Report: Nelson Agholor's 5th-Year Contract Option Exercised by Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles picked up Nelson Agholor's fifth-year option on his rookie contract, keeping the wide receiver under team control through the 2019 season, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Monday.

Prior to the 2017 season, triggering Agholor's 2019 option might have been a tough decision for the Eagles. A first-round pick in 2015, he had 59 receptions for 648 yards and three touchdowns through his first two seasons.

The 24-year-old was also 97th in catch rate (52.2 percent) among the 109 players who had at least 50 receptions between 2015 and 2016, according to Pro Football Reference's play index.

Midway through his second year, Agholor had to respond to critics calling him a draft bust. Heading into 2017, his long-term future in Philadelphia looked in doubt.

Agholor responded by catching 62 passes for 768 yards and eight touchdowns. While he didn't play at an elite level, he showed himself to be a worthy complement to Alshon Jeffery in the Eagles offense.

Football Outsiders ranked Agholor 32nd among wideouts in DYAR (defense-adjusted yards above replacement).

He also sat eighth in Bleacher Report's year-end list of the top slot receivers. B/R's Doug Farrar noted moving over to the slot coincided with Agholor's improvement:

"The USC alum was never going to be physical enough to handle the rigors of aggressive press coverage, and his route awareness didn't really stand up to bracket coverage, either. But in the slot, Agholor can use his agility to break free from inside defenders, and his speed allows him to turn any pass into a big play. Kudos to Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and his staff for taking a player on the verge of "bust" status and reviving his potential with a savvy schematic switch."

Even if Agholor regresses back to his pre-2017 self, there was little reason for the Eagles to not pick up his option. His 2019 salary isn't guaranteed until the league year officially begins, so Philadelphia can rescind the option before then and make him an unrestricted free agent without any money counting against the salary cap.

More likely, Agholor's option gives the Eagles an extra year to see what he's worth and negotiate a potential long-term extension.

In April 2017, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked up Mike Evans' fifth-year option. In March, Evans and the Buccaneers agreed to a five-year extension worth $82.5 million, with $55 million guaranteed.

Agholor clearly isn't at Evans' level yet, but the Tampa Bay man's extension is a perfect example of how the fifth-year option can work to Philadelphia's benefit.