Tag: John Ross

Should the Bears trade for Bengals WR John Ross?

The Chicago Bears are 5-1 and in first place in the NFC North, but it still feels like there are several positions on the roster that can use an upgrade before the NFL’s trade deadline on November 3. One such position is wide receiver, where the …

The Chicago Bears are 5-1 and in first place in the NFC North, but it still feels like there are several positions on the roster that can use an upgrade before the NFL’s trade deadline on November 3.

One such position is wide receiver, where the Bears could use more of a straight-line speed threat after six weeks of a failed Ted Ginn experiment.

Ginn has just three catches for 40 yards this season.

Rookie Darnell Mooney has been a pleasant surprise and is entrenched as the Bears’ No. 2 pass-catcher, while Anthony Miller is barely holding on to his gig as a rotational player. The rest of Chicago’s receivers are big-bodied types who don’t offer third-level speed.

Enter former Bengals first-rounder, John Ross, who expressed his desire for a trade from Cincinnati this week, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Ross has been a disappointment since entering the league as the ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft, but he has had some flashes of big-play ability over the last four seasons. He averaged over 18 yards per catch last season and recorded seven touchdowns in 2018.

Ross is buried on the Bengals’ depth chart and has just two catches for 17 yards in three games played this year. He won’t be back in Cincinnati in 2021, and the Bengals should be willing to part ways with him at a discount price that’s somewhere in the range of a late Day-3 pick in next year’s draft.

Adding a player like Ross, whose 4.22 40-yard dash at the 2017 combine is still hard to believe, would instantly give the Bears a legitimate downfield weapon that’s been lacking since Matt Nagy took the head job in 2018.

The low-risk, high-reward use of a 2021 sixth- or seveth-round pick for Ross makes way too much sense for the Bears. The only question that remains is whether GM Ryan Pace thinks so, too.

Colts listed as ‘logical landing spot’ for WR John Ross

Would John Ross be a good fit?

As the Indianapolis Colts work through the bye week, the trade deadline for the NFL will be coming up in a few weeks as teams look to make a playoff push.

Though the Colts typically aren’t active during the trade deadline, it’s always wise to be prepared for a potential move. With some help needed at wide receiver, the Colts were listed as a “logical landing spot” for Bengals wideout John Ross, who recently requested a trade.

Here’s what Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports said about the pairing:

Indianapolis is in need of another receiver to help open things up for T.Y. Hilton, who has yet to find the end zone through six games. Nevertheless, Hilton still leads the Colts with 20 receptions, while Zach Pascal is currently second on the team with 16 catches. Pascal’s two touchdown catches is tied with tight end Mo Alie-Cox for the team lead. Rookie Michael Pittman and second-year wideout Parris Campbell have caught a combined 15 passes so far, and while both players may turn out to be good pros, the Colts could use an instant upgrade at receiver in order to stay in the thick of things in the AFC playoff race.

Ross’ speed is certainly intriguing, especially for a Colts offense that doesn’t seem to have too much of it. But since entering the league as the No. 9 overall pick in the 2017 draft, Ross hasn’t done much to prove he’s a starter in the NFL.

Whether it was dealing with injuries his rookie season or simply failing to get on the field as he has in 2020, Ross hasn’t lived up to the billing of a first-round pick.

The Colts certainly do need some help at wide receiver. Rookie Michael Pittman Jr. should be coming back after the bye week from a leg injury while Parris Campbell is on the injured reserve potentially for the rest of the season.

While Marcus Johnson has made a strong impact over the last few weeks, the Colts could make a move. It is unlikely, but nothing should be thrown out completely.

Ross’ speed would blend well with what the Colts want to do but trading for the 25-year-old won’t make the offense an elite unit. It would have to be a low-risk, high-reward deal to see if the TCU product can find a resurgence.

It’s unlikely to happen but as the trade deadline approaches, there is always the chance for some type of move.

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Bengals WR John Ross could be another big trade target for Washington

The speedy John Ross has asked for a trade away from the Bengals, looking for a team that will utilize his receiving abilities. Hello, Washington?

We all know of the name David Njoku when it comes to targets that Washington could potentially look to trade for in the coming weeks to bolster their offensive roster with the NFL Trade Deadline fast approaching. However, another intriguing name popped up on Tuesday morning, when it was announced that Cincinnati Bengals WR John Ross is looking for a new home as well.

It was reported on Tuesday morning that the fourth-year WR is looking to be traded ahead of the November 3rd deadline. Ross played his first game of the 2020 season last week against the Indianapolis Colts but played just one snap in the defeat. Ross was a healthy scratch in the three previous games.

If Ross is looking for a fresh start with a team that is in need of his receiving ability, look no further than the Washington Football Team. With only one WR that they can really trust, Washington needs to be in the market to find you guys that can contribute, and with Ross being on the final year in his rookie deal and looking to earn even a decent contract in the offseason, it feels like a perfect marriage.

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John Ross reportedly asked for trade from Bengals, and the Patriots should be interested

New England should be open to most WR trade targets.

The New England Patriots probably are watching with curiosity to see which offensive players might emerge on the trade market. It seems Cincinnati Bengals receiver John Ross, the 2017 ninth-overall pick, is among those standouts who could get moved. He requested a trade, according to NFL Newtork’s Mike Garofolo.

Ross, who is due $2,798,981 in salary in 2020, has been hot and cold throughout his career. This season, his contributions have been reduced to two catches for 17 yards and a touchdown. In 2019, he had 28 catches for 508 yards and three touchdowns in eight games. That kind of production would be a tremendous boon to New England’s offense.

The Patriots receiving corps include Damiere Byrd, N’Keal Harry, Julian Edelman, Isaiah Zuber, Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski. With a lackluster the tight end and receiver group, the Patriots have struggled to generate yardage in the passing game, with the 207.2 passing yards per game, eighth worse in the NFL. There is good company in that bottom-eight group, the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns, and there is awful company in that group, the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, New York Jet and the Washington Redskins.

There’s one potential roadblock: the team has had trouble acclimating offensive players in the middle of the season. If the Patriots did acquire yet another skill player, they’d need Cam Newton to help them avoid a repeat of the Mohamed Sanu situation, where the receiver simply never made an impact after New England traded a second round pick. Because Ross has been so hot (and so not), New England might be leery of trading for a player with a history of inconsistency.

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Report: John Ross frustrated with role, approached Bengals about trade

Cincinnati Bengals WR John Ross requested a trade.

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Cincinnati Bengals wideout John Ross reportedly approached the team recently and requested a trade.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Ross has been frustrated with his lack of playing time and Garafolo confirmed that his agent had approached the Bengals about a move.

While the spotlight has been on Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins in recent days, Ross quietly returned to the lineup after multiple inactive weeks only due to injuries to others — and played a single snap.

A former first-round pick now on the final year of his deal after the team declined his fifth-year option, Ross has fallen behind A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins and a host of others in the Joe Burrow-led offense.

Ross wanting out isn’t much of a shocker at this point, though the Bengals getting anything noteworthy back via trade would be.

John Ross, Billy Price listed as Bengals trade candidates by ESPN

The Cincinnati Bengals have a few interesting trade candidates, says ESPN.

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The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t end up as sellers at the trade deadline last season.

But that could change in 2020.

Just ask ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, who pointed out two notable Bengals players as likely trade candidates — John Ross and Billy Price.

While listing Ross, Barnwell proposed a trade that sends him to the New England Patriots in exchange for a sixth-round pick and wrote the following:

Another first-rounder from the prior regime gone wrong, Ross had injury issues in college at Washington, and he hasn’t been able to stay healthy as a pro. The No. 9 overall pick in the 2017 draft has flashed as a deep threat, but after dropping two passes in the opener, he was a healthy scratch before missing Week 5 with an illness. The Bengals have already declined his fifth-year option and will likely move on from the 25-year-old after the season.

Barnwell also suggests the Bengals send Price to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a seventh-round pick.

And yes, that’s about as good as trade compensation figurest to get for either player. Ross has shown flashes as a redzone weapon and deep threat in the past, but his miserable connection with Joe Burrow (at least so far) has had him completely out of the lineup. Even the idea of his spacing an offense isn’t a good one, as a team as desperate for help as the Bengals hasn’t been using him.

With Price, it’s hard to imagine any team actually trades for him. He’s been downright horrific when inserted at guard (38.8 grade at PFF this year), but like Ross, the Bengals will probably take anything than can get for what is a surefire eventual departure.

Don’t expect trades to happen with either player, but if offers were to come in for some reason, the Bengals would be foolish not to jump.

Sunday inactives: Julio Jones, Henry Ruggs among those out for Sunday

Teams with early starts are announcing their inactives. Adjust your lineups accordingly!

As the one o’clock hour approaches on the east coast, teams with kickoffs in the early slate are starting to announce their inactive players. Here is a partial list of some of the early Sunday inactives.

The most prominent name is probably Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones. The wideout was dealing with a lingering hamstring issue, but was just downgraded to out prior to Atlanta’s tilt with the Chicago Bears:

Another Falcons player who was downgraded to out is cornerback A.J. Terrell, who was placed on the COVID/Reserve list yesterday after a positive COVID-19 test.

The San Francisco 49ers are going to be without a host of players, including quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, when they take on the New York Jets:

If you were hoping John Ross could get you some fantasy points this weekend, you are going to need help elsewhere. The Cincinnati Bengals made Ross a healthy scratch on Sunday. Rookie wide receiver Tee Higgins is expected to get his first NFL start:

When the Las Vegas Raiders take on the New England Patriots, they’ll be missing a few key players. Left tackle Trent Brown and rookie wide receiver Henry Ruggs are out for the offense, and linebacker Nick Kwiatkowski is among the scratches on the defensive side of the football:

 

John Ross has arm injury scare at Bengals training camp, other injury updates

Cincinnati Bengals WR John Ross suffered an injury Wednesday.

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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver John Ross left the field at training camp Wednesday with an arm injury.

Ross went up to catch a pass during practice and landed awkwardly, favoring his left arm.

The Athletic’s Jay Morrison expanded: “John Ross just hit the ground hard after leaping and getting tangled up on an incompletion. He’s hanging his left arm as he runs off. Trainer appears to be looking at his wrist.”

Ross had just returned to the team and passed through COVID-19 testing before getting back on the field after leaving to care for his wife and son.

The former first-round pick has infamously had problems staying healthy since joining the team and another absence here while trying to make a catch during camp would be an extension of his poor injury luck so far.

Ross is a free agent after this season, though coaches hope he’ll play a big role in helping along Joe Burrow.

Update: Ross surprisingly returned and got in a little more work in 11-on-11s, though he was notably favoring the arm.

Other Notables: Geno Atkins and Michael Jordan also didn’t go for personal reasons Wednesday. Ryan Finley was out with an illness. And most notably, Joe Mixon has a “minor injury,” per the team.

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Tee Higgins gets number called early in Bengals camp with John Ross out

Cincinnati Bengals wideout Tee Higgins will have to step up with John Ross out.

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It turns out the time is now for Cincinnati Bengals wideout Tee Higgins.

The first pick of this year’s second round figured to see limited use in training camp behind A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd and John Ross as everyone establishes a connection with new quarterback Joe Burrow.

But with the news Ross is out for an unknown amount of time on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Higgins is suddenly likely to be option No. 1 in Ross’ spot on the field with Green and Boyd.

Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com concurs, writing that Higgins is the likley sub-in at Ross’ Z position in three-wideout looks:

“With helmets coming out Thursday and the pads going on Tuesday, Higgins figures to get a lot more chances playing with Green now that Ross is out for an indefinite length of time.”

Make no mistake — this is exactly why Zac Taylor and Co. drafted Higgins early. They thought of him as a first-round player, but also knew both Ross and Green have shaky attendance records as of late.

And given Higgins upside and traits, it isn’t unreasonable to think he develops a strong rapport with Burrow quickly. The time is suddenly now for a prospect whose most common comparison — and favorite player — was Green. Now they’ll likely line up together when pads go on early next week.

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Report: Bengals to place John Ross on reserve/COVID-19 list

Cincinnati Bengals wideout John Ross will go on a reserve list.

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Cincinnati Bengals wideout John Ross will go on the reserve/COVID-19 list soon, according to new reports.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Ross will go on the list and leave the team to attend family matters after his son and son’s mother tested positive.

Pelissero notes Ross wasn’t at practice Tuesday and that the team hasn’t set a timetable for his return.

These sorts of hurdles with the COVID-19 pandemic aren’t exclusive to the Bengals, nor is the organization unaccustomed to them. Two players opted out of the season due to the pandemic, including nose tackle Josh Tupou.

From a football perspective, things will proceed as normal in camp for Joe Burrow and Co. with wideout standing as one of the team’s deepest positions. Ross still faces a critical 2020 season before free agency after the team declined his fifth-year option.

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