Cincinnati Bengals

John Ross III wants out of Cincinnati. The Bengals wide receiver is discontented with his lack of snaps and made that clear via his agent, Brad Cicala, as the NFL Network's Mike Garofalo reported Tuesday, two weeks before the Nov. 3 trade deadline.

While the 25-year-old has flashed plenty of talent, he hasn't quite panned out.

In 2017, Ross posted a record 4.22-second 40-yard dash time, which spiked his draft stock, and the Bengals selected him with the ninth pick.

As a rookie, Ross didn't record a reception while he battled knee and shoulder injuries, and was a healthy scratch for multiple games. During 2018 and 2019, the Washington product posted all-or-nothing stat lines, as shown by his 10 touchdown receptions and 15 drops.

It's clear Ross can find the end zone and use his speed to extend plays. Yet he must show more consistency with his hands to earn a quarterback's trust, as he has a 41.5 percent catch rate.

Perhaps Ross can develop with more targets in a different offense. He may also need better quarterback play. With that in mind, we'll take a look at three ideal trade destinations for him amid a contract season.

                           

New England Patriots

The Patriots need outside speed. At 34, Julian Edelman can still make some shifty moves out of the slot, but he won't run away from defenders. If opponents double-team him, quarterback Cam Newton doesn't have a viable secondary option at wide receiver or tight end.

N'Keal Harry could serve as a big target (6'4", 225 lbs), but he hasn't turned into a solid perimeter threat. He's logged 18 receptions for 166 yards and a touchdown in his second year, and Ross could help the possession wide receiver by complementing him with elusiveness.

Damiere Byrd has started in four out of five games and caught 17 passes for 217 yards. He also lists second on the team in the latter category behind Edelman, which further illustrates a need for a No. 2 wideout.

Earlier in his career, Newton struggled with ball placement and accuracy, though he's completed 68.1 percent of his passes this year, which would be a career high if the season ended today and good news for Ross.

Under his 2018 offensive coordinator, Norv Turner, Newton experienced success throwing to DJ Moore, a 6'0", 210-pound quick-twitch wideout. He could have similar results with Ross, who's comparable in height (5'11") and has world-class speed and something to prove, just like the Patriots quarterback.

                 

Seattle Seahawks 

Ross played collegiate football at Washington, where he broke out for 81 receptions, 1,150 yards and 17 touchdowns during his redshirt junior campaign. He can head back to the state and link up with the hottest quarterback through the season's first six weeks.

Russell Wilson leads the league in touchdown passes (19) and sports a 72.8 completion percentage. He's also a significant upgrade over any quarterback who teamed with Ross in Cincinnati. The fourth-year target could thrive in an offense that can use him in three-wide receiver sets.

DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett have blossomed over the last two seasons. While they deserve credit for their playmaking skills, Wilson aids their progress with pinpoint accuracy and ball placement.

The Seahawks aren't hurting for another target, as they have the fourth-ranked aerial attack. But according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Seattle is one of the multiple teams interested in free-agent receiver Antonio Brown.

If Brown leans toward a different team when his suspension for several violations of the NFL's personal conduct policy ends after Week 8, or the Seahawks go in another direction, Ross can mix in with Metcalf and Lockett. Both incumbent wideouts take a significant number of snaps in the slot, leaving room for a playmaker on the outside in place of David Moore.

As a four-time All-Pro, Brown is clearly more established than Ross, though the 32-year-old's past includes sexual-assault and rape accusations brought against him. The Bengals receiver wouldn't bring a distraction to a 5-0 team with a chance at a Super Bowl run.

              

Washington Football Team

Ross would likely see the most opportunities with the Washington Football Team. Among the club's wide receivers, August addition Dontrelle Inman lists second in targets (27), receptions (17) and yards (148).

Beyond him, rookie fourth-rounder Antonio Gandy-Golden needs time to develop. In five outings, while on the field for 65 offensive snaps, he's recorded one catch for three yards.

Most importantly, Washington desperately needs more chunk passing plays, as the club is tied for 28th in yards gained per pass attempt (6.1). In his third season, Ross averaged 18.1 yards per reception. Even with his drop issues, he can reward an offense with big plays by going vertical or racking up yards after the catch and complement No. 1 wideout Terry McLaurin.

In 2019, Kyle Allen threw for 3,322 yards, 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions with a 62 percent completion rate as a first-time starter while in Carolina with coaches Norv and Scott Turner. The third-year signal-caller can improve on those numbers under Scott Turner, now Washington's offensive coordinator, with a potentially dynamic playmaker in tow.

Washington could use Ross in a variety of ways to optimize his best asset: speed. Turner's game plan should feature some jet sweeps, end-arounds and screens to isolate Ross in space.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver John Ross has reportedly requested a trade ahead of the Week 8 deadline. 

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported Ross wants a "fresh start" before hitting free agency after the 2020 season.

From @gmfb: #Bengals WR John Ross approached the team about a trade recently. The speedster, in the last year of his rookie deal, hasn't been playing much of late and wants a fresh start if that's going to continue being the case. pic.twitter.com/0LbfY9ODb4

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 20, 2020

       

Ross has recorded just two receptions for 17 yards on seven targets this season. Rookie Tee Higgins has bumped Ross out of the rotation as Joe Burrow's favorite deep threat, with Tyler Boyd getting the intermediate targets and A.J. Green mixing in occasionally.

The Bengals declined the fifth-year option in Ross' contract earlier this year, which will make him an unrestricted free agent in 2021. The 2017 first-round pick has shown occasional flashes of downfield catching ability but has been oft-injured and inconsistent.

"I need to play all 16 games. I need to stay healthy, and I need to make plays in every single game," Ross told reporters in August. "It's on me to do that. The thing about it, I wouldn't have picked up my option either. It [the option] guarantees injury if you get hurt. I've been injured every single year. That's not a bad decision by them. And now it's on me to show them why I should be here longer. That's how I look at it."

It's unclear what the Bengals could get for Ross in return on the trade market, but it would likely be nothing more than a conditional late-round pick. However, it's better than nothing and would potentially give Ross a chance to prove he's worth a team taking a chance on giving him a more extended role in 2021. 

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green has had a disappointing 2020 season, but the seven-time Pro Bowler isn't looking for a trade. 

Per ESPN's Ben Baby, Green said Thursday "of course" he hopes to be with the Bengals after the Nov. 3 trade deadline. 

Baby noted Green also said he "can't put that out there" regarding his lack of effort on, and frustration after, a Joe Burrow pass that went over his head, which Marcus Peters intercepted during Sunday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. 

.@marcuspeters with the PICK.

📺: #CINvsBAL on CBS
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/BGCKhfX8uY pic.twitter.com/X9qsrFPKxN

— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2020

After Green missed the 2019 season because of an ankle injury, the Bengals bet on his returning to form by placing the one-year franchise tender on him in March. 

Expectations were high for the offense with Burrow, the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL draft, taking over. 

While Burrow has shown tremendous promise through his first five starts, Green's performance has stood out in a bad way. The 32-year-old has 14 receptions, 119 yards and zero touchdowns. His 41.2 catch percentage on 34 targets is on pace to be the lowest of his career. 

In the past two games against the Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars, Green has one catch for three yards on six targets. He's spent his entire nine-year career with the Bengals after being drafted No. 4 overall in 2011. 

Green ranks second in Bengals history with 616 receptions, 9,026 yards and 63 touchdowns in 116 career games. 

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green suffered a hamstring injury in Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens and is reportedly doubtful to return, according to Marisa Contipelli of the team's official site.

The receiver had no catches before the injury, with his only target resulting in an interception.  

Any setback for Green is going to cause alarm in Cincinnati considering he missed the entire 2019 campaign with an ankle injury. He also played just nine games in 2018 and 10 games in 2016 after proving fairly durable early in his career.

Without the University of Georgia product on the field, the Bengals stumbled to a 2-14 record last year.

Still, there was reason for optimism in 2020 in part because they selected Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow with the No. 1 pick and because Green was slated to return. After all, it wasn't difficult to envision Burrow and Green torching opposing defenses in the quarterback's rookie season.

When healthy, Green is one of the best wide receivers in the league as a seven-time Pro Bowler who surpassed 1,000 yards through the air in each of his first five years and again in 2017.

He has followed up with 14 catches for 119 yards in 2020.

While the Bengals will be far less dangerous offensively if Green misses extended time, look for Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd to see more targets as they attempt to remain competitive until their No. 1 receiver returns.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap told reporters Thursday he isn't thrilled with the coaching staff's plan to move him into a third-down role off the edge against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5. 

Namely, he said he wasn't happy to only learn about his new role after the depth chart was posted Thursday, rather than having a coach tell him. 

"That's crazy, right?" he said. "I mean, you would think common decency would be something like that. I mean, it's not like I'm injured or anything. I'm not nursing anything. I've been blessed. Eleven years in the game. But I understand business, and evidently, this is the business they want to do."

Dunlap said the decision and the late notice only complicated preparations for Lamar Jackson and Baltimore's explosive offense this week. 

"I'm really trying to figure out the plans," he noted. "It's kind of frustrating. I would like to just prepare for Baltimore, but I gotta prepare to figure out the madness that they [the coaches] are doing."

Dunlap, 31, is a two-time Pro Bowler who has registered seven or more sacks eight times, including nine last season. He has zero sacks, two quarterback hits and 16 tackles (one for loss) through four starts this season, however. 

The veteran wondered if the coaching staff didn't feel he made enough of the impact against the run in the first four weeks:

Dunlap: "Evidentally I didn't make enough tackles in the run game."

— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) October 8, 2020

If that's the case, relegating him to a pass-rushing role exclusively against a Baltimore offense third in rushing yards per game (160.8) might make some sense. According to ESPN's Ben Baby, however, Dunlap ranks "46th among 82 qualifying defensive ends in edge rush stop win rate, an ESPN metric powered by NFL NextGen Stats."

Not great, not terrible. Ultimately, Dunlap is at the mercy of the coaching staff. 

"It just seems like this is what the coaches want," Dunlap said. "I don't know what their thought is. But evidently, the focus is on third down, so we have to get them to third down with the young boys and then do what I'm asked to do."    

In the midst of the team's Week 4 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow became the first rookie to throw for at least 300 yards in three consecutive games, according to ESPN's Field Yates. 

Burrow had 312 passing yards in the Bengals' Week 3 tie with the Philadelphia Eagles and 316 in a Week 2 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

Cincinnati, JO(e)HIO@BudLight | #BudLightCelly

📺: #JAXvsCIN LIVE on CBS pic.twitter.com/OxzyXbUUWe

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 4, 2020

In his NFL debut, the LSU product recorded 193 passing yards as the Bengals fell to the Los Angeles Chargers 16-13.

Burrow was 25-of-36 passing on Sunday with one touchdown and one interception as the Bengals collected their first win of the season, 33-25, against Jacksonville. He threw one touchdown to Joe Mixon, who also rushed for two more scores. 

Heading into Sunday, Burrow had 91 completions, ranking second only to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, with a 64.5 completion percentage and five touchdowns. He ranked ninth among NFL quarterbacks in total yards with 821. 

Though he has thrown just two interceptions this season, his success is dulled by a lack of protection—Burrow has been sacked a league-leading 15 times.

The No. 1 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, Burrow finished his career at LSU as the school record-holder in numerous passing categories: 300-yard passing games (15), 400-yard passing games (4), average passing yards per game (305.9) and average total yards per game (333.3). His 8,565 passing yards rank second in school history.

In 2019, he posted 493 passing yards against Oklahoma, a career high and second-best in program history.  

Even though it means his team isn't off to its third 0-3 start in four years, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow isn't satisfied with the Bengals' 23-23 tie with the Philadelphia Eagles.

"This is a loss to me," the rookie said after the road game, per Fox19's Joe Danneman. 

"This is never about building positive momentum," he said. "Never about gaining experience. It's about winning. No moral victories around here. If you don't win, you lose."

Joe Burrow: This is never about building positive momentum. Never about gaining experience. It's about winning. "No moral victories around here."

"If you don't win, you lose." #Bengals

— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) September 27, 2020

Burrow finished Sunday with 31-of-44 passing for 312 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions as the Bengals let a seven-point slip away with three minutes left in the game. Burrow was sacked eight times in the loss.

The former LSU star is still seeking his first professional victory, with his next chance coming Sunday against the 1-2 Jacksonville Jaguars.

Joe Burrow Stadium is officially open for business. 

pic.twitter.com/FQgXDVfgtR

— Athens Football (@bulldogbrohood) September 25, 2020

No, the Cincinnati Bengals didn't rename their field for their rookie franchise quarterback, but Athens (Ohio) High School—where Burrow played before college—has gone ahead and honored its alum with a name change.

Burrow was a star at Athens long before he took over the national spotlight. In three seasons, he led the Bulldogs to seven playoff wins (three straight appearances) while passing for 11,416 yards and 157 touchdowns. He added another 2,067 yard and 27 touchdowns on the ground for good measure. 

The vote to change the name of Athens High School Football Stadium to Joe Burrow Stadium received unanimous support from the Athens City School Board last December. 

Now in his ninth NFL season, defensive tackle Mike Daniels is hoping to play a big role in getting the Cincinnati Bengals back to the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

Daniels' specialty is attacking opposing quarterbacks, but he's played alongside two of the best in the NFL. The former Pro Bowler was a teammate of Aaron Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers from 2012-18 and spent last season with the Detroit Lions and Matthew Stafford. 

With the Bengals' long-term hopes pinned on Joe Burrow, Daniels assessed the rookie quarterback's game, talked playing with Rodgers, tackling Tom Brady and more in a B/R AMA. 

   

The following is the full transcript from the AMA session. 

@chloe_simm22: Which QB did you enjoy taking down the most?

Easy, Tom Brady. I played in the NFC for seven years, played the Patriots two times, and I sacked him in Green Bay and once in New England. Sacked the greatest of all time, twice. 

@BayLegend: What was your favorite part about playing with Aaron Rodgers?

Whenever you get to play with a Hall of Famer, and I've played with several, all those other positions are amazing, they make you raise your level of play. But when it's a QB, your level of play raises but in a different way...when you have Aaron Rodgers, you almost have that feeling of, I can't mess up, I can't mess up because not only is he a Hall of Famer, he's a Hall of Fame quarterback. The team really runs as he runs, you have to almost try to play better than he plays. That's what it's like to have a hall of fame quarterback, it's insane. When you play against the other guys, the Brees, Russell Wilson, Brady...playing against Aaron every day in practice, the mysticism against the other guys leaves. Playing with Aaron will make you the best you can be.

@Steve_Perrault: What's your top takeaway from being around Joe Burrow so far?

He's a pro. A pro's pro and to be that at such a young age...that guy is gonna go really far in the NFL, there's no doubt in my mind. He's not afraid to be a leader and he understands his role, how important of a job that he has, and he's willing to take that on. Nothing but respect for JB.

@GB12: How is no fans in the stands feel so far for you?

Felt like I'm in a backyard. You miss the fans, I definitely miss them, can't wait for them to come back. We were in Cleveland, and although I wasn't playing, there were 6,000 fans and it felt great to have them there. To have fans is amazing and adds another element to game day. Without them, you really see how much you love the game, because it feels like you're out there at practice. If you're a guy who practices extremely hard, you'll have no problem. If not, you might get your wires crossed.

@dolphinfish: What running back is the hardest to bring down?

In his prime, marshawn lynch. He was the toughest runner to bring down. Adrian Peterson was very tough as well, but if you got him before he got going, you could get him. Marshawn anywhere, it's like he was fighting with the football in his hand. Not necessarily the fastest or strongest, but he was so violent with how he ran. AP runs pissed off. Marshawn ran like he was actually in a fight. 

 

@Terms_Of_Use: How do you feel about all these injuries in the NFL?

There was no offseason training, jumped right into camp, no preseason. If anyone is surprised, they don't understand what it takes to play the game of football. I don't feel as though there should be too many surprises. When you see more of the bigger names going down, that's when I think people start to understand these guys didn't have a chance to be with the team, with access to the facilities until 2 weeks before they opened up.

@natemiles: Who was your favorite NFL player growing up?

One of my favorites was John Randle, he played the game with an amazing fire. He just brought it, made OL not look forward to playing against him. And Ray Lewis, because he's just...that's Ray Lewis. I don't know what else to say about him that hasn't been said. He was the tone setter of the NFL, that's saying a lot.

@joeytitius9: Best Kirk Ferentz story?

That's my guy. He might be one of the funniest coaches I've ever had, and it's interesting because whenever you see him talking to the media, he doesn't give much away. He and Belichick kind of carry themselves in the same manner. But in meetings, he's hilarious, and he does it with a straight face. He's got that dry wit that makes everybody bust out laughing...I don't have a singular story, but I always looked forward to the team meetings.

 

@BleedGreen_99: If you could play with one player, former or current, who would it be and why?

I'd have to say Larry Allen because to be able to go against him in practice, I know for a fact I won't face another guard in the NFL like that. It's iron sharpens iron, I want to compete against the best of all time so I can be more than ready.

@BayLegend: What was your “I made it” moment in the NFL?

I had an I made it moment when I got drafted and then it just fled my mind because that phrase is heavily associated with complacency and that's very dangerous with being a professional...I'll smell the roses when I'm done playing.

 

@al226: How was it playing in a playoff game in the frozen tundra?

Key word: frozen. I've never played a playoff game that wasn't extremely frigid outside. Playoff games in Green Bay are dark and freezing and I love it, it was very fun.

@iamcocoapuff07: Do you have any tips for an 8th grader DT?

You're probably 12, 13 or some kids are 14. You can actually start lifting weights. I would do a lot of my own research, I remember myself I'd go online and search how to lift weights, workout and train on my own. By the time I was in high school I was ready for the weight room. Get into the weight room as early as you can...get your body as physically ready as you possibly can. They'll teach you how to play football. And I'd also say wrestle, go to the wrestling practices and wrestle with the heavyweights. The 200s, 189s, 190 classes. Wrestle with the bigger guys. It'll teach you leverage, overall toughness and great hand work.

 

@kalebuhl: What brought you to Cincy Mike?

The coaches. The staff and the presentation of all the facts. They did an awesome job letting me know what they're all about, what situation I'm getting myself into in terms of how they run their operation. And they've proven to be who they are. Coach Taylor was honest with what he said...the coaching staff definitely has a good relationship with the players.

 

@Whaler814: If you weren't playing football what would your dream job be?

Mentoring the youth in any way, whether I'm coaching or a teacher of some sort at a HS, that's what I would really love to do. Being young is hard because you think you know everything when you don't know anything, and some people don't grow out of that. That's hard, and I know how important guidance is, specifically guidance from outside the home. Your parents can tell you the sky is blue, but because they're your parents, you might not listen all the time.

 

@Gmoney20: What's your favorite anime?

I'll put it to you like this: watch the tv series Cowboy Bebop. But my favorite anime of all time is the whole Dragon Ball franchise, that'll never change, I don't care how great of an Anime comes up.

 

@whodey0044: Who does the locker room feel is more of a rival: Cleveland or Pittsburgh?

I asked around, the guys that have been around, and it varies. When Geno Atkins first got here in 2010, he said it was the Ravens, they were the top dog, and then the Steelers after that extremely crazy playoff game in the 2015 season, and the Browns are like the hometown battle for the state.

 

@Chickfilaisbetta: Chick-fil-A or Popeyes?

Why would you ask me that? The last thing I had was Chick-fil-A. But before that I had Popeyes...I'm on a diet up until the Philly game, you got me thinking about food I shouldn't be thinking about.

@Jazzfan27: Favorite food?

I'm a big guy so I like to eat. I'd have to say the pork chop.

Coming out of high school, Daniels was rated as a 2-star prospect by 247Sports before arriving on campus at the University of Iowa. The New Jersey native played all 39 games for the Hawkeyes in three seasons from 2009-11. 

The Packers selected Daniels in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He has recorded 70 quarterback hits and 30 sacks in 112 career games between the Packers, Lions and Bengals. 

Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns defeated Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals 35-30 on Thursday evening.  

After the game, Mayfield praised his adversary's performance, telling reporters (h/t ESPN's Jake Trotter) that "the hype is real" in regards to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

Burrow arrived in the NFL after leading the LSU Tigers to a 15-0 record and a national championship during a 2019 season in which he threw for 60 touchdown passes and won the Heisman Trophy.

He's looked the part in the pros, too, as evidenced by Thursday's showing.

Burrow completed 37 of 61 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns on a night the Bengals had to keep fighting from behind due to their shaky offensive line play and a defense that could not stop the Browns' rushing or passing attacks.

Despite taking seven quarterback hits (three sacks) and the defense allowing 9.5 yards per pass attempt and 6.1 yards per rush, Burrow guided the Bengals to 30 points, which included touchdowns on drives of 83 and 75 yards in the fourth quarter.

Cincinnati was forced to all but abandon the run in its quest to make up the near game-long point differential, in addition to the fact that it was only able to rush for 2.8 yards per carry.

That didn't matter, however, as Burrow was able to move the ball down the field time and again. The Bengals converted all five of their fourth-down attempts with the rookie under center, keeping hope alive as Cleveland's offense failed to miss a beat.

The stats didn't lie about Burrow after his second career pro game.

Joe Burrow was 37-61 with 316 yards and 3 pass TD on Thursday night.

According to @EliasSports Burrow's 37 completions are the most in a game by a rookie in NFL history.

His 61 pass attempts are the 2nd most all-time by a rookie quarterback. pic.twitter.com/HAio5K5UM1

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 18, 2020

Joe Burrow is the first rookie since 1950 with 60+ pass attempts and zero interceptions in a game

— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) September 18, 2020

His play also got the attention of LeBron James:

Burrow is SPECIAL! He has the “IT” for sure.

— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 18, 2020

Burrow and the Bengals will now look for their first win when they visit the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. ET.