Philadelphia Eagles poll: Fans are down on a Nelson Agholor reunion

(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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Who was the Philadelphia Eagles‘ biggest free agency loss in 2020?

I know that may seem like a rather useless question considering how poorly the Birds played in 2020, but it’s one worth considering if for no other reason than that it could help to identify where the Eagles went wrong and how to better fortify their roster moving forward.

So back to the question at hand. After turning in a solid enough showing in 2019, the Eagles had 12 players set to hit the open market, ranging from long-term starters to high-upside reserves. Of those players, only three, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Malcolm Jenkins, and Jordan Howard, signed long-term deals with their new teams, and none signed a deal worth more in average annual value than Javon Hargrave’s three-year, $39 million deal.

Were any of the ex-Eagles particularly impressive in 2020? No. Not one of them earned Pro Bowl honors, and only two, Darby and Jenkins, even started every game with their new teams, but of the group, the one who flashed the most surprising potential was none other than Chip Kelly’s lone first-round draft pick, Nelson Agholor.

But would fans in the City of Brotherly Love like to have Aggie back in a midnight green uniform in 2021? Well, if our poll is of any indication, there appears to be no love lost between Philly and their former first-rounder.

The Philadelphia Eagles reuniting with Nelson Agholor is surprisingly unpopular.

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No matter how you slice it, 2020 was a breakout season for Nelson Agholor.

While the Philadelphia Eagles couldn’t be rid of the USC product fast enough after his 2020 season fell apart in spectacular fashion, long-time Philly guy Mike Mayock saw something he liked in the former Trojan enough to sign to a one-year, prove-it deal worth $1.045 million with the Las Vegas Raiders.

And prove-it he did.

Whether due to the perks of a change of scenery or having his old college number (15) back, Agholor turned in his best season as a pro, hauling in 48 catches on 82 targets for 896 yards and eight touchdowns. Agholor led a receiving corps that also featured 2020 first-round pick Henry Ruggs in overall yards and yards per reception (18.7) and at times looked like one of the best value players in the NFL; a player worthy of a fat, multi-year extension in the eight-figure range.

But unfortunately – or fortunately depending on your opinion – that likely won’t be in Las Vegas, as Agholor went off in the locker room following the Raiders’ Week 16 loss to the Miami Dolphins, telling his teammates that they “suck” and were “selfish and didn’t work hard enough.” Per Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Agholor also stated that “there was no accountability in the locker room, and on winning teams players play for one another and the coaches.”

So yeah, even if the Raiders liked what they got out of Agholor in his first season back, something tells me the front office may opt to address their receiver position with another option who doesn’t have locker room heat with some of the team’s more established players.

Could that opportunity come back in South Philly? Sure, that’s totally possible, but if the 112 participants in our recent Twitter poll are of any indication, there isn’t a massive appetite for a reunion.

Now personally, I get why more than two-thirds of the poll’s voters wouldn’t want Agholor back with the Eagles; I really do. The last time Agholor was a member of the Eagles, he was so bad he was effectively benched in favor of players like Greg Ward, Robert Davis, and his fellow USC alum Deontay Burnett.

Still, it’s hard to look at the 896 yards Agholor put up in 2020 and not think “what if…”, especially if he’s available for another deal in the $1-2 million range. Factor in the, well, fact, that Doug Pederson, Carson Wentz, Mike Groh, and pretty much every other coach Agholor associated with during his time in Philly has moved on for one reason or another, and it’s hard to assume that 2019’s problems would rear their ugly head yet again in 2021.

But all of that is a big if and may ultimately prove non-applicable.

No matter how you slice it, Agholor played very well in 2020, both in the slot for 217 of his offensive snaps but also on the outside for the lion’s share of his offensive output (511). The 27-year-old looked smooth running routes, which Mayock lauded him for all the way back in 2015, and tracked the deep ball in a way he seldom showed in 2019. While he likely won’t sign a long-term deal after his locker room blowup in Week 16, it’s hard not to see a team like the Rams, Packers, or even “Football Team” offering the former Eagle a deal Howie Roseman would struggle to match, even if it only lands in the $5 million range.

Agholor also isn’t a “Howie Roseman Guy” in that he was drafted by Chip Kelly to fit his scheme. Like Jordan Matthews before him, Agholor may not be particularly high on Roseman’s receivers list for no other reason than that he was liked by Kelly and may instead opt to target a different veteran receiving option to help ease Jalen Hurts’ transition to full-time NFL starting quarterback.

Throw that all in a bag and tie it up with a bow, and fans may not have to cringe over an Agholor reunion after all, as he’ll likely end up elsewhere on a more lucrative deal than the Eagles can/want to offer.

Oh well, it is what it is.

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What do you think? Do you agree with the general consensus of our poll, or do you think the Philadelphia Eagles should push hard for a reunion with Nelson Agholor to give Jalen Hurts a veteran receiver? Let us know in the comments below!