Evaluating How Nelson Agholor Fits With The New England Patriots
The New England Patriots had one of the worst receiving corps in the NFL in 2020 in regards to production. Thus head coach Bill Belichick knew what position he'd have to target in free agency to get his beloved Pats back into playoff contention.
New England agreed to terms with former USC star wideout Nelson Agholor on a 2-year, $22 million deal when free agency began. After having a career-year with Las Vegas in 2020, Agholor cashed in and went to a WR-needy team.
So how does this former Trojan fit into the Pats offense? Let's dive in.
The Patriots were desperate for receivers that could get in the end zone last season. The position as a whole totaled only four touchdowns on the year.
On the other side, Agholor finished with eight TD's himself in 2020, which tied his career high and doubled the receivers combined total with New England.
Agholor will give New England a reliable deep-threat that the team has been missing for years. Among the NFL’s 107 players who caught more than 40 passes in 2020, no one had a higher yards-per-catch average than Agholor’s 18.7.
Cam Newton loves to sling the football long, and he now has a wide receiver that can run under and catch his bullets.
The former 2015 first-round pick showed his grit and drive while playing on a minimum-level contract for the Raiders in 2020. He finished with 48 receptions for 896 yards, which was a career-high. For reference, the Patriots leading receiver Jakobi Myers finished with the team-lead with 729 receiving yards.
New England also signed former San Francisco 49ers receiver Kendrick Bourne to a three-year deal this offseason. But Agholor isn't concerned about how the team views him on the depth chart.
“I think I’m going to do whatever needs to be done to try to find a way to win,” Agholor said when asked whether or not he would view himself as a number one option. “I think that everybody else can have a label, however they look at me, but I know that on the field I give myself and my teammates a great opportunity to make plays and win.”
Agholor is headed to the most successful franchise in the Super Bowl era, and expect him to fit into Belichick's offense seamlessly.
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