Should Seahawks Bring John Ross Back to the Pacific Northwest?
With the team set to potentially launch a fire sale before the November 3 trade deadline, Bengals wideout John Ross has reportedly requested a trade away from Cincinnati in search of a "fresh start."
Ross took the league by storm coming from the Washington Huskies, where he totaled 1,150 receiving yards in 2016. Then, he set a new NFL Combine record for the 40-yard dash at 4.22 seconds, beating Chris Johnson's coveted mark. The Bengals selected him ninth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, believing they were adding a future star to couple with A.J. Green.
Unfortunately, injuries have plagued Ross' career in Cincy, as he has appeared in just 27 games over four years. This season, with No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow under center, Ross has fallen off the map in the Bengals' offensive game plan, losing out reps to young receivers such as Tee Higgins. He has been targeted seven times over the three games he has played in, with just two catches for 17 yards.
Will the Seahawks be tempted by his elite speed? Should they bring him back to his college stomping grounds in the Pacific Northwest?
The first issue, of course, is price. Anything more than a seventh round pick or a swap of late picks should be scoffed at. Ross has been a massive disappointment given his high draft status. His best season was last year, when he caught 28 passes for 506 yards and three receiving touchdowns.
But fans may remember Week 1 last season when Ross torched Seattle for the best game of his entire career, with seven catches for 158 yards and two scores. Why not bring him back to that stadium where he had his best game ever?
Seattle was hoping to get top-tier speed from Phillip Dorsett but a foot injury landed him on injured reserve. He is eligible to come off of the list heading into Seattle's game against Arizona coming from the bye week and coach Pete Carroll indicated on Monday he's close to returning. If he is healthy, this move likely does not happen.
However, if the Seahawks have concerns about Dorsett's availability moving forward and don't expect Josh Gordon to be reinstated, they should absolutely look into making a small, low-cost deal for Ross' speedy services. Adding him to the mix with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett would gives defenses even more nightmares than they currently have.
Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer would have a field day with all the things he could implement with the track speed Ross brings to the table alongside the bevy of other weapons at quarterback Russell Wilson's disposal. Let's be clear - this would be a trade for upside and potential - hoping to catch lightning in a bottle and nothing more than that.
Of course, the kicker is if Cincinnati is being unrealistic about price or if Seattle is worried that his injury history will continue to be a problem. At the same time, if the Seahawks feel like rolling the dice and don't have to give up much to get him, Ross has the ability to be absolutely electric and he has never been part of such a talented offense since being drafted four years ago, so it may be worth taking a look at.
