The Jacksonville Jaguars need as many upgrades as they can get.
When it comes to the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ roster needs, the wide receiver doesn’t come up too often, and when it does, it’s near the bottom of the list. Quarterback is certainly their most pressing one, and either left tackle or edge defender may come next.
In fact, the Jaguars wide receiver corps is quite solid. Rookie Laviska Shenault Jr. and Collin Johnson have displayed flashes of talent in their first year in the NFL. D.J. Chark Jr. has also proven he can take over games in the past and if the team had a more stable quarterback situation, his numbers would surely be up.
Wide receiver Keelan Cole has also been reliable for the most part and Chris Conley provides a veteran presence in the group, but both of them are expected to become free agents in the offseason and it’s uncertain whether the organization will want to bring them back.
Former general manager David Caldwell, who brought in Cole and Conley, is no longer with the team, and whoever takes over the team’s front office may not be inclined to re-sign them since he will have no attachment to them.
On the other hand, the Jaguars new manager may opt to upgrade the position via free agency and if that’s the case, he should consider Nelson Agholor, who is set to become a free agent after the season.
2. The Jacksonville Jaguars could use a player like Nelson Agholor.
The Philadelphia Eagles used a first-round pick to select Nelson Agholor in the first round of 2015’s draft. Although he displayed flashes of talent throughout his tenure in ‘Philly’, he was plagued by drops at the most inopportune times.
All in all, the USC standout hauled in 224 receptions for 2,515 yards and 18 touchdowns in his five-year tenure with the ‘Birds’. Although he never reached the 1,000-yard receiving mark, he had at least 700 yards in two of his five seasons with the team.
The fact he had a career-high 768 yards and eight touchdowns in his third year might’ve prompted the team to pick up his fifth-year option. Nevertheless, his production dipped the two following seasons, and the Eagles decided not to bring him back in 2021.
This offseason, he signed a one-year prove-it-deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. The contract was worth $1.0475 million and reflected Agholor’s value after a not-so-great tenure in the ‘City of Brotherly Love’. However, ‘Nelly’ has had a career resurgence with the ‘Silver and Black’ and has hauled in 33 receptions for 535 yards and six touchdowns in 2020.
Although the veteran isn’t the Raiders’ first option in the passing game, he’s thrived in a complementary role and has averaged a career-high 16.2 yards per reception this season. He’s on pace to match his career-highs on receptions and touchdowns and will likely hit the free-agent market after the season.
Would Nelson Agholor really be an upgrade for the Jacksonville Jaguars?
Nelson Agholor is definitely having a solid season with the Raiders, but it’s highly unlikely that he will reach the 1,000-yard receiving mark. Furthermore, this season could be an outlier and he could see a decline in production the following season.
‘Nelly’ had five years to establish himself as the number one receiver in Philadelphia but he wasn’t able to do it despite the fact that he was giving a good amount of opportunities. Nobody can guarantee the Jaguars he won’t revert back to his old inconsistent self. He had a penchant for dropping passes at crucial times and this season, he already has three.
On the other hand, Keelan Cole has already expressed his desire to remain a Jaguar after this season, and the two wideouts have similar production. In four seasons, the Kentucky Wesleyan standout has hauled in 144 receptions for 2,104 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The next general manager won’t be acquainted with Cole, but the same is true for Agholor. We don’t know what kind of players he will ink and which Jaguars he will want to re-sign. In the end, he may go with the devil they know over, but that doesn’t mean they should discard the possibility of signing Nelson Agholor in the offseason.