Preseason football, which is criticized because of a fear of injuries or for a lack of true meaning, is a crucial part of the process for 75 percent of players on 90-man offseason rosters. For Nelson Agholor and Phillip Dorsett, Sunday was the first step.
Philadelphia quarterback Sam Bradford didn’t play, and Indy’s Andrew Luck barely played through two drives. The Eagles and Colts were focused on a different part of their offense: their respective first-round rookie receivers’ performances.
MORE: 15 impact rookies for 2015 | Rookies angry about Madden ratings
Both teams finished in the top five in total offense last season, and the additions of Agholor in Philadelphia and Dorsett in Indianapolis could keep them there. Both saw ample targets and big-play opportunities during Philly’s 36-10 win, and they displayed why exhibitions are essential for development.
Agholor
The Eagles did not replace Jeremy Maclin in free agency. They instead drafted Agholor in the first round, and expectations are clear: It’s his job to lose.
Josh Huff, a talented vertical threat who played under Chip Kelly at Oregon, has earned first-team reps and refined the midfield routes that were lackluster on his college tape. But Agholor jostled for first-team snaps in the week leading up to the preseason opener, and he had assumed the top spot by game’s end.
Agholor finished with 57 yards on three receptions, including one in which he turned a poorly thrown screen pass from Mark Sanchez into a 34-yard touchdown.
Agholor’s touchdown epitomized the best part of his game. He catches away from his frame when needed, and he’s able to adjust after the catch and immediately position himself as a runner. With awesome vision and acceleration, he’s one of the better run-after-catch rookie receivers.
It wasn’t all positive for Agholor — he had two bad drops, an issue that lingers from his college scouting report. He also had a few route miscommunications that left his quarterback in a tough spot.
But the Eagles can live with those issues, at least for now. Agholor has made steady progress, and Philadelphia expects great things … maybe even a 1,000-yard season.
Dorsett
The Colts didn’t “need” Dorsett. Like Andrew Luck’s best weapon, T.Y. Hilton, Dorsett is primarily a vertical threat who won’t win jump balls or own the red zone. It appeared the Colts duplicated an already strong part of their offense.
It remains unclear how Dorsett adds value as a rookie. Indianapolis still boasts two tight ends, two bigger receivers and Hilton to take the top off the defense. With Hilton out, Dorsett had an opportunity to fill in.
He produced four receptions for 51 yards on a game-high eight targets. More impressively, just two of those targets were on go routes, with Dorsett working deep ins, a dig route, deep comebacks and a few shorter slants or screens.
The Colts played around with Dorsett’s route tree, alignment and volume in the passing game. It’s clear they don’t know what to do with him yet. But their first-team offensive line played strong in pass protection, they have ample depth at running back and a defense that, if healthy, isn’t short on talent. They took Dorsett as a luxury pick, which they’re not forcing into a narrow role.
Dorsett also had drops (two by my count) and didn’t separate downfield well enough for an undersized receiver in the way DeSean Jackson or Hilton are able. But Dorsett, a fast riser in the draft process, was always going to be a project.
For the Colts, Dorsett isn’t as much a chess piece as he is a joker in a deck of cards. He’ll be moved around and likely play in select sub packages so long as Hilton is healthy. His real value is unknown in an offense filled with weapons.
But there’s an advantage: The Colts will be able to unveil Dorsett in a multitude of ways when it really counts (during a playoff push). Finding out his role is the first step.