At first glance, it may difficult to speculate much about the Las Vegas Raiders’ addition of wide receiver Nelson Agholor in free agency.
Surprisingly enough, the move was a long time coming for head coach Jon Gruden considering his ties to the Agholor family go back to his days as a head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It was there that Gruden established a rapport with a gas station worker that also happened to be Agholor’s brother. Both sides would keep ties throughout the years and it has now culminated with a reunion in Las Vegas.
Gruden’s coffee breaks with Agholor’s brother helped establish a mutual interest in free agency this offseason. According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Agholor is excited about his fit with the Raiders in the 2020 NFL season:
“Him and my brother spent a lot of time talking every morning when Jon was getting his coffee — about football and about my college career and things like that,” Agholor said. “So, it’s a blessing to be in this opportunity and having a previous relationship. But at the end of the day, I chose this relationship because he knows the game, and all I want to do is learn and be a better player.”
Gruden added that despite Agholor’s recent struggles, he still sees plenty of potential in the 27-year-old:
“He is a good player,” Gruden said. “You can pick up the Philadelphia Inquirer and they will probably say something different, but this guy has caught over 200 passes, he is a young guy, he has played split end, flanker and in the slot. He caught eight or nine passes in a Super Bowl and won a Super Bowl. So he’s a world champion. He’s a great person … and he can return punts.
“I trust him and I think he was picked high in the draft for a reason. A change of scenery worked for Randall Cunningham, maybe it will work for him.”
Gruden is already familiar with what Agholor brings to the table after watching him go from a high school star to a bonafide first-round prospect at USC. Las Vegas is now hoping that he can help bolster this revamped receiving corps by emerging as a trusted option for quarterback Derek Carr in the passing game.
Agholor is coming off a rough 2019 campaign that saw him register only 39 receptions for 363 yards and three touchdowns while struggling with drops. Regardless, Gruden is confident that his talent and championship pedigree will provide a major boost top this offense in the 2020 NFL season.
