Las Vegas Raiders: Why signing JuJu Smith-Schuster seems unlikely

CLEVELAND, OHIO - JANUARY 03: JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 of the Pittsburgh Steelers lines up against the Cleveland Browns during the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on January 03, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JANUARY 03: JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 of the Pittsburgh Steelers lines up against the Cleveland Browns during the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on January 03, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) /
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Raiders should focus on bringing back Nelly. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
Raiders should focus on bringing back Nelly. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images) /

Raiders should focus their attention on Nelson Agholor

Lastly, Agholor should list atop the Raiders’ free-agent priority list if they want a wide receiver who’s not going to cost them north of $12 million.

Agholor quickly established a rapport with quarterback Derek Carr and had one of his best seasons, logging a career-high 896 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 18.7 yards per catch.

It doesn’t make sense for the Raiders to pay a higher amount for Smith-Schuster when they can just re-sign a veteran who’s flourished within Gruden’s system.

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Even if Agholor isn’t outwardly voicing his opinions in the locker room every week, the 27-year-old would serve as a great example for Ruggs, who needs to work on his route-running.

On several occasions, Nelson hauled in passes deep downfield for chunk yardage, which is something Ruggs can do as he learns to beat defensive backs off the line of scrimmage and tightens his routes.

With Agholor’s intangibles, the Raiders can get more bang for their buck out of him instead of Smith-Schuster, who will likely command a contract worth more than $15 million annually.