Nelson Agholor could be an Arizona Cardinals trade candidate

The Arizona Cardinals could look at add star receiver Nelson Agholor in the off-season.

It’s been a long time since the Arizona Cardinals had a reliable option adjacent Larry Fitzgerald, but with the recent news that the Philadelphia Eagles could be parting ways with their 2015-first-rounder Nelson Agholor, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, that could change.

The Eagles are looking to move on from Agholor, not because of talent, but because they currently are in a pinch with cap space and will need to make resigning future free agents including Carson Wentz a priority. Agholor’s 2019 cap hit is a shade under $9.4M, per Over The Cap, a number that the Eagles might not be able to afford. However, the Cardinals can, as they have a bit over $40M in cap space to spend in 2019, per Over The Cap.

The 25-year-old’s best attribute is his speed and abilities after the catch — both key aspects for receivers in a Kliff Kingsbury offense. Although he got off to a slow start in his first two seasons, Agholor has enjoyed two rebound years as in 2017 he posted a line of 62/768/8 on a 65.3% catch rate. In 2018, Agholor posted a similar line consisting of 64/736/4 on a 66% catch rate.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1076934155001163776

In case you can’t tell from the clip above, Agholor possesses game-changing speed and vertical route running. But he is so much more; he’s versatile as he can line up out wide or in the slot, can create separation on his own (a valuable asset in the quick passing game), and has the game to shred zone coverage.

He might not have been the number one option for the Eagles in 2018, but he surely has the traits, size (6′, 200 lbs), and continually improving game to do so in the desert. Remember, he was outstanding during for the Super Bowl-winning 2017 Eagles, Cardinals fans certainly know.

For the Cardinals, adding a proven field-stretcher and versatile receiver to an offense that desperately needs one is certainly a viable option. Considering that general manager Steve Keim has emphasized speed in his receivers (see J.J. Nelson, Chad Williams, and John Brown), the interest certainly could be there.

Considering that Agholor is on the final year on his contract, hasn’t posted a 1,000-yard season, and had a slow start to his career, his trade value shouldn’t be sky high. The Cardinals third-round pick would be an ideal haul for the Eagles, but they might not have to give that much up. Remember, the Texans traded a 2019-fourth-rounder for an established receiver in Demaryius Thomas, while the Eagles traded a 2019-third-rounder for an established receiver in Golden Tate, both during the season when trade value is skewed due to desperation.

My best bet would be that the Cardinals could reel in Agholor and the Eagles fourth-round compensatory pick for their third-rounder, good value for both sides, as the Arizona Cardinals get an ideal young receiver for their system and the Philadelphia Eagles clear cap and add a solid draft pick.