Bengal TE strategy

[*ochocincos*]

(07-29-2020, 04:48 PM)pally Wrote: John Ross does not have the physicality for that position.  It is not even close.  Slot takes away his speed which is supposed to be his biggest weapon

I actually somewhat disagree with this.

Ross not only has elite deep field speed but he has elite agility, footwork, and burst to get open quickly. That is an asset for playing in the slot.

Why slot could also be useful at times for Ross is that typically you are going on shorter routes and getting the ball in your hands quicker. And it's been known that Ross is dangerous with the ball in his hands.
Not only that, you typically have less jump ball situations in the slot, of which Ross is not built for. Those 50-50 balls typically happen more for WRs on the outside.

Receivers also typically have a higher catch percentage when operating out of the slot because of the reasons above. While people have (justified) concerns with Ross's ability to catch the ball, it's worth noting that he dropped only 6 of 105 catchable balls in his last two seasons in college. https://www.pff.com/news/draft-pff-scouting-report-john-ross-wr-washington

Perhaps he will be more like he was in college if he is used by a more creative playcaller and with a more accurate QB.