The Eagles have signed veteran wide receiver John Ross to a one-year contract, the team announced Thursday.
This signing comes just days after DeVante Parker officially retired. The Eagles are therefore replacing a former first round pick with another.
Ross, 28, was with the Eagles during a rookie minicamp tryout earlier this spring. Although he wasn’t signed immediately after that tryout, he must have done enough to stay on the Eagles’ radar, especially with the need to strengthen the receiver room.
Ross (5-11, 194) initially retired before last season, but took a step toward a return with his tryout at the Eagles rookie camp. He will have the chance to earn a spot on the 53-man roster this spring and summer. The Eagles have already started their OTAs.
The Bengals took Ross out of Washington with the 9th overall pick in 2017 after he broke the 40-yard dash record at the Combine with a blistering 4.22. This record stood until this year, when Texas WR Xavier Worthy ran a 4.21.
Even though Ross had pure speed, his NFL career did not go as planned. In four years with the Bengals, he had just 51 catches for 733 yards and 10 touchdowns. His most productive season came in 2019 with a score of 28/506/3 in just 8 matches. Injuries helped derail his career.
In 2021, Ross rejoined the Giants but had only 11 catches for 224 yards and a touchdown in 10 games. Over his career, Ross has averaged 15.4 yards per catch, so he’s a serious threat when he’s able to stay on the field.
But Ross hasn’t played a single game in the NFL since 2021, so it’s hard to really know exactly what the Eagles are getting.
There’s no doubt that the Eagles’ depth at receiver beyond their two stars is a bit troubling. AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith represent one of the best receiver duos in the NFL, but after them there are serious questions, especially after Parker’s retirement.
The top receiver remaining in the fight for that WR3 position is Parris Campbell, who had a disappointing NFL career himself. The Eagles also drafted Ainias Smith in the fifth round and Johnny Wilson in the sixth last month.
With Ross on board, the Eagles have 11 wide receivers on their 90-man roster. The Eagles have two open spots on their 90-man roster as OT Laekin Vakalahi is on an international exemption.
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