pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Packers have had a more eventful offseason than nearly every other team in the league. One of the results of their moves is a decided lack of proven commodities at the receiver position, something which sparked quarterback Aaron Rodgers‘ recent comments about the improvement which needs to be made amongst some of their new pass-catchers.

[RELATED: Packers Claim WR Fulgham]

“The young guys, especially young receivers, we’ve got to be way more consistent,” the reigning MVP said, via PFF’s Doug Kyed. “A lot of drops, a lot of bad route decisions, running the wrong route. We’ve got to get better in that area.”

Per Kyed, Rodgers has stated they he wants Allen Lazard to operate as the “top option,” something which doesn’t come as much of a surprise given his NFL resume. Rodgers’ preference would be for Lazard to be joined as a starter by veterans Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb – a trio which would include, by far, the most experience available. However, rookies Romeo Doubs (who has seen first-team reps) and Christian Watson (whom the Packers traded up to select in the second round) could unseat Watkins and/or Cobb, leaving the team with more upside – but less certainty – at an important position as they look to contend for a Super Bowl.

Here are some more WR notes from around the league:

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was asked about the possibility of signing Antonio Brown yesterday. The former All-Pro hasn’t generated much interest since his colorful exit from the Buccaneers in the middle of a game last season, but would add experience to a banged-up Dallas receiver room. Instead, Jones replied “we want to give these young guys a real chance to make this team” (Twitter link via Jon Machota of The Athletic). A number of inexperienced wideouts are competing for depth spots behind the likes of CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, James Washington and Jalen Tolbert, and will be allowed to continue doing so for the remainder of the preseason.
Kyed tweets that one of the surprise omissions from the Patriots’ depth chart, according to some, could be Nelson Agholor. However, he notes that cutting him would not be financially viable (doing so would incur a dead cap charge of $10MM), and adds that teams which could be interested in trading for him are not willing to do so at his current salary of $9MM. More to the point, the team’s new offense could allow the 29-year-old to enjoy a bounceback season from the underwhelming 37-473-3 statline he produced last year.
The Buccaneers are set at the top of their depth chart, but also have a number of intriguing wideouts competing for rotational roles. As a result, veterans like Scotty Miller, Cyril Grayson and Breshad Perriman could find themselves on the roster bubble. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times notes that a trio of UDFAs – Jerreth Sterns, Deven Thompkins and Kaylon Geiger – have stood out in camp so far, to the point where head coach Todd Bowles said “those guys are making a case” for spots on the 53-man roster. Several noteworthy cuts will be made in Tampa by the end of August, but who will be among them remains very much up in the air.

Patriots To Sign Nelson Agholor

March 15th, 2021 at 5:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nelson Agholor is parlaying his quality Raiders season into a deal with the Patriots. New England is expected to land the former first-round pick in free agency, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Once finalized, it’ll be a two-year deal worth up to $26MM, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

This news comes after the report indicating the Pats were discussing a deal with Kendrick Bourne. As of now, it is uncertain if the Pats will add both. But they are signing Agholor, with Rapoport tweeting the deal is done. Agholor’s base value will be $11MM per year, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Incentives could move it up to the aforementioned $13MM-AAV price.

Nelson Agholor and the Raiders agreed to a deal, Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group tweets. The former first-round pick played out his five-year rookie contract with the Eagles and will follow Jason Witten in moving from the NFC East to the Raiders’ first Las Vegas pass-catching contingent. Agholor’s pact is for one year, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Agholor was inconsistent during his Eagles tenure, but the former first-round pick proved essential during Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LII march. And, in 2020, he enjoyed a solid season with the Raiders, tallying 48 grabs for 896 yards and eight touchdowns. It was opportune timing for Agholor, who erased memories of a 2019 slate marred by a knee injury.

WR Notes: Hopkins, Diggs, Agholor, Ravens

March 24th, 2020 at 12:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Before the Texans dealt DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals, the Patriots pursued the All-Pro wideout. So did the Eagles, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com said during an interview with Philadelphia’s 97.5 The Fanatic (Twitter link). The Eagles passed on going deep into talks, however, which makes sense given their commitments to Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson. Hopkins also wants a new deal in the $20MM-per-year range, in which Amari Cooper (zero All-Pro honors). The Eagles’ view of the much-hyped 2020 wide receiver class affected a potential Hopkins pursuit, Tim McManus of ESPN.com adds.

This impacted the Texans’ trade, with Albert Breer of SI.com adding that Hopkins wanted a raise instead of an extension. He is under contract through 2022 — on a $16.2MM-per-year deal that has dropped from first to eighth among wide receivers. Hopkins had also become a bit of a locker room issue in Houston, per Breer, who adds that the Texans may have been reluctant to reward the 27-year-old star because of the message it would have sent. This process came as a bit of a surprise to the Cardinals, whom Breer notes did not engage in Hopkins discussions with the Texans at the Combine.

Here is the latest from the wideout front, moving first to last week’s other big trade:

Months before the Bills pulled the trigger on a Stefon Diggs trade, they were interested in doing so before last year’s deadline. The Bills called the Vikings on several occasions about Diggs’ availability last year, Breer reports, but Minnesota insisted on keeping him. The Bills reached out about an hour after an ominous Diggs tweet that emerged shortly after the Hopkins trade, Breer adds. Last year, the Vikings wanted either two first-rounders or first- and second-round picks for Diggs, but Breer notes they loosened their asking price when the Bills called last week. Although the Vikings mentioned the 2013 Percy Harvin trade — in which the Seahawks dealt first-, third- and seventh-rounders for the then-standout wideout — as a starting point, they ended up accepting a first-rounder and no Day 2 picks for Diggs.
The Raiders are likely to use Nelson Agholor as their punt returner, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic (subscription required). While Agholor has only returned three punts in five NFL seasons, he was an accomplished return man at USC. He totaled four punt-return touchdowns between his sophomore and junior years with the Trojans. The Raiders traded for Trevor Davis to return punts last year but waived him later in 2019.
Chris Moore‘s Ravens contract expired last week, but the team remains interested in keeping him. The Ravens have engaged in talks about re-signing the free agent wide receiver, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets. Although Moore is not a big factor in Baltimore’s passing game, he is valued as a special-teamer. A new deal would likely cost close to the league minimum.

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