It sounds as if free agent wide receiver John Ross will find a new employer soon. The No. 9 overall pick of the Bengals in the 2017 draft, Ross spent the 2021 campaign with the Giants and is still recovering from a knee injury that he sustained towards the end of the season.
As such, Ross will begin meeting with teams around the start of the regular season next month, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (via Twitter). He is expected to be fully healthy by that time, and a number of teams have remained in “consistent contact” with the Washington product.
Injuries have been the prevailing theme of Ross’ career. He possesses blinding speed, but due to various ailments and his inability to impress then-head coach Marvin Lewis, Ross played in just one game in his rookie year in Cincinnati. Though he started 10 games in 2018, he managed only 21 catches for 210 yards, and after a hot start to 2019, he missed another eight games due to injury.
The Bengals made the easy call to decline Ross’ fifth-year option in May 2020, and in his final season in the Queen City, Ross was a healthy scratch for a number of games and requested a trade as a result of his diminished role. Cincy could not find any takers, and Ross eventually landed on IR with a foot injury.
He signed with the Giants in March 2021, and he once again missed time for health reasons. A hamstring malady kept him out of the first few games of the season, and the above-mentioned knee trouble sidelined him towards the end of the year. Still, clubs apparently remain tantalized by his speed and big-play ability, which will buy the 26-year-old another opportunity.
Ross has indeed shown flashes of his potential. In 2019, he caught 28 balls for 506 yards — good for a 18.1 yards-per-reception rate — and in his first and only season with Big Blue, he tallied 11 catches for 224 yards, which represents a career-best 20.4 YPR average. His 43.4% career catch percentage is quite low, but that is largely a function of the routes he is asked to run. If he can ever stay healthy for a full season, his abilities as a bonafide home run threat would be a welcome addition to any number of WR rooms.
Although Fowler did not specify which clubs have expressed interest, the Colts, Cowboys, Packers, and Ravens are just a few of the teams that could still use receiving help.
GB does not need WR help. Pay attention to how they develop WRs.
They have by far the most questionable receiver group in the league. Their top returning receiver has a career high 40 catches, which is the most any non Davante Adams receiver has had in Green Bay for four years. Green Bay made a lot of good defensive moves this offseason, but I’m far from convinced that they’re 100% set at their most suspect position group right now.
Watson may turn out to be a stud, and had the physical tools to do so. But right now, all Green Bay has is potential-and a host of good number threes.
Take a look at Atlanta and Chicago I’d take GBs wideouts over either of their’s and packers have Rodgers. On top of that one of the beat runningback duos in the league. The offense as is will be fine.
I’ll give you Atlanta, but Chicago really is not that much better. As for Rodgers, running backs, and the line…well, we were just talking about receivers.
Runningbacks receive and the line gives Rodgers absurd amounts of time. Chicago’s offense is a dumpster
Again, we’re talking about receivers. And I don’t think that I’d classify that time Rodgers had as “absurd”. It’s not like we’re talking Tampa here. Rodgers himself helps a lot with their protections. The Packers’ line showed how “good” it was in the Kansas City game with Jordan Love back there and unable to make calls at the LoS.
Ross might get hurt just reading this article.
This one is an interesting play off add. For the hawks. Depth in WR is all we need. Here is a good sit and wait. Eskridge is likely par and injury to the other 2 and we are square 1.
Sucked in college. Ran a fast 40. Sucked in the NFL. Why would anyone outside of a track coach be interested?
You can teach someone to putt, shoot a 3, catch a ball, or field a grounder.
You can’t teach speed.
Is this the ghost of Al Davis commenting?
You were interested enough to read this article!
Johnny Ross? I thought he bought it in Bullit?
Mr Ross , the Rock is on line 1..