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The Bengals have signed 2017 first round pick John Ross to his rookie contract.
It's a four-year deal and as Ross was a first round pick, it will have an optional fifth year, which the Bengals can exercise after year three. Spotract projects the deal to be worth $17,115,563 for the first four years, including a $10,587,682 signing bonus.
#Bengals WR John Ross signed a 4-year, $17.1M contract with a $10.6M signing bonus. Team agreed to pay him his full 2017 base if he’s on NFI
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 8, 2017
NEWS: Bengals sign 1st Rd pick, WR John Ross, and 4th Rd pick LB Carl Lawson #Bengals50 pic.twitter.com/VpxlpJ6rp7
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) May 7, 2017
“It’s great for John that this part of it is out of the way,” said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. “This gives him the opportunity to focus on finishing school and then football, and I think that’s important.”
Ross was someone who started getting national attention this offseason after his record-breaking 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine. His 4.22 time broke Chris Johnson’s previous combine record, and it put Ross firmly in the top-10 discussion after a great college career at Washington.
Ross caught 81 passes for 1,150 yards and 17 touchdowns last season as one of the most explosive players in college football.
The Bengals now have one of the most dynamic passing attacks in the NFL with Ross joining A.J. Green, an All-Pro-caliber receiver, and Tyler Eifert, a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end. That kind of pass-catching trio will put fear into the eyes of any NFL secondary, and it will make this offense a must-watch unit in 2017.
Still, taking Ross in the top 10 is a very risky move, being that he’s already torn his ACL and meniscus in college. He’s also coming off shoulder surgery that could sideline him into training camp, making him one of the biggest boom-or-bust prospects in this draft.
It's also rare you see an NFL team paying not one but two receivers who were top-10 selections. That's what the Bengals will be doing now that they have Ross and Green together for at least three years (Green is under contract for three more seasons).
We hopefully won't have to see the Bengals have to make a decision between giving Green another extension or signing Ross to a long-term deal when that comes in three years. For now, we can just enjoy having Ross and Green on the same team.