Tag: John Ross

Giants drop Saints in OT: Instant analysis

Analyzing the New York Giants’ thrilling overtime victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon in Week 4.

The 0-3 New York Giants entered this week’s game against the New Orleans Saints desperate for a win. They were up against a formidable defense in the Saints’ 6th-ranked unit and the large, raucous New Orleans crowd, who were witnessing their team live for the first time this season.

Both defenses ruled the early going until the Giants drove 67 yards on 10 plays on their third possession to the Saints’ 16. They sputtered again the red zone and lined up for what appeared to be an easy three points, but kicker Graham Gano hooked the kicked left.

New Orleans came back with a drive of their own, going 35 yards on eight plays to the Giants’ 40. The defense held again on third down. Ex-Giant Aldrick Rosas’ 58-yard attempt sailed wide right to keep the game scoreless with just under nine minutes remaining in the second quarter.

The Giants took possession on their own 48. On first down, quarterback Daniel Jones fired a perfect pass down the middle of the field to wide receiver John Ross, who was making his Giants’ debut. Ross reeled it in and dove into the end zone with with two Saints defenders all over him. The ball came loose but Ross recovered it in the end zone. The replay upheld the TD catch and the Giants had a surprising 7-0 lead.

New Orleans drove into Giants territory for the fourth time in four possessions late in the second quarter. They drove 90 yards on 13 plays and tied the game at seven on a Jameis Winston-to-Juwan Johnson 15-yard TD connection on a third and six. It was the fourth straight game the Giants’ defense allowed a touchdown in the final two minutes of the first half.

New Orleans received the ball to open the second half and drove 75 yards on three plays to take a 14-7 lead when backup quarterback/everyman Taysom Hill rumbled through a slew of lax Giants defenders for an eight-yard score. The Giants’ defense was a sieve on the drive. James Bradberry was beaten by Marquez Callaway for a 58-yard reception down the middle.

But the Giants’ offense behind Jones was not about to fold up the tent. Jones continued to utilize his new weapons. Completions to rookie Kadarius Toney and expensive free agents Kenny Golladay and Kyle Rudolph got Big Blue down to the Saints’ three yard-line. However, the red zone offense fell apart again with some dubious play calling (a sweep to Evan Engram on second down loss two yards) and shoddy execution. They had to settle for 23-yard field goal from Gano.

The Giants lucked out on the Saints’ next drive when a 46-yard TD strike from Winston to Kenny Stills was nullified by a holding penalty by tight end Adam Trautman. Hill received Winston on the next play and his pass intended for Deonte Harris was intercepted by Bradberry on the Giants’ 12.

The third quarter ended with New Orleans leading, 14-10. In the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Saints drove 63 yards in 11 plays to take a 21-10 lead on Hill’s second touchdown run of the afternoon.

The Giants weren’t done by a long stretch. After they forced a Saints’ punt that C.J. Board returned 15 yards to his own 46. Jones hit running back Saquon Barkley down the left sideline for q 54-yard touchdown on first down. Jones ran in the two-point conversion to narrow the lead to 21-18.

On the Saints’ next possession, the Giants’ defense forced another punt and took possession on their own 11 with 3:01 remaining. The drive stalled on the New Orleans 30 after an 11-play drive. Graham Gano tied the game at 21 with a 48-yard field goal with 31 seconds remaining.

In overtime, the Giants won the toss and elected to receive. They didn’t give the Saints a shot a the ball, driving 80 yards on nine plays, winning the game on Barkley’s six-yard TD run with 4:54 left in overtime.

The Giants are now 1-3 and could possibly have been 3-1 or 2-2 on the year, losing their last two games in the final seconds.

Notes

  • As expected, wide receivers Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton were inactive with hamstring strains.
  • Reggie Ragland started at inside linebacker next to Tae Crowder in place of the injured Blake Martinez, who is out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. Crowder wore the headset and called the defensive signals again.
  • Jabrill Peppers left the game in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury.
  • Graham Gano had made 37 consecutive field goals when he hooked a 35-yarder early in the second quarter. That was the fourth-longest streak in NFL history. He didn’t allow the miss to shake him as he made his other kicks.

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Saints make 3 roster moves before Week 4 game with Giants

Saints make 3 roster moves before Week 4 game with Giants

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The New Orleans Saints added a couple of players to the mix for this week’s game roster, bringing up two veterans from the practice squad while activating another from injured reserve, per the daily NFL transactions wire.

That puts them at 52 of 53 spots filled (practice squad elevations don’t count towards it), suggesting more players are working towards returning from injured reserve in the days ahead.

Meanwhile, the New York Giants added to their too-thin receiving corps by calling up John Ross from injured reserve. New York is down two of its top three receivers (Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton) so he could lend a hand.

Here’s the latest Saints roster moves:

Giants place John Ross, Elerson Smith on injured reserve

The New York Giants have placed WR John Ross and ED Elerson Smith on IR, and re-signed WR C.J. Board and LS Casey Kreiter.

The New York Giants continued adjusting their 53-man roster on Wednesday night, placing two players on injured reserve and re-signing two others.

Beginning the season on IR are wide receiver John Ross and rookie edge rusher Elerson Smith. Both players are dealing with hamstring injuries.

Replacing Ross and Smith on the active roster are long snapper Casey Kreiter and wide receiver C.J. Board.

Kreiter was waived as a part of final cuts and Board, in a procedural move, had his contract terminated earlier on Wednesday.

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Giants vs. Browns: 6 things to watch

Here are six things to watch on Sunday when the New York Giants take on the Cleveland Browns in Week 2 of the preseason.

After a week of joint practices, the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns will square off in Week 2 of the preseason on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. EDT.

With another cutdown day looming, the pressure is on several players to perform. There is also pressure on some of the starters — assuming they play — to take a step in the right direction.

Here are six things to watch during Sunday’s game at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Giants not projected to receive any compensatory picks in 2022 NFL draft

The New York Giants are not currently projected to receive any compensatory picks in the 2022 NFL draft.

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The New York Giants did not receive any compensatory picks in the 2021 NFL draft and it appears that tend will carry over into 2022.

Over the Cap recently completed their compensatory projections for next year’s draft and of the 32 picks likely to be handed out, the Giants will once again receive none. In fact, they didn’t even factor into the overflow.

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However, several signings made by the Giants will impact other teams, including the Detroit Lions, who lost wide receiver Kenny Golladay to Big Blue.

As of now, only two 3rd rounders are projected to be awarded: to the Steelers for Bud Dupree going to the Titans, and to the Lions for Kenny Golladay going to the Giants.

Additionally, how much wide receiver John Ross plays in 2021 will also impact the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Giants signed John Ross to a $2.5M APY contract. However, they just used their 2021 first round pick to get Kadarius Toney, and their wide receiver depth chart is deep alongside him with Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, and Darius Slayton also on the team. If Ross can’t get on the field, that’s bad news for the Bengals, who need him to be a CFA in order to positive in the net number of CFAs lost. If Ross isn’t a CFA, that would be devastating for Cincinnati, who could lose a 4th or 3rd round comp pick for the departure of one of either William Jackson III or Carl Lawson.

Only five of the Giants’ free agents — Dalvin Tomlinson, Kyler Fackrell, Colt McCoy, Wayne Gallman and David Mayo (released) — have gone on to sign with another team. Seven remain unsigned, while three of the four players the team released also remain unsigned.

The loss of Tomlinson was canceled out by the signing of Golladay, while the additions of Ross and running back Devontae Booker count against the Giants in the compensatory pick formula.

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Giants’ Dave Gettleman defends contract given to Adoree’ Jackson

New York Giants GM Dave Gettleman defended the contract given to CB Adoree’ Jackson despite harsh criticism for the deal around the league.

The New York Giants held the first of their two pre-draft press conferences on Tuesday when general manager Dave Gettleman and his assistant, Kevin Abrams, faced the team’s media beat pool in a virtual Q&A session.

Both men felt confident they made the right moves in free agency this spring, a wild spending spree that came out of nowhere since the team was actually over the salary cap just days before the free agency period began on March 17.

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Gettleman believes the team got good value in players such as defensive end Leonard Williams, wide receiver Kenny Golladay, cornerback Adoree’ Jackson and tight end Kyle Rudolph.

Around the league, that opinion is much different. There are scores of NFL executives and media types who feel the Giants vastly overpaid for many in their aggressive free agent haul.

“What makes America great is that everyone is entitled to their opinion,” said Gettleman.

The GM went on to defend some of the team’s more curious picks, especially Jackson, who he gave $39 million ($26 million guaranteed) to in a move many felt was egregious as Jackson had few suitors in free agency.

Jackson was a former first round pick of the Tennessee Titans who cut him earlier this year rather than pay him his $8 million fifth-year option. Jackson will now make an average of $13 million over the next three years.

Jackson is a player with an injury history, as is Golladay. Gettleman cited that the Giants’ medical team cleared everyone and the team has no issue with any of them going forward.

Gettleman alluded to Jackson’s positives when asked what he saw in him.

The beat pool also brought up the signing of running back Devontae Booker, who the Giants pounced on in the early days of free agency. Booker has been a part-time player for two teams (Las Vegas and Denver) and likely would be still unsigned had the Giants not brought him aboard.

Gettleman is looking passed all of that, stating Booker is a ‘three-down’ back although there is little evidence to support that.

Gettleman also brought up the signing of former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver John Ross, another former first-round pick whose career has fizzled. Gettleman said he is excited to see what Ross can do. The other 31 GMs in the league, however, have a different opinion.

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Report: Rams had interest in John Ross before signing DeSean Jackson

The Rams looked at John Ross before he signed with the Giants, which led them to DeSean Jackson.

It turns out DeSean Jackson wasn’t the only speedy receiver the Los Angeles Rams looked at this offseason. They also had interest in John Ross, who’s one of the fastest players in the NFL regardless of position.

In a piece breaking down the offseason moves of each team, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler revealed that the Rams looked at Ross before he signed with the Giants, causing them to shift their attention to Jackson.

But they also wanted a burner to pair with Kupp and Woods as targets for Matthew Stafford. That’s why the Rams looked at John Ross, who signed with the Giants, before eventually signing 34-year-old DeSean Jackson for that role.

While we don’t yet know how much Jackson will be making with the Rams, Ross’ contract with the Giants is only for one year and worth $2.25 million with only $1 million guaranteed. The Rams have been on the hunt for a deep threat at WR this offseason, which Sean McVay and Les Snead made clear is a priority.

They found their guy in Jackson, but he’s 34 and only on a one-year deal. They could look to the draft for a younger option, potentially D’Wayne Eskridge from Western Michigan – a player the Rams have met with virtually in the pre-draft process.

Ross would’ve been a great fit in McVay’s offense, but if Jackson can stay healthy, he should also be effective as a downfield weapon.

Giants agree to terms with WR John Ross: Contract details

The New York Giants have agreed to terms with WR John Ross and this is how his contract breaks down.

The New York Giants and free agent veteran wide receiver John Ross came to contract agreement on Tuesday. Here are the details:

Ross’ deal is for one year at a value of $2.250 million. The contract includes a $500,000 signing bonus with $1 million guaranteed and an average annual salary of $2,250,000.

Ross breaks downs as a base salary of $1,250,000, a signing bonus of $500,000 and a roster bonus of $93,750. He carries a 2021 cap hit of $1,843,750 and a dead cap value of $1,000,000.

Ross, the ninth overall selection in the 2017 NFL draft, has been largely a disappointment in his four years as a pro — all with the Cincinnati Bengals.

The good news is that this is a relatively low-risk, high-reward deal for the Giants and a prove-it scenario for Ross. If he can stay healthy, there is a ton of potential that can be tapped.

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Bengals WR John Ross gets a fresh start with the Giants in free agency

Cincinnati Bengals WR John Ross has signed with the New York Giants.

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John Ross, now a former Cincinnati Bengals player, will get a fresh start with the New York Giants.

Ross agreed to a one-year prove-it deal with the Giants on Tuesday, putting a guaranteed end to his time in Cincinnati.

The Bengals made Ross the ninth pick of the 2017 draft and a combination of injuries and a bad fit with Marvin Lewis’ coaching staff had him flirting with bust status right out of the gates. Ross did put up seven touchdowns in 2018 as a redzone weapon, but then caught just 28 of 56 passes in Zac Taylor’s first season before getting benched in 2020, appearing in just three games.

A multitude of things went wrong for Ross in Cincinnati and he didn’t always have the fairest shake either, in terms of sheer chances and usage. He’ll get to start over for a rebuilding New York team guided by quarterback Daniel Jones.

As for the Bengals, the Ross selection will forever be a sour point because…Patrick Mahomes came off the board with the next pick. Outside of that, the odd gamble came at a time when the team was blowing it with the offensive line — a problem they still haven’t fully fixed.

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Giants to add WR John Ross: How he fits

The New York Giants have agreed to terms with wide receiver John Ross, so how does he fit the offense?

The New York Giants added to their wide receiver depth on Tuesday when they came to agreement with free agent wide receiver John Ross.

Ross, a speedster out of the University of Washington, was the ninth overall selection in the 2017 NFL draft and posted a 40 time of 4.22 at the NFL Combine that year.

His NFL career has not been as successful. Ross has never been able to stay on the field very long due to a combination of injury and inconsistency. In his four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, Ross appeared in just 27 games, starting 20. He had just 51 receptions for 733 yards and 10 touchdowns.

This signing by the Giants seems like another low-level try to catch lightning in a bottle. They’ve done this in recent years with receivers such as Corey Coleman and Dante Pettis (who is still with the team) in hopes the light will go on for them.

It is hard to determine what Ross can bring to the table for the Giants. Last season, he was benched after a dropped pass. There was some discussion among the Bengals’ staff on trying to convert him to cornerback. Ross tweeted that he had requested a trade and was placed on IR with a foot injury shortly after.

The Giants currently have Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, C.J. Board and Austin Mack in their wide receiver room and are likely to use one of their six picks in the draft on another. This draft is loaded with wide receiver talent, so the signing of Ross should not be seen as a defining roster move at wideout.

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