I wouldn’t be opposed to using a late-round pick on John Ross. He’s healthy, and I think the Bengals have some potential to turn things around.
Last year was pretty much a disaster for Ross and the entire team. He touched the ball only once (on an end-around) and lost a fumble at the end of a 12-yard run. But the whole year was marred by shoulder and knee injuries. He’s healthy now.
As Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer notes, Ross is participating in 11-on-11 drills. Last year he didn’t participate in those drills until the middle of August.
Ross is fast. He runs like Tyreek Hill. He ran a 4.22 at the combine, setting the all-time record. And he was super productive at Washington, catching 81 passes his final year, with 18 touchdowns. I remember seeing multiple other plays where he was open for long touchdowns and the ball was 5-10 yards underthrown. He’s got a slender build, so durability could be an issue, but might be a really nice player.
Bengals traded for Cordy Glenn. He should be a nice upgrade at left tackle. They drafted a new center in the first round (Billy Price). Joe Mixon presumably will be more knowledgeable and productive. Would be nice if they could keep Tyler Eifert healthy.
Also recall that Cincinnati fired offensive coordinator Ken Zampese in September last year. Bill Lazor took over, and now Lazor’s presumably now had more time to organize and teach his offense.
—Ian Allan