Will Nelson Agholor become the Ravens' biggest red zone threat?
The month of July is gone but before we flipped the calendar page to August the Baltimore Ravens were able to hold one final practice, this one the first with with pads at the Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills, Md.
After the first four practices went light with players in jerseys and shorts, the squad put on some weight by dressing in pads on Monday for the first near-full-contact practice of the summer to kick this week off on Monday, July 31.
And after a week in which all we heard about was "Odell Beckham Jr. this, Zay Flowers that," another wide receiver finally got the spotlight following a flashy performance including a couple of highlights on Monday.
Nelson Agholor had the "Top Play" of the day, as made official by the Ravens' social accounts following Monday's practice. The veteran receiver, who linked with the Ravens earlier this offseason for a one-year pact, had an extraordinary catch leading to a touchdown in one of the plays won by the offense yesterday.
It is too early to say what will happen next season, and even calling Agholor a lock to feature in most offensive plays come regular-season time is still a bit of a stretch and a rather large gamble to make.
Agholor will need to fight the likes of Beckham, Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and perhaps some other emerging player in order for him to snatch a role in the offense on a snap-by-snap basis. Counting Mark Andrews as a lock to be on the LOS in every single play, and one or two rushers on top of that, Agholor might find himself on the outside looking in more often than not.
Head coach John Harbaugh, though, is excited about Agholor's skill set and what he will bring to the Ravens next season.
Speaking to the media following Monday's practice, Harbaugh called Agholor "a pro," adding that he "knows how to play." The coach also highlighted some of Agholor's most prominent traits, such as being "a big, rangy receiver," his ability to "run routes really well," and how he is "a hard worker" who "knows what he's doing."
"We're glad we have him," Harbaugh finished.
As reported by Kyle Phoenix Barber of Baltimore Beatdown, Agholor "scored during red zone drills with the Ravens facing a 3rd & 2 on the 11-yard line," which is the play shown in the clip above.
The writer also noted that although the eight-year veteran "has flown under the radar," Agholor "has found the end zone the most of any pass catcher on the roster."