Weekend Reading: Agholor Can Deliver Big Plays

Here are some Eagles-related links worth checking out this weekend.

Tommy Lawlor of Iggles Blitz is excited about the prospect of Nelson Agholor playing in Chip Kelly’s offense:

The more I think about Nelson Agholor, the more I like the pick.

The Eagles were 6th in the NFL in Yards After the Catch. That sounds good, but they were 5th in the NFL in passing attempts. The high YAC total wasn’t due to skill and efficiency but rather volume.

Big plays were down from 2013. There were 80 pass plays that were good for 20 or more yards in Chip Kelly’s first year. That total fell to just 63 last year. That was still one of the better totals in the league, but it wasn’t what Kelly wanted. He covets big plays.

Agholor can deliver big plays. Watch his highlights and you can see his vertical speed, but also his ability to run with the ball after the catch.

Josh Norris of Rotoworld has a 2016 mock out, and he gives the Eagles Notre Dame offensive lineman Nick Martin with the 19th pick:

The Eagles have one of the oldest offensive lines in the NFL and their depth might be questioned in 2015. Martin, Zack’s brother, will have experience at G and C before leaving Notre Dame.

Les Bowen of the Daily News talked to USC wide receivers coach Tee Martin about Agholor:

“We were moving him around, trying to find the best place to use him,” Martin said. “We ended up finding out you could use him anywhere . . . We figured out that Nelson can handle it. Inside, outside, motions. He had a few touchdowns [lined up] in the backfield. We moved him everywhere. That’s one thing that’s great about him being drafted by Philadelphia – Chip does a lot of things [like that] . . . With the game on the line, Nelson would get it done.”

Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com looks at how Sam Bradford’s career will hinge on Kelly’s offense:

In Philadelphia, the offensive-oriented Kelly is the head coach and figures to be for some time. The offensive coordinator, who happens to be [Pat] Shurmur, is going into his third season with the team. There is a run-oriented offensive system, a veteran and competent offensive line and plenty of talented skill players to work with.

It is the opposite of the situation Bradford had in St. Louis. Everything is in place for a quarterback to succeed. The only question was, who would be the quarterback? Now we know.

Paul Domowitch of the Daily News chimes in on what Kelly really looks for in players:

If you want to know what Kelly is looking for in a player, don’t grab a roster and compare the number of white guys vs. black guys.

Check out the player bios and see how many have college degrees. Last year, the Eagles drafted seven players. Six graduated on time or early. The only one of this year’s six draft picks who won’t have his degree by the start of training camp is first-round wide receiver Nelson Agholor, and he’s only a semester short.

The list of the 15 undrafted free agents they signed looks like something from a remake of GE College Bowl (Google it, kids). Academic All-Americas galore. Degrees in business and business management and political science and even biochemistry and molecular biology (Michigan State tight end Andrew Gleichert).

Kelly wants players who are willing to “buy in” to his system and are smart enough and driven enough to take what he teaches them and use it to make themselves better players.

Chris Burke of SI.com thinks Eagles undrafted free agent WR Devante Davis has a good shot of making the team:

Even in another deep receiver class, it’s hard to believe no team spent a draft pick on Davis. He caught 87 passes and scored 12 times for UNLV in 2013; a wrist injury limited him to 34 and four, respectively, last year. The 6’3″, 220-pounder is an extremely tough cover, because he boxes out DBs and adjusts when the ball is in the air. Think DeVante Parker or Jaelen Strong—Davis is not as dominant as those players, but he offers a similar skill set with less agility.

Here’s a good scouting report on Davis:

Eagles fans here is my scouting report of your new Wide Receiver Devante Davis. Fits the mold of your outside guys. pic.twitter.com/NnvzDoBuFn

— Jordan Plocher (@StarvingScout) May 4, 2015