To improve their wide receiver depth, the Eagles signed veteran receiver John Ross.
As training camp draws near, Dave Zangaro analyzes the signing of John Ross and what it means for the Eagles’ wide receiver room.
The Eagles announced on Thursday that they had signed veteran receiver John Ross to a one-year contract.
Only a few days have passed since DeVante Parker declared his formal retirement. Thus, the Eagles are selecting a new first-round pick to replace the previous one.
Earlier this spring, Ross, 28, participated in rookie minicamp as a trial for the Eagles. Even if the Eagles didn’t sign him right away following the tryout, he must have done enough to remain in the mix, particularly given the need to boost the receiving room.
Before the previous season, Ross (5-11, 194) had announced his retirement, but his audition at Eagles rookie camp was a step in the right direction. This spring and summer, he will have an opportunity to earn a position on the 53-man roster. The Eagles’ off-season has already started.
After Ross shattered the 40-yard sprint record at the Combine with a lightning-fast 4.22, the Bengals selected him out of Washington with the ninth overall choice in 2017. This year, Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy broke the record with a 4.21.
Ross had uncanny speed, but things didn’t work out in the NFL. He has just 51 catches for 733 yards and 10 touchdowns in his four years with the Bengals. With 28/506/3 in just 8 games, 2019 was his most productive season. His career was derailed in part by injuries.
Ross signed with the Giants in 2021, but in just 10 games, he had only 11 receptions for 224 yards and a touchdown. When able to stay on the field, Ross has been a deep danger with a career average of 15.4 yards per grab.
Slay shares his first thoughts on the rookie cornerbacks for the Eagles.
However, Ross hasn’t participated in an NFL game since 2021. Therefore, it’s difficult to say with certainty what the Eagles are getting.
Without a doubt, the Eagles’ depth at receiver outside of their two stars is a bit concerning. One of the top receiver tandems in the NFL is represented by A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, but after them—especially with Parker’s retirement—there are significant doubts.
Parris Campbell, the top-ranked receiver still in the running for the WR3 position, has had a lackluster NFL career. Additionally, last month, the Eagles selected Johnny Wilson in the sixth round and Ainias Smith in the fifth.
The Eagles’ 90-man roster now has 11 wide receivers after Ross joined. Owing to an international exemption, the Eagles have two spots available on their 90-man roster for OT Laekin Vakalahi.To improve their wide receiver depth, the Eagles signed veteran receiver John Ross.
Wide receiver John Ross accepted an invitation to the Eagles’ rookie minicamp as a tryout player, aware that he would need to travel a long way to rejoin an NFL club and that he would need to perform flawlessly in all aspects of his game to catch the attention of a team that was deep at the position.
It was successful.
Ross, who was selected ninth overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2017 NFL Draft and retired in 2023 after playing in 37 games, 62 receptions, 957 yards, and 11 touchdowns with the Bengals (four seasons), the New York Giants (one season), and Kansas City (signed a futures contract in January 2023 and informed the team he was retiring seven months later), has now committed to a one-year deal.
The 5-11, 194-pound Ross is well-known for his quickness, having set an NFL Combine record in the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.22 seconds. This year, first-round pick Xavier Worthy shattered the record. The third wide receiver selected in the selection was Ross, who in his last season at the University of Washington caught 81 catches for 1,150 yards and 17 touchdowns.
But Ross’s seasons in Cincinnati were hampered by injuries, and his two greatest seasons were in 2018, when he recorded seven touchdown catches out of 21 receptions, and in 2018, when he had 28 receptions for 508 yards, averaging more than 18 yards per reception.
When healthy, a significant portion of Ross’s abilities are big plays. In his career, Ross has averaged 15.4 yards per reception. In the 2021 season, the last time Ross appeared in an NFL regular-season game, he had 11 receptions for 224 yards in New York, averaging more than 20 yards per catch.
A roster position opened up with DeVante Parker’s sudden retirement, which the Eagles announced on Wednesday. The team moved swiftly to add Ross, who intends to continue his return gradually in Philadelphia.
