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The New York Giants have agreed to terms with Bengals WR John Ross III. Per NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo, it’s a one-year deal worth $2.5 million with $1m guaranteed.
The #Giants have agreed to terms with WR John Ross on a one-year, $2.5 million deal that includes $1 million guaranteed, source says. The ninth overall pick in 2017 with the 4.22 40 time gets a chance to reset his career in East Rutherford.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 16, 2021
Ross was the Bengals’ first-round draft pick in 2017. He played college football at the University of Washington, racking up 1,729 receiving yards and 22 receiving touchdowns. Ross notably ran a 4.22 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, which is still the official record.
In his four years in Cincinnati, Ross played in just 27 games and started 20 of them. He recorded 733 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns, and 51 receptions with his 123 total targets.
As a rookie, Ross only appeared in three games and received just two targets. He dealt with injuries throughout the season and rarely got chances when he was healthy.
From 2018-2019, Ross played in 21 games and started 18 of them. He registered 716 receiving yards and all 10 of his career touchdowns during this timeframe.
Last season, Ross played in two games to start the year and registered just two receptions for 17 yards. By Week 3, Ross was demoted from the starting lineup in favor of rookie Tee Higgins. Ross never played a down for Cincinnati after that.
Right before the midseason trade deadline, reports surfaced that Ross requested a trade from the Bengals. He even admitted it on Twitter soon after the news broke. He wasn’t going to get another opportunity with the team that drafted him just four years ago, and the relationship was inevitably going to split once that reached the public.
The Giants are giving Ross a year to prove himself, as they were expected to add receiving talent in free agency. With luck, Ross finds his footing in New York and kickstarts his professional career.