Giants Agree to Terms with Receiver John Ross

New York gives the No. 9 overall pick in the 2017 draft a fresh start.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Mar 16, 2021 4:20 PM EDT

The Giants have agreed to terms with wide receiver John Ross, the ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft.

The NFL Network was first with the report of Ross's signing.

Ross, 5'11", 188 pounds, was originally drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, who fell in love with the former Washington receiver's speed after running a 4.22 40-yard dash in the combine.

Unfortunately, Ross's career didn't unfold as hoped. In four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, he recorded 51 receptions, his best season coming in 2019 when he caught a career-high 28 balls.

The Bengals declined his rookie option. Last season, he appeared in just three games, recording two receptions after a rocky year in which he spent time on the reserve/COVID-19 list during the summer after leaving camp to care for his son, who tested positive for the virus.

Ross also voiced his displeasure with his deployment by the Bengals, tweeting confirmation that he had requested a trade (the tweet was later deleted).

The Skinny

Ross has appeared in 27 games with 20 starts for the Bengals. He's caught 51 passes out of 123 targets for 733 yards and ten touchdowns. Last year, his season was cut short following a sprained foot which landed him on injured reserve.

Scouting Report.

Here's what All Bengals publisher James Rapien had to say about Ross:

The former ninth overall pick has plenty of talent, but it didn’t work in Cincinnati. Health has always been an issue for Ross, but he didn’t get many opportunities in 2020, even when he was healthy.
Ross has had confidence issues in the past. The team that signs him could get a steal. If he can stay healthy and the coaching staff believes in him, then there’s no reason why he can’t bounce back from his failed run in Cincinnati.
Ross is a quality route runner and has plenty of speed. Any team in need of a deep threat should give him a look, but the coaching staff should be willing to use him in different ways—on reverses, screens, slants, etc. The Bengals lacked creativity for most of Ross’s tenure, which limited his impact.
He isn’t a top wide receiver in this free-agent class, but he was the ninth pick for a reason. Multiple teams could benefit from signing him to a low-risk, short-term deal.

Where He Fits

With Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton currently believed to be the only two locks for the giants at receiver, Ross joins the group with a chance to rejuvenate a career that had fallen on hard times, partially due to his deployment in the Bengals offense and part of his own doing.

It's a nice gamble for the Giants, who are looking to add speed to their receiver corps, and it's a great opportunity for Ross to shake the "draft bust" label attached to his name.

The Contract

Ross's deal is a low-risk, low-cost one-year contract with $2.25 million with one million guaranteed. Here are more details, per a source.