Colts: How should fans feel about Nelson Agholor rumors?

The Indianapolis Colts’ offseason plan of attack appears to be simply recreating the 2017-18 Philadelphia Eagles in the Midwest.

Not only do they have Carson Wentz as their quarterback, Frank Reich as a head coach, and Mike Groh as a position coach, but they’re considering signing Nelson Agholor away from the Las Vegas Raiders, according to the latest rumors.

Agholor, who was unceremoniously forced out of Philadelphia after drawing the ire of the fanbase, had the best season of his career in Vegas.

He was a few yards shy of 900 yards total on the season, averaging 18.7 yards per catch and scoring eight touchdowns along the way, and leading all of the team’s receivers in yards.

Given that he’s a free agent and he spent most of his career under the watchful eye of coaches like Reich and Groh in Philadelphia, it’s easy to connect the dots and assume the receiver-needy Colts will take a look at him.

While Agholor is a solid option if the Colts can bring him on a cheap deal and make him a complementary piece, signing him under the wrong circumstances could come back to bite them.

A Nelson Agholor signing could blow up in the Indianpolis Colts’ face.

Agholor might have had the best season of his career in 2020, but Darren Waller was the main weapon in the passing game, often drawing the best opposing pass defenders. Given the lack of depth in Indianapolis, Agholor could be in line for a WR2 workload if he signed with the Colts. This would be … suboptimal, especially given his history.

Before 2020, Agholor had never averaged more than 48 yards per game or totaled more than 800 yards. Keep in mind, that production came with “good Carson Wentz” as his quarterback, quality coaching around him, and enough talented skill position players to attract attention elsewhere. His season in Vegas might be an outlier given his past track record.

Still, Agholor has proven to be a competent receiver that can line up on the outside or as a slot receiver inside. The newfound vertical dimension in his game could make him a high-ceiling signing. Despite that potential, Indy needs to sign someone other than Agholor at wide receiver, as he and Michael Pittman Jr. leading the pack isn’t the most explosive tandem in the world.

Overpaying for the former USC star, and thereby making him a featured component of the passing game, is a strategy doomed for failure. The Colts simply cannot overpay and make him a featured option in the passing game. The only way this would work is if it’s a bargain deal and he’s a WR3.