We shouldn't sleep on John Ross.

[Direckshun]

I keep coming back to something, because I see in all these threads we are making assumptions about the approaching WR depth chart.

Toney
MVS
Moore
Rice

The above four are locks. I think we can agree that Justin Watson is not a lock but is close to one, as the Chiefs love the depth he offers and his special teams work as well.

The Chiefs will carry 6 WRs on the roster, maybe 7, and the talents left are:

• Richie James
• Ihmir Smith-Marsette (former 2021 5th round Viking pick, was on Chiefs PS, activated for the Week 18 game)
• Justyn Ross (2022 UDFA)
• Nikko Remigio (2023 UDFA)
• Ty Fryfogle (2022 Cowboys UDFA, cut in 2022 August, signed to futures contract in January)

And John Ross.

To remind all of you, Justin Ross is 27 years old, was drafted 9th overall by the Bengals in 2017. Prior to that, he set the Combine record for the 40 yard dash, running a 4.22, including an elite 1.49 10-yard split (only two receivers beat that split at the Combine this year, and -- oddly enough -- Rashee Rice actually tied that).

Ross went on to be a colossal bust, recording exactly one touch his rookie season, which he fumbled. He has battled injuries and a decent Bengals depth chart to record 62 receptions for 957 yards in his career so far, recording a completion on merely 43% of his targets. He's also recorded three fumbles, which means 5% of his touches, he's fumbling. He was a Giant for the 2021 season, and spent the 2022 season out of football until the Chiefs signed him in January.

This is a pretty grisly career, but I think he's got a chance to be a sleeper for the Chiefs roster, but only if the Chiefs choose to roster 7 WRs -- which they rarely do, especially when they have four TEs already that they really like.

Ross may be worth the 7th slot, however.

• Pacheco was our primary kick returner, but that doesn't seem viable anymore given that he is now the #1 RB.
• Andy Reid always loves having a speed demon gadget player on the roster:

  Dexter McCluster in 2013
  De'Anthony Thomas in 2014-2015
  Tyreek Hill, who became more than that, 2015-2021
  Mecole Hardman in 2019-2022
  Kadarious Toney in 2022

  There is simply no option on the roster who is a pure fit for that Z receiver gadget speedster role that Andy Reid covets. Toney is a #1 WR this year, MVS is a deep threat, not a twitchy gadget, Skyy Moore doesn't have that kind of speed, and Jerrion Ealy is an unknown.

Now, I don't think John Ross can replicate even what Mecole Hardman did.

But ask yourself: can he replicate what De'Anthony Thomas did? I think the answer to that is yes.

I think he's a wild gamble, and as such I wouldn't take him over Richie James for the #6 spot. But hey, if the Chiefs elect to roster a 7th WR, he's got an advantage over the other WRs in that there is a clear need that, in theory, he alone can fill at this time.

[T-post Tom]

Interesting that he didn’t join Mahomes & the other new receivers in Texas. Does not seem like a good sign overall. Hope I’m wrong.

[Coogs]

In Andy's presser from a couple of days ago, one of the questions was about John Ross. Andy went first to Justyn Ross after saying he really likes what he sees from both of the Ross's. Biggest takeaway from that piece for me was that Andy said Mahomes has trust in Justyn Ross.

[ToxSocks]

Mahomes took a subtle dig at Hardman when complimenting Rice. Or maybe im reading too much into it and he was referencing other guys, but....

To paraphrase, he something to the tune of, "He knows where to be and get open, unlike guys we've had in the past who were really fast and could fly all over the field but didn't know where to be etc".

Again, not his exact words, but pretty close and really felt like he was talking about Hardman.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by Bowser

It's wild to think how John Ross was drafted one spot BEFORE Mahomes.

I think he's going to get IR'd at the end of preseason and we'll see what plans they have for him in '24 with MVS' status sort of unknown.

He's 27 and already spent a year basically out of the league so it's not like he needs protection from teams clamoring for him.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Mecca

He's 27 and already spent a year basically out of the league so it's not like he needs protection from teams clamoring for him.

Fair. I guess if he lights it up in preseason or some such, they could do that.

I feel pretty safe saying either way he won't be on the opening day roster. I'm way out on a limb there, I know. Lol.

[Couch-Potato]

I'd be stoked if both the Ross's, Moree, and Rice all ball out in the pre-season!

I'd like to see Ealy get some touches too!

[JPH83]

Originally Posted by Couch-Potato

I'd be stoked if both the Ross's, Moree, and Rice all ball out in the pre-season!

I'd like to see Ealy get some touches too!

I really liked Ealy during rhe draft period a day thought we got a steal. Would love him to step up, I think he's a great alt to Pacehco and looked like he could transition to a decent receiver

[RealSNR]

I agree. If anybody sleeps on John Ross, their weight will crush his bones to dust

[royr17]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

McCluster and Thomas weren't fast, they were just small. They were small and slow.

Slow ? Seriously ? I don't know how 4.44 which is what dexter ran at his pro day and 4.39 which DAT ran at his pro day is considered slow.

Dexter had a three cone drill of 6.73 and DAT's was 6.94.

How is that considered slow ?

[Dunerdr]

Originally Posted by royr17

Slow ? Seriously ? I don't know how 4.44 which is what dexter ran at his pro day and 4.39 which DAT ran at his pro day is considered slow.

Dexter had a three cone drill of 6.73 and DAT's was 6.94.

How is that considered slow ?

Damn. I wasn’t draftubating back then. I’d always assumed dexter was like a 4.5 guy watching him play.

[dlphg9]

Originally Posted by royr17

Slow ? Seriously ? I don't know how 4.44 which is what dexter ran at his pro day and 4.39 which DAT ran at his pro day is considered slow.

Dexter had a three cone drill of 6.73 and DAT's was 6.94.

How is that considered slow ?

Sure they may have been fast in just shorts, but they didn't look like 4.4 guys in pads. They both looked slow as shit and were tiny little bitches.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by royr17

Slow ? Seriously ? I don't know how 4.44 which is what dexter ran at his pro day and 4.39 which DAT ran at his pro day is considered slow.

Dexter had a three cone drill of 6.73 and DAT's was 6.94.

How is that considered slow ?

That's not slow, but if you have no sense of balance or even just a tiny amount of power, you better damn well make up for it in speed and breakaway. And McCluster just never had enough.

Dexter never had the extra gear we needed from him. It's why he was a lot more effective when Andy came around because he used him as a short/midrange guy who could use his quick change of direction bullshit off the line, get some yards, maybe make a guy miss if there was a mismatch, and call it a day. That's still not much, but it's at least a use that he had compared to the ineffective garbage we ran with him out of the backfield under Haley. In those instances I'd say he was a downright hindrance because he took those backfield touches away from Charles, who would/could actually do something with them.

[DJ's left nut]

We can definitely sleep on John Ross.

Dude's gonna be the same nothing he's always been once they put pads on him. Then he's gonna get hurt. Again.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by royr17

Slow ? Seriously ? I don't know how 4.44 which is what dexter ran at his pro day and 4.39 which DAT ran at his pro day is considered slow.

Dexter had a three cone drill of 6.73 and DAT's was 6.94.

How is that considered slow ?

According to the NFL, Dexter ran a 4.58 at the combine in the 40 at 172 pounds and De'Anthony was a 4.5 at 174 pounds. With those speeds, you need to be about 75 pounds heavier.

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/dexter...5-779de52fb7cb

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/de'ant...7-1e2e24294c99

[BWillie]

I will definitely sleep on John Ross