So far in this series, I’ve stuck to looking at the undrafted free agents the Buffalo Bills have brought into town so far. Today, I want to shake things up and look at someone who’s actually played in the NFL, albeit not yet in a Bills uniform.
Name: Rashad Ross
# 18
Position: WR/KR
Height/Weight: 6’0”, 180 lbs.
Experience: 3
College: Arizona State
Draft: UDFA (2013)
Financial Situation (per Spotrac): Ross signed a one-year deal with the Bills that will pay him $615,000 this season. There is no dead cap hit if the team decides to cut him.
2016 Recap: Ross saw very little action with the Washington Redskins in 2016. After serving as the team’s primary kick returner in 2015, he only returned one last season as running back Chris Thompson usurped the lead returner role. He was also hardly involved in the passing game, catching one for eight yards late in Washington’s win over Baltimore in Week 5. He was released prior to the end of the season, appearing in only five games.
Positional Outlook: While Brandon Tate is back with the Bills after holding down the return game last year, it’s never a bad thing to give him some competition. There are a few guys with return experience, but Ross is likely Tate’s primary competition since neither of them should be terribly involved with the play from scrimmage in 2017. That gives him a decent chance of making the team, provided he can return to the form that led to him finishing sixth in the NFL in total kick return yards two years ago.
2017 Offseason: Ross spent most of 2017 with San Francisco, on a reserve/futures contract that he was released from on June 1. He signed with the Bills a few days later.
2017 Season Outlook: It’s not very likely that Ross will see much (if any) action as a wideout in 2017. It’s likely that he’s in direct competition with Tate for the return man role, unless someone like Tre White or Micah Hyde are so good that they fill that role while playing a lot of defensive snaps. He’ll probably stick around through the preseason, and if he plays well enough he’ll make the 53.