StripeHype
FanSided

Cincinnati Bengals’ John Ross, Josh Malone next up?

By Serenity Bishop

Mar 3, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington wide receiver John Ross speaks to the media during the 2017 combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 3, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington wide receiver John Ross speaks to the media during the 2017 combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

When John Ross and Josh Malone were added to the Bengals roster, they joined a long line of talented wideouts. Will they live up to the expectations?

When the Bengals selected Tyler Boyd, John Ross and Josh Malone in the 2016 and 2017 NFL Drafts, the three receivers entered a pretty historic group. Playing wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals comes with a long line of great receivers that have dawned the Orange & Black Stripes before them. Will John Ross and Josh Malone cement their names in the history books of Bengals wide receivers? It starts in year one.

Thinking back on the players that the Bengals have had to run routes and catch passes, it’s hard to believe that the franchise has yet to hoist a Lombardi Trophy. Remember the T.Ocho Show? It didn’t live up to the hype, but man was it fun to watch. Both players deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

The Past Meets The Present

Cincinnati was almost spoiled after the T.Ocho experiment when the franchise drafted A.J. Green a couple of months after. The complete opposite of both Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson,  but equally if not more talented. Green made Who Dey Nation forget about Chad Johnson faster than expected. Although personally, it always left a thought of what the Green-Ocho show could have been.

In a recent report, per NFL.com, NFL Analyst Bucky Brooks ranks the best college WR prospects he ever scouted. On that list, Chad Johnson comes in at number 10 and A.J. Green lands at number 5. The college success definitely translated to the NFL.

Humor me. Let’s go back to before Green. No, before the Jerome Simpson front flip. Let’s discuss T.J. Houshmandzadeh and the late Chris Henry. Want to go back further? Tim McGee, Carl Pickens, Eddie Brown, Isaac Curtis and Cris Collinsworth are all worthy subjects. The point is, Cincinnati has had some pretty good receivers throughout its history. Hey, You can even add Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu to the list. Their careers with the Bengals were pretty good.

What Does This All Mean for The Talented Trio?

It means that it’s time for the youth to play ball. Tyler Boyd had a successful rookie season last season. He caught 54 passes for 603 yards for one touchdown, but there is certainly room for improvement.

However, with the re-signing of Brandon LaFell and the push to keep Alex Erickson, Ross and Malone have to prove why they need to be on the field. The wide receiver room is pretty deep now.

Next: A.J. Green vs Chad Johnson: Who comes out on top?

With the Marvin Lewis redshirt year also in the mix, it’s going to be even harder for Ross and more so for Malone to get onto the field. If Lewis wants to keep his job, he should probably throw caution to the wind and do whatever it takes to win and grab a playoff W. However, that’s another conversation.

As for Boyd, Ross and Malone, the time is coming for them to make their attempt at cementing their name in the receiver record books. An Offensive Rookie of the Year award would be a nice start, but Joe Mixon might have something to say about that. Either way, Boyd is in the lead. Time to play catch up boys.

Home/Bengals News