The John Ross enigma facing the Cincinnati Bengals

Where does John Ross stand with the Cincinnati Bengals?

[jwplayer aBSfyrKD-ThvAeFxT]

I’d wager that very few football-related articles begin this way, but I’m dropping a Churchill quote that applies to a football player on the roster (to my wife’s chagrin; she told me to “stop writing like George Will” yesterday, but this genuinely has a tie-in here so stay with me). Anyway, during a radio broadcast while attempting to predict Russian behavior in 1939, Churchill explained that the Russian Bear was a “riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.” Remove the gravity of the quote and all context of course and you have a quick explainer of John Ross’ career thus far with the Cincinnati Bengals. Seriously, try to create a more apt description of Ross’ tenure and his performance on the field. Can’t be done. Ross, the supersonic receiver drafted ninth out of Washington in the 2017 draft, is equal parts dynamic and befuddling, game wrecking and game…wrecking. The primary question pertaining to Ross as he enters his fourth season in Cincinnati is whether he can develop into a piece that supplements an offense with immense potential or whether his time in Cincinnati proves to be as ephemeral as the exhaust he left in Indianapolis while bursting into the national consciousness.

Friend of the site Joe Goodberry posted a tweet recently that fully encapsulates the Ross conundrum in visual form.

In this short clip, you see what’s driven fans up the wall and also what has made them so resistant to giving up on the Ross project. You see the inconsistent physicality Ross plays with but you also see the ability to separate on occasion. You can see him struggle to stack corners consistently despite his dynamic speed but you also see how much attention his speed demands from secondaries (something that defenses shouldn’t be able to provide next season with a healthy AJ Green). You see how defensive players that are left alone with Ross have to respect his speed and play off thereby opening up space for easy completions for Ross, but you also see his tendency to struggle with consistently hitting his landmarks, occasional stupefying decisions with the ball in his hands and the general lack of consistency that permeates his entire game.

One of the great things about Ross, beyond his abundant physical talent, is his self-awareness. After one of the better games of career to this point, the opening game against the Seahawks last year, Ross admitted to struggling with confidence early in his career. The adjustment from college ball to professional football is generally difficult under the most ideal of circumstances, Ross of course came into the league beset by injury (a late graduation and rehab from labrum surgery substantially impacted his rookie offseason), and injuries have continued to hamper him ever since. That inconsistent development arc, Ross has been active in exactly half of the available games since he’s been drafted (24 out of 48), combined with the fact that he was likely to be a high variance receiver anyway has brought us to where we are now.

So exactly where are we now? It’s difficult to say precisely. We know that the Bengals are on the precipice of having to make a call on the fifth-year option for the receiver, and we know that as things stand now, they’re probably not inclined to bring him back under the number the option requires. That’s not to say that he won’t be retained, but his future with the organization is obviously murky. We also know that the Bengals have high-end draft capital in a wide receiver rich draft. Should the Bengals draft a receiver at 33 or 65, Ross’ future with the Bengals might be further imperiled.

We also know that Ross is a uniquely gifted receiver.

There just aren’t many humans on the planet with that type of acceleration and long speed. Ross has worked with future Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow this offseason, so perhaps an early connection has been forged that will assist Ross in putting together his best year to date. Burrow’s superior accuracy and ability to extend plays should also help Ross generate more big plays.

In any case, this is a massive year for Ross. Given how talented a player he is and how well-liked he is by his teammates, let’s hope that this is the year that he puts it all together.

[vertical-gallery id=30319]