(07-25-2019, 10:07 AM)XenoMorph Wrote: damnit the last thing we need is players spontaneously combusting on the field.

(07-25-2019, 09:28 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Agreed, Brad, and it is nice to see some more optimism thrown his way.  It will be challenging for him because, honestly, he would be behind Boyd, AJ, and likely Eifert as a target, but if the running game is rolling, play-action shots with him could get him some big numbers with minimal targets.  I will NEVER understand the limited plays last year.  He is a nightmare in space, and they hardly ever threw him a screen or hitch to get him the ball and try to make someone miss.  

ZT will not care who he is or when he was drafted....if he can make plays, he will get the ball.

(07-25-2019, 10:10 AM)ochocincos Wrote: While Ross definitely should shoulder some of the blame for his lack of production up to this point, I think a big issue was that the team wanted to use him in a very particular way.

He was often sent on more deep routes and the occasional jet sweep. His average depth of target was 14.6, which was the deepest on the team.
I really don't recall him being utilized a lot in the short passing game, which was a forte of his at Washington. I think a good indicator too of this being his strength is how productive he was in the red zone last year. Basically, he was forced into short yardage routes because the field was squished and he was able to produce very well.

I really hope we see Ross utilized (a lot) more in short routes like screens, slants, etc.

(07-25-2019, 01:00 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Of course it is a positive regardless, just not as big of a positive in a winning season.

But yeah, I agree with the rest of your post.







True, there were a few plays last year where Dalton didn't give Ross a chance and underthrew him.

Dalton still needs to get used to his speed and Ross needs to start giving Dalton a reason to trust him, like running the right routes and catching the damn ball when it comes his way. No excuses for this.



All true.

(07-25-2019, 09:43 AM)fredtoast Wrote: This just is not true.  Marvin played rookies and young players as much as the average NFL coach.  We had tons of rookies start under Marvin.
And nothing indicates that Marvin did not like Ross.  All of the evidence points to Ross not being good enough to get on the field his rookies season.

(07-25-2019, 01:08 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I think we're going to see a new J. Ross this season. Am I saying he's the next J. Rice ? No

But I think there's mostly untapped potential there. This year he has to do it though, there's no more room for excuses.

(07-25-2019, 01:06 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: That is what I am talkin' about. Ross just needs to give Dalton something to trust in. Run the right routes, catch the ball and he should have a huge year and the more plays Ross makes, the more comfortable, confident and consistent he will become. Use the guy right unlike Zamp, Lazor and Marv...


I think Taylor and company can do this.

(07-25-2019, 01:15 PM)SHRacerX Wrote: One thing I would do is run the jet sweep on about 50% of the plays...whether you hand him the ball or not, the LBs have to freeze.  I'm only partly kidding.  Give him the ball a few times, and they have to respect it.  

I just want the guys on the roster to make it to opening day healthy.  

(07-25-2019, 01:15 PM)SHRacerX Wrote: One thing I would do is run the jet sweep on about 50% of the plays...whether you hand him the ball or not, the LBs have to freeze.  I'm only partly kidding.  Give him the ball a few times, and they have to respect it.  

I just want the guys on the roster to make it to opening day healthy.  

(07-25-2019, 01:08 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: This year he has to do it though, there's no more room for excuses.

(07-25-2019, 01:03 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Right

You don't catch 7 TD's, mostly in the red zone because you're a bum ! He may well flourish under ZT ? Or he may get buried on the depth chart by game 3 ?

But until proven otherwise I still maintain ML and Co. did him few favors. Am I saying it's all their fault ? NO

(07-25-2019, 01:20 PM)Synric Wrote: We will likely see alot more of that kinda stuff this year. There's pictures of Alex Erickson running thr jet sweep as Dalton hands Mixon the ball.

Zach Taylor and Not Bill Callahan are going to make defenses defend horizontally and vertically.

(07-25-2019, 11:40 AM)BengalChris Wrote: ^^^ This

It's funny how the same excuses keep getting recycled when it comes to John Ross.

(07-25-2019, 01:36 PM)HuDey Wrote: That’s what we do here. Rather than Accept that a player might not be as good as we’d hoped, we must first pass through the 3 year rookie period and then exhaust the bad coaching grace period (duration may vary depending on coach and or player).

(07-25-2019, 01:29 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: I feel like the Bengals have used that play at various points over the Lewis era too.

(07-25-2019, 01:39 PM)McC Wrote: Reasonable people don't pretend to see the future and therefore adopt a wait and see approach.

(07-25-2019, 02:00 PM)HuDey Wrote: I’d also say that it is reasonable to have limitations on the wait and see based on the past, which we’ve already seen.

(07-25-2019, 01:36 PM)HuDey Wrote: That’s what we do here. Rather than Accept that a player might not be as good as we’d hoped, we must first pass through the 3 year rookie period and then exhaust the bad coaching grace period (duration may vary depending on coach and or player).