After a disappointing 2016 season that created doubts about his ability to fulfill the expectations that came with being the team’s first-round pick in 2015, Eagles wide receiver Nelson Agholor’s offseason work has gotten a lot of attention.
Agholor has been charting dropped passes in practice in hopes of eliminating them from his game and got good reviews for his work from head coach Doug Pederson. Quarterback Carson Wentz added last week that Agholor “might have gotten quicker and more explosive” since the end of last season to keep things pointing in the right direction.
The Eagles’ new wide receivers coach Mike Groh believes that Agholor, who got extra chances while Jordan Matthews dealt with knee trouble, has the talent necessary to succeed in the NFL, but knows that offseason work doesn’t always transfer to the field come September. That’s why Groh says this season is a crucial one for Agholor to show what kind of player he will be.
“I think that two years is a fair timeline,” Groh said, via Philly.com. “I used to hear Coach [Bill] Parcells talk about it all the time -- by the third year, a guy ought to tell you who he’s exactly going to be at this level. Nelson is going into his third year, but a number of guys going into their third year -- that’s where they really show who they’re going to be.”
With Torrey Smith and Alshon Jeffery joining the team and Matthews expected to be healthy for camp, Agholor is going to have to continue to impress through the summer to get a healthy number of snaps come the regular season. If he can’t, the answer to Groh’s question about who Agholor is going to be for the Eagles probably won’t be a positive one.