On Thursday, The Athletic posted a report crediting unnamed sources from the Raiders’ locker room with a story about an explosive postgame rant from Nelson Agholor after the team’s week 16 loss to the Dolphins.
According to the report, Agholor told teammates that they “sucked” and that there was “no accountability” in the locker room. The report also credited Agholor with calling teammates “selfish” and lacking work ethic.
A lot to digest, right?
While there is no question the Raiders are lacking leadership in the locker room, there has been sentiment from players that the nature of Agholor’s speech was a bit sensationalized. Others, like cornerback Daryl Worley, called the story a lie.
Wide receiver Rico Gafford also commented on the report…
Unless a camera (with audio) somehow caught what happened, we’ll never know for sure what Agholor said to teammates after the Dolphins game. Vic Tafur, who reported the locker room story for The Athletic, has also implied that Agholor’s frustration with the Raiders might keep him from re-signing with the team.
Whatever Agholor said or didn’t say, there is no question the Raiders need to add, or develop overnight, a few more players to lead in the locker room. To this point, the draft hasn’t changed much about the team’s losing culture. And maybe more concerning, top free agent acquisitions (like Trent Brown) haven’t either.
A good place to start going into next year?
Cut the players on the team only interested in collecting a check… and add a few more players like Agholor.
By the way, Agholor had his best statistical season as a pro with the Raiders in 2020. He probably enjoyed playing football in Las Vegas a little more than what’s been let on lately.
twitter: @raidersbeat
So what…THEY lost. Someone/everyone has to be angry.
Read that Maxx played with bad body parts and 2 vets didn’t suit up?! Quiet leadership, draft more like him and the culture will change.
I believe what the teammates have to say! Even if he did tear into his team for sucking… these are grown men, getting paid a lot of money, these men want to win! HTFU is what I have to say about any so called rant of him calling his team out.
Vic has questionable credibility. He has stirred the rumor mill about the Raiders moving on from Carr for a couple years. Been wrong. Never gets tired of being wrong.
The world is filled with Raider haters who are willing to sensationalize twist and outright lie about anything to do with the Raiders to cause them harm. They think they can cause dissension in the locker room or make Nelson agholor go to another team cuz he looked so great by starting rumors like this, go ahead. Jon Gruden knows what was said in the locker room and Mike Mayock does too and so do all the players on the team that’s all that really matters. Certainly not biased reporters who sensationalize things because they have an ax to grind. Objective journalism is dead and has been for a long time especially when it comes to the Raiders
Vic spreads more bull ****
Yup just like I figured it was first reported by Vic tafur the scumbag liar who makes **** up and lies just to write a story. The athletic needs to fire this guy already. He shouldn’t be reporting on my raiders and no one can stand this guy. He has made up so much **** about carr and trades that he made up in his head. This guy writes story’s on pure speculation and then serves it up to you as if it’s all facts that have been verified. What a loser. Vic tafur no one can stand you except maybe the dumb and gullible people
While it should come as a surprise to no one that I AM NOT a Jon Gruden fan, what cannot be dismissed is that I have been a Raiders fan for 52 years and counting. So, in an effort to help the Raiders, I will be, by proxy, helping Jon Gruden as well. Should Gruden decide to keep Derek Carr and Marcus Mariotta, I say that Gruden should bench Carr and start Mariotta. This is one of the oldest coaching tricks in the NFL. Obviously, Derek Carr has “some” abilities but “someone needs to light a fire under his *** to propel him to the next level. Absolutely NOTHING would GET HIS ATTENTION more than benching him. Again, this is one of the oldest tricks, used by head coaches, in the NFL. Does anyone besides me remember what happened once Drew Bledsoe went down to injury and when he recovered how he could not unseat the guy who replaced him? Further, does anyone other than me remember the Terry Hanratty, Joe Gilliam and Terry Bradshaw starting carousel. I know, I’m dating myself but my point remains the same and that point is; THE RAIDERS NEED A SPARK, desperately!!!!! Surely, EVERYONE AGREES that healthy competition, AT ALL POSITIONS, produces better football players. The quarterback position, for the Raiders, should be no exception. Any and every coach believes that the best attitude that can ever football player can have is to be “chomping at the bit” to get an opportunity to get on the field. THAT SHOULD BE the spiritedness exhibited by EVERY member of any football team. In fact, the second string players SHOULD BE doing EVERYTHING THAT THEY CAN in practice to make a case for unseating the incumbent in front of them. The coaches, AT ALL POSITIONS, should be “pushing” the head coach to get “their new guy” on the field because he’s too **** good to be sitting on the bench. Now, relative to the Raiders’ receivers, this last year. How many times was Marcel Ateman, Keelan Doss, Rico Gafford, Foster Moreau, Derrick Carrier and Zay Jones targeted in the 2020 season I’ll tell you. Nowhere near enough. If you are not going to throw to a guy then why is he there? Even a blocking tightend needs to be able to catch the ball because he is the one least expected to do so and becomes a perfect decoy weapon. Again, the story becomes spirited competition and PRODUCTIVITY. These guys too need to become so competitive that the coaches biggest problem becomes how to keep them OFF OF THE FIELD. If ANYONE on this team doesn’t produce then they need to go. Remember, the number zero has no value, it’s just a placeholder and THAT sums up a lot of the Raiders roster in 2020, mere placeholders.
I love this guy,let’s not ignore how hard it is to learn Grudens offensive system. We have a young receiver core,give it time.
I guess we’ll find out what nelly thinks of the raiders after free agency. What the raiders truly need is solid coaching and leadership on defense and Gruden or whoever is drawing up this offense has to open it up and stretch the field !!! Ruggs going in motion running across the field pre snap isn’t cutting it. They brought this kid in to stretch the field so do it !!! Line him up outside and let him wear out their secondary. Also the raiders squandered rookie Edwards season because he wasn’t on the field enough. Get his feet wet, the kid truly needs the opportunity and experience is the best teacher !!!