Philadelphia Eagles: Studying what went wrong with Nelson Agholor

Since being drafted Nelson Agholor has had one of the more disappointing careers in Philadelphia Eagles history.

Agholor had a disappointing sophomore season and some including myself, believe that maybe one day he will be able to consistently produce. I charted four games of Nelson Agholor’s to see what issues this guy was having on the football field.

I took a look at his games against the Browns, Vikings, Redskins, and Falcons. Outside of having inconsistent hands, Agholor struggles to get open running most routes. I did not count any clear-out routes, routes under three yards, or anything against zone coverage. With the 40 routes, I charted of Agholor’s he was only able to separate from the cornerback on him 12 times. His route running is a lot worse than I ever thought.

The basic nuances of the position do not show up when watching Nelson Agholor play the wide receiver position. Although he does flash terrific playmaking skills and does have the attitude to be better, he still has a lot of flaws. Let’s take a look at some of these flaws that are holding him back from taking the next step.

Agholor is lined up against Browns cornerback Jamar Taylor and is given a post route on this play. If you can get inside release on a post then that is always a plus for the WR but if you can’t it is not the end of the world. Here, Agholor gives a 2-3 step 6 inch jab with his left foot to get Taylor to bite so Agholor can get the inside. Taylor does not bite, Agholor gets tied up and confused. I have noticed that Agholor runs into defensive backs a lot which is clearly something you do not want to do as a WR. By the time Agholor breaks into the post, Wentz has moved out the pocket.

Here is another example of Agholor getting tied up with a defensive back. Agholor has no chance once Tramon Williams engages with him. This happens way too many times to him and whenever this happens the WR chances of making a play diminishes.

I can’t even explain this one.

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A lot of these mistakes look like coaching flaws because these mistakes are something NFL wideouts should never make. The Philadelphia Eagles were notorious in 2016-17 for pathetic wide receiver play and it is concerning that as the season went on a lot of these mistakes were not corrected. Agholor may also be out of position by playing the X and Z receiver. With Jordan Matthews manning the slot, the Philadelphia Eagles are forced to get Agholor on the outside which so far has been a disaster.

Here is another issue that plagues Agholor when it comes to playing on the outside. He has an inconsistent release that does not look smooth or natural. Watch WRs like Amari Cooper, AJ Green, Odell Beckham and even someone like Stefon Diggs, their release against press coverage is smooth. Agholor looks like he’s trying to stomp holes on the field. The defensive back does not bite on one of his jabs or stems. Thankfully the slot WR was able to win on his slant or else this play would have been a disaster.

This is what happens when Agholor puts it all together and is able to get an effective release off the line. He gives Joe Haden a hesitation off the line, jabs to create outside leverage, and gets Haden to completely turn around. Wentz delivers a beautiful ball and Agholor has the easiest touchdown of his short career. These are plays Agholor needs to showcase more often.

this is good, let’s do more of this pic.twitter.com/NcWwkReiJs

Next: Breaking down the Eagles linebacker depth

I still do believe Agholor can make an impact if he plays in the slot but so far he has shown inconsistent route running and hands. This is a big offseason for him as he is now battling for a roster spot with Dorial Green-Beckham, Treggs, Turner and others. Agholor is about to endure his most important training camp ever if he does not improve the Philadelphia Eagles could wash their hands with this former first round pick.