The Vikings have been named a top landing spot for Bengals wide receiver John Ross.
After his third multi-interception game this season against the Falcons, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins could use all the help he can get.
Yes, the Vikings have found a future star in Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen looks every bit his Pro Bowl-self at age 30 — leading the league with seven touchdowns in six games — but beyond the duo, there isn’t much-proven experience or diversity in weapons.
The Vikings were named a “logical landing spot” for disgruntled Bengals wide receiver and burner, John Ross, whose dissatisfaction with his role on the team became public this week following the loss to the Colts on Sunday.
Here’s what CBS Sports’ Brian DeArdo wrote:
After trading away Stefon Diggs this past offseason, Minnesota’s passing game has yet to find a third reliable option behind Adam Thielen (32 catches, 415 yards and seven touchdowns) and rookie Justin Jefferson (28 catches, 537 yards and three touchdowns). Tight ends Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith have just 20 catches between them thus far, while receiver Olabisi Johnson has just five catches for 93 yards through six games. The addition of Ross could make things easier for quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has thrown a league-high 10 interceptions through six games.
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Why It Makes Sense
While the Vikings haven’t had consistent performances on offense this season, the offense is brimming with options: Kyle Rudolph, a big-bodied tight end with sticky hands; Irv Smith, a speedier-athletic option at tight end while still presenting mismatches with his season; Dalvin Cook, who has been one of the league’s best backs in both running and the screen game.
But the Vikings wide receivers do tend to fit the same mold. Strong route runners of largely the same size and speed.
Diversity at wide receiver proved to be a problem against the Falcons as Chad Beebe assumed the third-wide receiver reps. Beebe was targeted five times and caught two passes 13 yards. He was targeted four times on third down and failed to convert the first each time. Beebe was virtually a non-factor in the game despite the ample opportunities to extend drives.
The addition of Ross could give the Vikings more options in three wide-receiver sets.
More Than a Speedster
Ross was the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft after running a 4.22 40-time at the NFL Scouting Combine, the fastest 40-yard dash on record.
But Ross is more than just a burner. He runs a complete route tree and can both create separation with his speed and take the top off the defense. Injuries have been the biggest constrain on Ross’ career. In his three-plus seasons, he’s played in just 27 of 54 games.
If the Vikings were to trade a later-round pick for Ross, the investment would be low-risk high-reward if Ross does come around in a new environment with a more experienced signal-caller and a franchise that has seen more success.
At the very least, Ross presents a different skill set when on the field and would force teams to respect him as a deep threat and open up intermediate routes across the field.
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Trevor Squire is a Heavy contributor covering the Minnesota Vikings and journalism graduate from the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities. Connect with him on Twitter @trevordsquire and join our Vikings community at Heavy on Vikings on Facebook.