5' 11" 188lbs, serious injury history... Who's he going to block in the run game? Who is he going to get off the jam from at the line? Who is he going to out jump for a ball in the redzone? To answer in a familiar way.... NOOOOOOBODY.

This is the ONE pick I think would be AWFUL at #9 is Ross. If they trade back and take him, ok, I guess. Still not excited about it.

WR Davis I see as a much much better prospect.

I would rather them just bite the bullet and take Mixon at #9 as I think he will be a superstar vs. Ross, who I think will be a niche role player. Mixon would make more of an immediate impact as well. WR is tough to come into the NFL and be productive as a rookie. None of these WR will beat out LaFell for meaningful PT. NOT ONE.

One trick pony with serious injury history. One nagging injury or ding away from not being that fast anymore. No thanks. I think if they pick him at #9 it would be because the coaches see their Antonio Brown. Frankly, that guy is an aberration. The Bengals need to make their own mold, their own way and be different enough to fight what other teams do. Not try to find what the Steelers have. Their player is incredibly unique.

I didn't even get into the part where a bunch of teams possibly don't even have him on their board due to injury concerns. I don't trust the Bengals to be the smartest in that regard, either.

Hopefully we trade back with someone who wants to nab a QB or CB and still pick Ross instead of pulling an Al Davis and just over drafting the fastest guy.

This would be a big mistake. Ross is a first round pick but he's not #9 overall good. If we pass on Foster, Allen or Thomas for him I'm going to fart loudly at the TV.

Two words I never want to hear...

Micro fracture

Love those hating on Ross haha. He hasn't taken a step on an NFL field.

People are worried about his blocking abilities.... I'm sure he would be a capable blocker if asked. For those knocking it, is he bad?

Dude has 4.22 speed, runs good routes, fights for contested balls, makes crazy things happen with pure speed, and can also return kicks. So he is short.

Desean Jackson
Antonio brown
Steve smith
Ty Hilton
Randall Cobb
Gregg Jennings
Wes walker
Danny amendola
Santana moss
Deion branch


Ross is a dynamic playmaker, period with more upside than all those listed above. He likely doesn't end up Steve smith but even if he is a ty Hilton, except faster.. That is worth the 9 overall.

Injuries are a concern yes but you can't predict injuries In the NFL.

(04-27-2017, 05:18 PM)Bengalbug Wrote: Love those hating on Ross haha.  He hasn't taken a step on an NFL field.  

People are worried about his blocking abilities....  I'm sure he would be a capable blocker if asked.  For those knocking it, is he bad?

Dude has 4.22 speed, runs good routes,  fights for contested balls, makes crazy things happen with pure speed, and can also return kicks.   So he is short.

Desean Jackson
Antonio brown
Steve smith
Ty Hilton
Randall Cobb
Gregg Jennings
Wes walker
Danny amendola
Santana moss
Deion branch


Ross is a dynamic playmaker, period with more upside than all those listed above. He likely doesn't end up Steve smith but even if he is a ty Hilton, except faster.. That is worth the 9 overall.

Injuries are a concern yes but you can't predict injuries In the NFL.

He hasn't taken a step on an NFL field yet... and has already had four pretty serious surgeries.

Speed is great, but when you've already had surgery on BOTH of your knees, how long is that speed going to last/your body going to hold up under that speed?

We're not talking predicting injuries, we're talking already had injuries. There are some serious red flags for #9. If the Bengals were picking #24 or something, I would probably be all for Ross. At #9 though, you can't be taking big red flags like that. You can't afford to have a top-10 pick flop.

If this happens, and Mike Williams goes to the Steelers, we will pay dearly. Mike Williams is physical and we would be unstoppable with AJ, MW, and TE. Ross is small framed and I am afraid he might get lit up a few times and could possibly get hurt. I hope I am wrong, but Mike Williams is dominate.

He suffered his first injury against Illinois in the third game of the 2014 season, tearing his meniscus in his right knee. He also needed microfracture surgery after the season. Yet Ross never let on that he was hurt.

Hey, NFL, you can check the toughness box.

"It was a kickoff return," Ross said. "Just got rolled up on pretty good. And I felt something in my knee, but I didn't think nothing of it. My knee swelled up after the game. And it never really went down. But I was worried if I said something, I probably would have to sit out for the rest of the season."

Ross had caught a touchdown in each of the Huskies' first three games. He missed the following week, and then played five straight weeks before the knee caught up to him. He caught only 11 passes combined in those games, and now says he wasn't anymore than 75 percent of his best self.

"There were days when my leg was so stiff I couldn't run," Ross said, "night games where it was harder for me to get warmer because I had that swelling in my knee. The swelling did not go down at all. There was no chance of the swelling going down. The doctor ended up telling me after I got the MRI after the season, I waited so long, [the knee] started to heal itself. I don't know if that was good or bad."


John Ross, a four-star recruit, was not ranked in the ESPN 300 in the Class of 2013. Jennifer Buchanan/USA TODAY Sports
The following spring, on the first day the medical staff cleared Ross to practice in full pads, he still didn't completely trust his knee.

"I was running a simple go route, and a lot of people were in the way," Ross said. "My first instinct, instead of running someone over, was jump out the way. So I was kind of favoring my meniscus [right] knee, jumped out the way to my right. Didn't want to land on my right. Landed in an awkward position on my left and I felt my knee snap. That's when I tore the ACL and meniscus on my left knee.

"It was kind of a weird deal," Ross said. "After I got off the ground, I could still run. I was walking without a limp. Going to class. I got my MRI, and I went home and went to sleep. I woke up, and my leg was stuck in a bent position. I kind of figured something was really, really wrong at that point."

Ross said he could have played late in the 2015 season. But he and the coaches agreed it would be smarter to fully heal, and to complete the redshirt year and have that season in the bank. He participated in bowl practices, where he learned just how far behind he had fallen. In the first conditioning drill he took part in, the team ran six sprints, with minimal rest between.

On the first two, he ran out front of everyone.

On the next two, he stayed out in front of everyone.

By the sixth and final one, he had to be helped off the field.


Ross had four receiving touchdowns in 2014 but missed five games because of injury. Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images
"I kind of wanted to show everyone I could still run," Ross said. "The first couple of reps, I was just killing 'em. Our last two reps, I almost passed out. ... I just felt my whole body cramping up. I felt it completely slowing down. There was nothing I could do about it."

Being cleared to practice, and being able to practice, and proving that you are 100 percent back and better than ever in practice, all are important. But they are a long way from putting on the Husky uniform and standing on the goal line awaiting a kickoff. Ross started a countdown on his phone. Imagine looking at it and seeing you have 100 days to go.

"It was the longest summer of my life," Ross said.

When the countdown reached zero, and Sept. 3 had arrived, Ross didn't have to wait long. On the Huskies' second snap, Jake Browning threw him a quick pass for 2 yards. Before the first quarter ended, Ross had caught touchdown passes from Browning of 38 and 50 yards. But those catches weren't the things that had infiltrated his sleep.

Washington didn't have to return a kickoff until late in the second quarter. The Huskies scored the first 24 points of the game before Rutgers kicked a field goal. Ross went back to the goal line. He caught the kick at the Washington 8, and he ran as if he hadn't run back a kick in two years. Touchdown, Huskies.

"I actually dreamed about something like that," Ross said. "I would talk to the guys about it. I dreamed that the first kickoff return I touched would go to the house. And for it to happen, it was mind-boggling. It wasn't exactly like I pictured it, but it happened."

All the doubt, all the swelling, all the pain, all the waiting. All gone. Nearly two years had taken an eternity to pass. When Ross reached the end zone, time stopped again. It was a completely different feeling.

"It felt unreal," Ross said. "I might have been standing there for a long time. My teammates did come and grab me. It was so unreal to me."

Ross finished the opener with five catches for 90 yards. He leads the Huskies in touchdowns (eight), receptions (21), kickoff returns (five, 35-yard average) and all-purpose yards (96.2 ypg). John Ross is back, and so are the Huskies. That's not exactly a coincidence.

(04-27-2017, 05:21 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: He hasn't taken a step on an NFL field yet... and has already had four pretty serious surgeries.

Speed is great, but when you've already had surgery on BOTH of your knees, how long is that speed going to last/your body going to hold up under that speed?

We're not talking predicting injuries, we're talking already had injuries. There are some serious red flags for #9. If the Bengals were picking #24 or something, I would probably be all for Ross. At #9 though, you can't be taking big red flags like that. You can't afford to have a top-10 pick flop.

So let me get this straight.  You almost guarantee that injuries will make him slower and as proof you say that he has had multiple surgeries and they have not made him any slower.

I think I see a problem with that argument.

(04-27-2017, 05:21 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: He hasn't taken a step on an NFL field yet... and has already had four pretty serious surgeries.

Speed is great, but when you've already had surgery on BOTH of your knees, how long is that speed going to last/your body going to hold up under that speed?

We're not talking predicting injuries, we're talking already had injuries. There are some serious red flags for #9. If the Bengals were picking #24 or something, I would probably be all for Ross. At #9 though, you can't be taking big red flags like that. You can't afford to have a top-10 pick flop.

Eh, as a bengals fan, if I get 5-7 years of elite speed and above average production while our window is open I won't consider that a flop.

Outside of a rueben Foster or Howard no one will have more impact this year. Any DE or DT, outside of Thomas or Allen, will most likely be part of a rotation playing under 50% of the snaps.

I don't think people are taking into account how differently defenses will have to play and scheme

(04-27-2017, 04:48 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Allen also has health concerns (arthritic shoulders). He's able to play (and play well) with this, but it's something that could affect him years down the road.
The point I'm trying to make if you're willing to take the gamble on Allen, you should be willing to take the same gamble on Ross.
If you're not willing to gamble on Ross because of health concerns, you should also be hesitant of Jonathan Allen.

That's not a fair comparison. Allen "may" have problems years down the road. Hell we will probably let him go after his rookie contract anyway. Ross has been injury prone and I think is just too small and fragile to use a 9th overall pick on. This is nuts taking a gamble on a player at a position that is far less of a need than the D line.

(04-27-2017, 05:02 PM)PDub80 Wrote: 5' 11" 188lbs, serious injury history... Who's he going to block in the run game? Who is he going to get off the jam from at the line? Who is he going to out jump for a ball in the redzone? To answer in a familiar way.... NOOOOOOBODY.

Right, because obviously there has never been a decent WR who was 5'11 or shorter except maybe a couple of guys like...

Odell beckham
Antonio Brown
Wes welker
DeSean jackson
Steve Smith
Randall Cobb
Brandon cooks
T.Y Hilton
Doug Baldwin
Doug Jennings
Golden tate

(04-27-2017, 05:39 PM)fredtoast Wrote: So let me get this straight.  You almost guarantee that injuries will make him slower and as proof you say that he has had multiple surgeries and they have not made him any slower.

I think I see a problem with that argument.

There are two high-level prospects dealing with big medical questions leading up to the draft.

Washington wide receiver John Ross' talent is not in question, with teams believing he is a football player who happens to be fast, rather than a track guy trying to play football. He's one of the most talented players in the draft.
However, the medical report on Ross has scared teams as they've set up their boards for the 2017 NFL Draft in Philadelphia, which kicks off at 8 p.m. ET Thursday.
2017 NFL DRAFT

•  Mock drafts | Mayock | Jeremiah | Brooks
•  Seven-round mock draft
•  Mayock's top 100 prospect rankings
•  Jeremiah's top 50 draft prospects
•  Brooks' top 5 prospects by position
•  2017 NFL Draft order for all 7 rounds
•  Draft needs for every team
  

There are a handful of boards he is off, sources say. Other teams wonder if he'll fall into the late-first round or early second round because of his injury history.
He missed the 2015 season with an ACL and meniscus repair and had microfracture surgery the previous year. He also underwent labrum surgery this past March.
One source close to Ross said he has had no problems with his knees and while the history might scare teams, "there is nothing new that has showed up." Some teams are afraid, other teams are OK with it.




I hope we stay away...  I am not an expert but competitive and body wise, college to pro's has to be more demanding on the body...

Quote:However, the medical report on Ross has scared teams as they've set up their boards for the 2017 NFL Draft in Philadelphia, which kicks off at 8 p.m. ET Thursday.

And that does not apply to the Bengals, as we've heard their medical staff has cleared him.

(04-27-2017, 05:48 PM)Big Boss Wrote: And that does not apply to the Bengals, as we've heard their medical staff has cleared him.

I hope we stay away...   I am thinking the toll on the body from college to nfl will be substantial and why take the risk.. 

(04-27-2017, 05:02 PM)PDub80 Wrote: 5' 11" 188lbs, serious injury history... Who's he going to block in the run game? Who is he going to get off the jam from at the line? Who is he going to out jump for a ball in the redzone? To answer in a familiar way.... NOOOOOOBODY.

This is the ONE pick I think would be AWFUL at #9 is Ross. If they trade back and take him, ok, I guess. Still not excited about it.

WR Davis I see as a much much better prospect.

I would rather them just bite the bullet and take Mixon at #9 as I think he will be a superstar vs. Ross, who I think will be a niche role player. Mixon would make more of an immediate impact as well. WR is tough to come into the NFL and be productive as a rookie. None of these WR will beat out LaFell for meaningful PT. NOT ONE.

One trick pony with serious injury history. One nagging injury or ding away from not being that fast anymore. No thanks. I think if they pick him at #9 it would be because the coaches see their Antonio Brown. Frankly, that guy is an aberration. The Bengals need to make their own mold, their own way and be different enough to fight what other teams do. Not try to find what the Steelers have. Their player is incredibly unique.

I didn't even get into the part where a bunch of teams possibly don't even have him on their board due to injury concerns. I don't trust the Bengals to be the smartest in that regard, either.

Of the top 10 WR's on CBS draft rankings Ross has the best Vertical at the combine.

As for the the whole redzone argument we simply don't need him to be that guy, we have AJ and Eifert that both excel in that area of the field. Simply put we need speed, we need that big time play-maker and Ross is that.

That said I don't really want him in 1 and I would take guys like Mixon and a couple others over him in 2. So yea I say wait until round 2 and see what the board looks like.

Ross tied ncaa for 17 touchdowns last year.  Elite BEST COMBINE SPEED IN NFL HISTORY!!!

Yes he might not have a 15 year career and he probably has more injury risks.  But his talent is undeniable and has limitless potential.

I prefer OJ Howard, but Ross is a difference maker and a game changer.   I won't be upset or even happy if the bengals select Ross but I don't understand how people get so upset over an elite prospect.

A lot of talk right before the draft is just smoke and BS.

there are probably teams talking terrible about Ross just hoping the bad rumors will cause him to fall enough for them to draft him.

I don't want a WR at #9. I'll be disappointed if we take him.

(04-27-2017, 05:54 PM)Bengalbug Wrote: Ross tied ncaa for 17 touchdowns last year.  Elite BEST COMBINE SPEED IN NFL HISTORY!!!

Yes he might not have a 15 year career and he probably has more injury risks.  But his talent is undeniable and has limitless potential.

I prefer OJ Howard, but Ross is a difference maker and a game changer.   I won't be upset or even happy if the bengals select Ross but I don't understand how people get so upset over an elite prospect.

OJ Howard yes, I am doubting Ross.. Could you imagine OJ Howard AJ in the Red Zone and throw Tyler in the mix.. WOWzR..  We struggle in the Red Zone... kicking them field goals cost us the season last year to the playoffs.

(04-27-2017, 05:56 PM)fredtoast Wrote: A lot of talk right before the draft is just smoke and BS.

there are probably teams talking terrible about Ross just hoping the bad rumors will cause him to fall enough for them to draft him.

I don't want a WR at #9.  I'll be disappointed if we take him.

YES.  you are the Best Ever.