Chiefs sign UDFA Justyn Ross

[ShowtimeSBMVP]

Clemson WR Justyn Ross is signing with the #Chiefs to their 90-man roster, per source.

Ross led the ACC in receiving as a freshman in 2018, ranked fifth nationally with 21.7 YPC and was second in receiving touchdowns. He also stands 6-3, 210 pounds. High quality addition for

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 2, 2022

[O.city]

Originally Posted by kccrow

I really don't understand many of the comments in this thread.

I'll try to paraphrase...

"Might not have an NFL skill set" - The hell he doesn't. What part of his history suggests he doesn't? Not a single bit of it. He was arguably the best WR on a team that has two really good pros that came from it and only a congenital defect kept him from being a likely 1st or 2nd round pick as a Junior entry to the draft because he probably doesn't play a 4th year if that didn't exist.

"Hasn't played in 3 years" - What? Did we forget he played in 2021? Yes, he's missed more time than you reasonably want, but that's a very unlikely reason he'd miss the cut. He's still only 23 years old and has learned the playbook.

"The chances are stacked against him making this team" - Why? Unless you're blind to the talent he had in college, he has a far greater chance than not. Right now there are only 3 WRs that are locks in Toney, Moore, and MVS.

Come on guys, let's not be silly about this. Too much talk as though he wasn't a high-end talent. The only reasonable roadblock to him making this team is if he ends up back in the tub for any period of time. I think that would be extremely detrimental to his future. Everything else points North.

Injured guys get injured. Kind of a tale as old as time.

He's a solid 3/4 years away from being that guy. Maybe it's still in there, but I'd guess odds are....it probably ain't.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by kccrow

I really don't understand many of the comments in this thread.

I'll try to paraphrase...

"Might not have an NFL skill set" - The hell he doesn't. What part of his history suggests he doesn't? Not a single bit of it. He was arguably the best WR on a team that has two really good pros that came from it and only a congenital defect kept him from being a likely 1st or 2nd round pick as a Junior entry to the draft because he probably doesn't play a 4th year if that didn't exist.

Pft.

He didn't develop a whit from where he was as a Freshman and even as a freshman he was a contested catch guy who showed good hands but marginal athletic ability.

And said defect that you're hand-waiving led to a spinal fusion surgery that may/may not have simply diminished his ability further. But we couldn't tell because the guy couldn't stay on the field.

And yes, there are ALWAYS reasons if you look for them. Bad luck, bad quarterbacks, on and on and on.

But if NFL teams saw a guy with a bum foot that would heal and get him back to 1st/2nd round ability, he doesn't go undrafted. It just doesn't happen. Those injuries and medical conditions will often force a 3 maaaaybe 4 round slide, but that still puts him as a 3rd/4th round talent going into the draft.

And y'know what? Most 3rd and 4th round talents don't end up making an impact at the next level.

Ross had one season where he looked like an NFL caliber talent and he went backwards from there. Yes, it's absolutely fair to question if, even if his foot is healthy, does he simply have the baseline ability to contribute at the NFL level.

[crispystl]

Originally Posted by Woogieman

You're talking circumference, right?

No, radius. Duh!

[duncan_idaho]

Really, in terms of football injury, Ross has one to be concerned about (the foot injury).

That has been cleaned up.

The congenital condition has been addressed via surgery, and will always lurk, but he hasn't actually missed time due to INJURY from that.

It's a smart, no-risk situation from the Chiefs side. If they continue to sit pat in free agency, I think that says a lot about what they think about their in-house options. Ross may be part of that.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Really, in terms of football injury, Ross has one to be concerned about (the foot injury).

That has been cleaned up.

The congenital condition has been addressed via surgery, and will always lurk, but he hasn't actually missed time due to INJURY from that.

It's a smart, no-risk situation from the Chiefs side. If they continue to sit pat in free agency, I think that says a lot about what they think about their in-house options. Ross may be part of that.

Addressed, yes. But addressed and repaired are slightly different animals.

But given the general age of CP members, I think we're all aware of the sonofabitch that neck and back injuries can be. And we also know just how thin the line between NFL caliber athlete and really impressive dude on the street who can't actually play anymore.

If that neck issue and the subsequent surgery created any additional stiffness or even lingering weakness, it could simply make him a less dynamic athlete. And you don't have to be THAT much less dynamic to go from a 2nd day pick to a non-entity.

My point being that we simply haven't seen anything from him since then to suggest he's an NFL prospect. His SR year film certainly doesn't look like it. And sure, maybe that was the foot issue but I again get back to the fact that there isn't anything in FAVOR of it.

It's raw projection based on a development curve from his freshman year that frankly had plateaued even as a Sophomore.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by TEX

I have a wait and see approach for him. However there are more reasons for not getting my hopes up than there are for getting them up. If Ross played for Denver, or some other rival, Id have no problem dismissing him as a broke dick based on his history. But I certainly am rooting for the kid.

Exactly.

If he were a Bronco and Knowmo came in here posting instagram videos of him running up hills, we'd mock the shit out of him for it and it certainly wouldn't be concerning us at all.

But in one sense Crow is absolutely right - there is a GIANT path to playing time here. Because I think Ross, even at his best, was a guy who's tools play better as a possession receiver. JJSS leaving opens up a really obvious role for him.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Exactly.

If he were a Bronco and Knowmo came in here posting instagram videos of him running up hills, we'd mock the shit out of him for it and it certainly wouldn't be concerning us at all.

But in one sense Crow is absolutely right - there is a GIANT path to playing time here. Because I think Ross, even at his best, was a guy who's tools play better as a possession receiver. JJSS leaving opens up a really obvious role for him.

Man....we're pretty set at the possession type WR I think. I like what we've got there.

We really need that dude that can kinda do it all. Who do you think is the most likely to be that from this draft?

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Exactly.

If he were a Bronco and Knowmo came in here posting instagram videos of him running up hills, we'd mock the shit out of him for it and it certainly wouldn't be concerning us at all.

But in one sense Crow is absolutely right - there is a GIANT path to playing time here. Because I think Ross, even at his best, was a guy who's tools play better as a possession receiver. JJSS leaving opens up a really obvious role for him.

I think your take is a little pessimistic. It also discounts Veach and the medical staff.

If they thought the spinal situation was a problem, they wouldn't have bothered.

The foot thing, as I understand it, was a poor surgery, and they took the opportunity to 'red shirt' the kid and fix it right.

So, yeah, there's an injury history that's concerning, but they're unrelated injuries in every possible way.

I agree with your take that IF the kid is 100%, there's a path to playing time in Juju's role; I totally agree that he's that type of receiver.


I'm not penciling him in or anything, but having a season of watching tape and learning the offense while getting healthy is good reason for optimism.

I'm not planning on it, but I think there's reason for optimism.

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by O.city

Man....we're pretty set at the possession type WR I think. I like what we've got there.

We really need that dude that can kinda do it all. Who do you think is the most likely to be that from this draft?

We are?

It's Skyy and...what, Justyn Ross?

[O.city]

They got him as an UDFA. They did the least amount possible of "bothering" here. It works great it doesn't it cost them some cash.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

We are?

It's Skyy and...what, Justyn Ross?

Skyy, Kelce, and Toney. Toney being the one I kinda think can be more.

How many of them do you think we need?

[Shoes]

Rooting for Ross but I don't think he's going to make it, I just think the injury history is going to be too much to overcome. That insta video looks more like a warmup to me than anything impressive, it is good to see him out on the field though.

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Exactly.

If he were a Bronco and Knowmo came in here posting instagram videos of him running up hills, we'd mock the shit out of him for it and it certainly wouldn't be concerning us at all.

But in one sense Crow is absolutely right - there is a GIANT path to playing time here. Because I think Ross, even at his best, was a guy who's tools play better as a possession receiver. JJSS leaving opens up a really obvious role for him.

He is what he is: a lottery ticket. He’s no different than John Ross really.

And hey, sometimes those lottery tickets work out and help your team. Justin Watson sure did as a futures deal guy last year.

I think we’re gonna see Veach work with an offensive heavy draft this month. There’s probably gonna be a DL and OL drafted but I foresee multiple WR’s and a TE drafted as well as a RB.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

I think your take is a little pessimistic. It also discounts Veach and the medical staff.

If they thought the spinal situation was a problem, they wouldn't have bothered.

The foot thing, as I understand it, was a poor surgery, and they took the opportunity to 'red shirt' the kid and fix it right.

So, yeah, there's an injury history that's concerning, but they're unrelated injuries in every possible way.

I agree with your take that IF the kid is 100%, there's a path to playing time in Juju's role; I totally agree that he's that type of receiver.


I'm not penciling him in or anything, but having a season of watching tape and learning the offense while getting healthy is good reason for optimism.

I'm not planning on it, but I think there's reason for optimism.

They barely bothered as it stood, though.

I mean they couldn't have been THAT confident in him - he went undrafted even by Veach.

I guess we're quibbling largely over semantics. I like taking a shot on him because he's a big kid that produced at a high level. He had some skills at one point and he didn't cost a thing.

But I struggle to get to 'reasons for optimism'. It's a plan for the worst and hope for the best scenario. Maybe he breaks through and makes the team - awesome. But do you think there's even a 20% chance he makes the squad and gives us, say, 300 yards receiving this year?

I can't get there and if that's the bar I'm setting and won't even give coinflip odds of clearing it, I just can't find a way to call that 'optimism'.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by O.city

Skyy, Kelce, and Toney. Toney being the one I kinda think can be more.

How many of them do you think we need?

Skyy and Ross, if they both perform, would do so in different ways. They allow for different approaches.

Both would be possession guys, but Ross would be more about body control and catch radius whereas Moore would be early separation and space. Different approaches allowing for different matchups.

There's definitely room for them both.