Getty WR John Ross wants to be traded away from the Cincinnati Bengals
Would veteran Bengals wideout A.J. Green make a solid addition to the Chicago Bears offense? What about speedy fourth-year receiver John Ross? JJ Stankevitz of NBC Sports thinks the Bears should shake the tree on both.
Tuesday, Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reported that Ross was unhappy with his time and usage in Cincinnati, and has requested a trade. The news came on the heels of reports that Green also wanted out — reports Green later denied, but only after admitting he was “frustrated” with how things were going for him so far with the Bengals this season.
With Anthony Miller still displaying some nagging inconsistencies in his game, should the Bears attempt to look into either Bengals wideout? It couldn’t hurt.
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John Ross: Would He Be a Good Fit?
The Bengals selected Ross in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. They chose him ninth overall in the same draft the Bears selected Mitch Trubisky, and he was supposed to be the ideal complement to Green. But Ross never quite became the No. 2 receiver Cincinnati was hoping for.
Injuries, questionable coaching and usage (ex-Bengals coach Marvin Lewis came under fire multiple times for how he chose to use and manage the young wideout) have resulted in a disappointing start to his young career, and he’d like a change of scenery and a new opportunity elsewhere.
Ross fumbled in his rookie debut, and never saw the field much after that. He sat out the great majority of his rookie year and was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury to close out the season. He saw his playing time increase in 2018, and things started to look up a bit. He played in 13 games, starting 10, and he caught 21 passes for 210 yards and seven touchdowns. There were flashes, and it looked as though Ross was ready to turn the corner.
Last season, he broke out a bit more. He posted back-to-back 100+ yard games to start the season, but he ended up on IR with a shoulder injury after Week 4. He finished 2019 with 28 catches for 506 yards and three touchdowns. The intriguing part was his 18.1 yards per catch. The Bears signed veteran Ted Ginn Jr., who they have barely used. If — and only if — the Bengals are willing to take a late-round pick for Ross, he may be worth a look for Chicago. Ross may be a better candidate at stretching the field than Ginn has been.
On the flip side, Anthony Miller has already had two shoulder surgeries on the same shoulder. Do the Bears want another wideout with a history of shoulder issues? Speed is always a valuable asset in the NFL, and Ross would certainly come cheap this year, so yeah, he’s worth looking into.
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What About A.J. Green?
Stankevitz suggested that the Bears should two-birds-one-stone it with Ross and also inquire about Green when calling the Bengals.
Green is the more attractive option between the two, but his salary is a hefty $18 million — and since the Bears can’t seem to find it in their hearts and pocketbooks to pay Allen Robinson, their best receiver and more worthy target than either disgruntled Bengals wideout — adding Green at this point seems almost nonsensical. Green could end up in Green Bay, however, so it might be worth it for Chicago to give him a look, just to be competitive with their rivals in the NFC North.
While Green is far better than Ross, he’s also pricier, and his injury history is a huge concern, as well. It’s unlikely the Bears will look to acquire either of the two, but if they’re interested in adding another wideout before the trade deadline, Ross would be certainly worth a phone call.
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