John Ross took part in the Eagles’ rookie minicamp, and his performance has earned him an extended look. The veteran receiver signed with Philadelphia on Thursday, per a team announcement. 
Ross retired last summer, but he attempted a comeback in November. Without having found playing time at the end of the 2023 campaign, he has not played a regular season game since 2021. The 28-year-old will attempt to carve out a roster spot with the Eagles as they sort out the back of their WR depth chart.
Philadelphia is set in terms of starting spots with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Both wideouts signed lucrative new deals this offseason, and they will be counted on to remain the focal points of the team’s passing game in 2024 and beyond. The Eagles lost Quez Watkins and Olamide Zaccheaus in free agency, which required the addition of new secondary contributors.
One of those is Parris Campbell, who inked a one-year deal in March. The former Colt had an underwhelming single campaign with the Giants last year, and he will spend the offseason trying to lock down a role in the Eagles’ offense. The same was presumed to be true of DeVante Parker, but he announced his retirement earlier this week.
Ross will now attempt to take advantage of the opportunity created by Parker’s absence. The former is best remembered for his 4.22-second 40-yard dash at the 2017 Combine. That performance led to Ross hearing his name called ninth overall, but he struggled during his four-year tenure with the Bengals. The Washington product played a single season as a Giant after his rookie contract expired, but that effort likewise did not yield notable production. To little surprise, Ross has been unable to find a permanent home since.
This agreement will no doubt represent nothing more than a one-year flier on the part of the Eagles. If he performs during the summer and can remain healthy, Ross could provide the team with a deep threat at the receiver spot. If not, Philadelphia will again need to turn elsewhere for depth options ahead of the start of the season.
Looks like the Eagles are trying to add speed to their WR room. Both Ross and Campbell are more known for their straight line speed than they are for actually catching the ball. Don’t expect either player to make an impact on the team, or possibly even making the team. Saw both players with the Giants ( and Campbell with Ohio State) and they don’t put any fear into opposing defenses.
I don’t think Ross will be anything more than an expendable training camp body.
Ross’s deal has always been bout his hands. Would make for nice comeback story if he can pull it off.
43% catch ratio on yards/reception about 15. This is about as bad as it gets in the NFL. John Ross specialises in dropping the ball. He should catch about 50% more passes to get a look in in the NFL.