Categories: NFLSports

Glen Macnow: Who’s to blame for the Eagles’ Nelson Agholor debacle?

Danny Watkins, Jerome McDougal, Jon Harris … Nelson Agholor?

The roll call of Eagles first-round whiffs is frightening. A young man arrives from college with the hype and the hope. By the second season, we realize he’s a bust.

Agholor, 23 games into his career, is etching his name onto the list. His performance in Sunday’s 26-15 loss at Seattle stands among the worst ever by a member of this team. Like Winston Justice’s 2007 nightmare, giving up six sacks to Osi Umenyiora. Or Todd Pinkston getting bullied by Ricky Manning in the 2003 NFC Championship Game.

You saw it Sunday. Agholor’s bonehead inattentiveness stole a TD from Zach Ertz. He once again dropped a ball when wide open. He caught zero passes. A week earlier, he had two catches for seven yards.

Despite being on the field for 90 percent of the Eagles’ plays, Agholor has 264 receiving yards this season – placing him 124th in the league. In 23 career games, he has never exceeded 64 yards.

Josh Huff, Freddie Mitchell, Reggie Brown … Nelson Agholor?

Wide receivers are tough to scout. A kid who dominates in college can shrink when faced with NFL competition. This appears especially true of hotshots coming from the Pac 12.

Much of it is psychological. Any successful player must have amnesia. Get beat on one play, forget it as you line up for the next. Drop a pass, just catch the next. Terrell Owens may have dropped more balls than any receiver in modern times, but he’s still going to the Hall of Fame.

Agholor clearly lacks this mindset. He wallows in failure. His sad-sack quotes after Sunday’s loss prove he lacks the mental toughness — at least for now — to overcome adversity. Doug Pederson has no other choice than to bench him for a game or two. Let him watch. Or send him home to his parents if he needs comforting. Hell, send him to Dr. Phil.

Just don’t play him.

Marcus Smith, Eric Rowe, Matt Barkley … Nelson Agholor?

Chip Kelly gets credit for those draft picks. The Eagles’ overall weak personnel largely stems from Chipper’s dabbling with personnel — including cutting DeSean Jackson, trading LeSean McCoy and letting Jeremy Maclin walk. All of which makes it more challenging for Howie Roseman to rebuild around young Carson Wentz.

Cutting Agholor today isn’t the answer. Yes, the Eagles elevated the legend that is Paul Turner from the practice squad Monday. But don’t expect him to be the next Wes Welker.

Bryce Treggs? The Seahawks figured out that he has one move — speed — and made him a nonfactor Sunday by playing a safety high. Dorial Green-Beckham? If anyone should be cut, it’s the lay-about who consistently lacks effort.

Even Jordan Matthews, the best of the bunch and an emerging team leader, isn’t much more than a situational possession receiver. Certainly not among the league’s top 20 wide receivers.

I’m not saying it’s going to work out with Agholor — because I don’t think it will. So sit him, sure. Pederson owes that to the rest of the team. But cutting Agholor today, while serving as a sop to the fans, solves nothing.

Metro Philadelphia

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