Joe Burrow is out here throwing guys open

[Truck_1_0_1_]

(10-05-2020, 05:26 PM)WychesWarrior Wrote: They will usually at least catch the ball when it goes their way, and Erickson contributes on punt returns. Ross is, was, and will be....a bust. 

This is what I was saying earlier in the year (not about Ross).

Erickson yesterday had 7 snaps on offense, 5 on teams.

- He had 1 target and 1 catch, a 9 yarder which made it an easier field goal for Fat Randy.
- 1 jet sweep/end-around for 7 yards that setup a 2nd and 3 where we scored again.
- Gunned on a punt with Wilson and could've downed the ball at the 1 (but Wilson elected to touch it and bobbled it, into the endzone).

The guy is not the greatest player and IS our 5th/6th receiver, but he offers a bunch of different skills, is versatile and NOT a bum out there; if we had Erickson instead of Whalen (still think he could've been something in this league) or Sanzenbacher for 2011-2014, I guarantee we would've had better results on teams and at WR, than what we had (which was really good anyways).

And he can throw the ball; I won't be surprised if he has an attempt or two in a couple of games this year (though I will say, while this isn't the 2019 LSU team, no non-QBs lined up to take a snap for them, last year).

[WeezyBengal]

(10-05-2020, 06:56 PM)ochocincos Wrote: TDs scored since start of 2018 (since Auden Tate entered league and Boyd blossomed):
Tyler Boyd - 13 (7, 6, 1)
John Ross - 10 (7, 3, 0)
AJ Green - 6
Auden Tate - 1
Mike Thomas - 1
Alex Erickson - 0
Drew Sample - 0


Perhaps activate the guy who has the second-most TDs on the team in that time span and use him in the red zone if the Bengals want to score more TDs this year?

I realize you are referring to next year, but perhaps it's worth trying to keep Ross as a RZ weapon.
If not, Chase is obviously a great choice (if he's there). He scored 20 TDs last season and has the rapport with Burrow.
Kyle Pitts is making his way up draft boards and might be worth a selection in the teens come draft day. He's already put up 6 TDs this season in just 2 games.
Devonta Smith had 14 TDs last season and Waddle is on pace for double-digit TDs this year.

I just think it's a smarter investment to get OL/DL in the first two rounds as opposed to WR. Yes, the Bengals need to get one good OL in FA, but they also probably need to get one in the draft too, much like how CLE did this past offseason with Conklin and Wills.
They also need a pass rusher, might need a CB too.


I can understand WR, but it would be lower on my priority list unless they properly address OL (and CB/pass rusher) in FA first.

In no way am I a Ross fan...but I don't know how Erickson gets reps over him. Erickson is decent in the punt return game...but cmon. Erickson gives you absolutely nothing as a receiver. Start getting Ross reps as a punt returner in practice and see if he can handle it. He returned punts in college. The just throw him in where Erickson was playing. He can't be any worse than him as a WR. 

[*ochocincos*]

(10-06-2020, 11:31 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: In no way am I a Ross fan...but I don't know how Erickson gets reps over him. Erickson is decent in the punt return game...but cmon. Erickson gives you absolutely nothing as a receiver. Start getting Ross reps as a punt returner in practice and see if he can handle it. He returned punts in college. The just throw him in where Erickson was playing. He can't be any worse than him as a WR. 

I agree as a WR. Ross is more electric than Erickson. So even if Erickson is more sure-handed, he's not more productive.
The part I disagree with is Ross doing punts. He only returned 4 punts in college. He was a KR.

Giovani Bernard should get PR duties. He's proven shifty enough and he needs to get more snaps to earn that salary.

[Sled21]

(10-06-2020, 11:31 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: In no way am I a Ross fan...but I don't know how Erickson gets reps over him. Erickson is decent in the punt return game...but cmon. Erickson gives you absolutely nothing as a receiver. Start getting Ross reps as a punt returner in practice and see if he can handle it. He returned punts in college. The just throw him in where Erickson was playing. He can't be any worse than him as a WR. 

Simple, Erickson catches the ball, Ross doesn't. If a receiver can't receive, all the rest is garbage.

[*rfaulk34*]

(10-06-2020, 11:31 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: In no way am I a Ross fan...but I don't know how Erickson gets reps over him. Erickson is decent in the punt return game...but cmon. Erickson gives you absolutely nothing as a receiver. Start getting Ross reps as a punt returner in practice and see if he can handle it. He returned punts in college. The just throw him in where Erickson was playing. He can't be any worse than him as a WR. 

I'd vote for this.

[*rfaulk34*]

(10-06-2020, 11:39 AM)ochocincos Wrote: I agree as a WR. Ross is more electric than Erickson. So even if Erickson is more sure-handed, he's not more productive.
The part I disagree with is Ross doing punts. He only returned 4 punts in college. He was a KR.

Giovani Bernard should get PR duties. He's proven shifty enough and he needs to get more snaps to earn that salary.

I'd vote for this too.

[Whatever]

(10-06-2020, 11:31 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: In no way am I a Ross fan...but I don't know how Erickson gets reps over him. Erickson is decent in the punt return game...but cmon. Erickson gives you absolutely nothing as a receiver. Start getting Ross reps as a punt returner in practice and see if he can handle it. He returned punts in college. The just throw him in where Erickson was playing. He can't be any worse than him as a WR. 

Problem is, Erickson is 5th in PR average and 7th in PR yards.  It doesn't make alot of sense to deactivate him for Ross.  

Sad truth is, if we deactivate anyone for Ross, AJ makes the most sense, as he's been terrible.  It won't happen due to AJ's reputation, though.

[Wire22Wire]

(10-06-2020, 03:12 PM)Whatever Wrote: Problem is, Erickson is 5th in PR average and 7th in PR yards.  It doesn't make alot of sense to deactivate him for Ross.  

Sad truth is, if we deactivate anyone for Ross, AJ makes the most sense, as he's been terrible.  It won't happen due to AJ's reputation, though.

I don’t disagree


But The idea that a team can franchise a player at 18m, and then have an actual option to be better by deactivating said player 5 games into the franchised season is mind boggling.


I can’t tell what’s more embarrassing of a transaction


Alroldis Chapman for rookie Davis
Franchising aj green

[*ochocincos*]

(10-06-2020, 03:12 PM)Whatever Wrote: Problem is, Erickson is 5th in PR average and 7th in PR yards.  It doesn't make alot of sense to deactivate him for Ross.  

Sad truth is, if we deactivate anyone for Ross, AJ makes the most sense, as he's been terrible.  It won't happen due to AJ's reputation, though.

Erickson has fielded 6 punts in 4 games.
That's an average of 1.5 PRPG. Multiplied by his average yardage, that's 16.5 yards per game.

From college, Bernard averaged 16.4 yards per PR and also scored two TDs.
Even if we assume he doesn't hit Top 10 in average for PR, that would put him at 6.0 YPR.
Multiply that by 1.5 PRPG and you get 9 yards.

Are you really saying it's worth activating Erickson for a difference of 7.5 yards on Punt Returns?

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(10-05-2020, 05:46 PM)ochocincos Wrote: AJ Green's catch rate this year is 46.4%, which is 101st in the league.
If you remove the targets that were deemed uncatchable, he's still only at 65% true catch rate, which is 105th in the league.
https://www.playerprofiler.com/nfl/aj-green/

That's about on par with Ross from 2019 (50% CR, 63.6% TCR).

2020 NFL salary:
AJ Green - $18.1 mill
John Ross - $5.5 mill

People should be more mad that the WR with the second-biggest cap hit in the league only has the 99th most receiving yards, and he's not even injured.

AJ has been playing like he is washed up and these are all good points you bring up.

At least Ross has scored TD's at a rapid rate in the the Red Zone in the NFL which is what we need right about now.

The FO seemed to have been right to not of picked up Ross's option but wrong in bringing back AJ for that amount.

[*Synric*]

(10-06-2020, 11:39 AM)ochocincos Wrote: I agree as a WR. Ross is more electric than Erickson. So even if Erickson is more sure-handed, he's not more productive.
The part I disagree with is Ross doing punts. He only returned 4 punts in college. He was a KR.

Giovani Bernard should get PR duties. He's proven shifty enough and he needs to get more snaps to earn that salary.

I wonder how long its been since Gio has gotten any practice as a Punt or even Kick returner. I know the four they used in training camp was Erickson, Wilson, Phillips, and Boyd.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(10-06-2020, 01:29 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Simple, Erickson catches the ball, Ross doesn't. If a receiver can't receive, all the rest is garbage.

Exactly. If you can't rely on a WR to be where he needs to be and to catch what he should be easily able to catch, then he does more harm than good.

What they fail to mention when they show receiving TDs by Ross is how many turnovers he's caused and drives he's killed with poor routes, poor hands, and poor effort.

There's a reason why only 41.5% of passes to John Ross are completed and despite what some people liked to say, it wasn't going to magically be solved by a different QB.

[Earendil]

(10-06-2020, 03:28 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Erickson has fielded 6 punts in 4 games.
That's an average of 1.5 PRPG. Multiplied by his average yardage, that's 16.5 yards per game.

From college, Bernard averaged 16.4 yards per PR and also scored two TDs.
Even if we assume he doesn't hit Top 10 in average for PR, that would put him at 6.0 YPR.
Multiply that by 1.5 PRPG and you get 9 yards.

Are you really saying it's worth activating Erickson for a difference of 7.5 yards on Punt Returns?

7.5 yards could be the difference between a made field goal and a missed one.

[Whatever]

(10-06-2020, 03:28 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Erickson has fielded 6 punts in 4 games.
That's an average of 1.5 PRPG. Multiplied by his average yardage, that's 16.5 yards per game.

From college, Bernard averaged 16.4 yards per PR and also scored two TDs.
Even if we assume he doesn't hit Top 10 in average for PR, that would put him at 6.0 YPR.
Multiply that by 1.5 PRPG and you get 9 yards.

Are you really saying it's worth activating Erickson for a difference of 7.5 yards on Punt Returns?

21 year old Gio against college players is miles different than 28 year old Gio against pro players.  

Gio has never returned a punt at the NFL level.  He has 6 KR's with a miserable 11 yard average.  I don't see him as the answer.

[*ochocincos*]

(10-06-2020, 04:57 PM)Whatever Wrote: 21 year old Gio against college players is miles different than 28 year old Gio against pro players.  

Gio has never returned a punt at the NFL level.  He has 6 KR's with a miserable 11 yard average.  I don't see him as the answer.

Try it and see how he does.

[Sled21]

(10-06-2020, 04:57 PM)Whatever Wrote: 21 year old Gio against college players is miles different than 28 year old Gio against pro players.  

Gio has never returned a punt at the NFL level.  He has 6 KR's with a miserable 11 yard average.  I don't see him as the answer.

Not to mention, if Gio gets blown up returning kicks and punts, then Mixon gets hurt, it would look pretty dumb on Taylor not to have Erickson returning, now wouldn't it. Then everyone could say Taylor made a horrible personnel decision. Receivers we have, Gio is our #2 RB and moves to #1 if Mixon gets hurt.

[*ochocincos*]

(10-06-2020, 04:44 PM)Earendil Wrote: 7.5 yards could be the difference between a made field goal and a missed one.

It could, but you're actually talking about 7.5 yards difference over the course of 2 punts. So actually it's less than 4 yards.
Completing typically a single short pass more would cover the same (or more) than the PR yardage.

Also, Bullock has only missed the FG in the first game, of which was less than 40 yards. So the difference of 4 yards or 7.5 yards wouldn't have mattered for that kick.

If you're talking about the difference between, say, a 53 yarder vs a 45 yarder, I can see that, but that's not going to happen every game. It's going to be a rare occurence.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(10-05-2020, 05:46 PM)ochocincos Wrote: AJ Green's catch rate this year is 46.4%, which is 101st in the league.
If you remove the targets that were deemed uncatchable, he's still only at 65% true catch rate, which is 105th in the league.
https://www.playerprofiler.com/nfl/aj-green/

That's about on par with Ross from 2019 (50% CR, 63.6% TCR).

2020 NFL salary:
AJ Green - $18.1 mill
John Ross - $5.5 mill

People should be more mad that the WR with the second-biggest cap hit in the league only has the 99th most receiving yards, and he's not even injured.

Meh....is AJ washed up? It's certainly possible. Is John Ross a turd? Yes, undoubtedly. Ship his ass on, AJ too, for that matter. I've seen Ross quit on plays, drop too many, sometimes critical, passes, and just not be very good/durable to give a shit anymore. If he's not gonna return kicks, then he can kick rocks and stay inactive. He's been a bust almost on the level of Billy Price and Ogblowhi. 

[Sled21]

If Ross can't catch a pass (and he can't), then I don't want him anywhere close to trying to catch kicks or punts.

[Big_Ern]

During a press conference, Zac made a comment about guys who bring good energy, have good body language and practice hard are the guys that dress and move up the depth chart. Something tells me that was a direct shot at Ross who probably sulks and is a mental midget. I'm sure those are the things that got him in Marvin's doghouse. Like him not hustling to the line of scrimmage in 2 minute drill.