Brace Hemmelgarn – USA TODAY Sport
Wide receiver Jeremy Ross has been around the NFL a bit for a first-year player. Coming out of the University of California, Ross signed with the New England Patriots in 2011 as an undrafted free agent. He then spent most of the 2011 season on the Indianapolis Colts‘ practice squad. He was released in Aug. 2012 and signed with the Green Bay Packers‘ practice squad in October. He first saw action for Green Bay in the Packers’ Dec. 16 victory over the Chicago Bears.
His brief stay as a member of the Packers’ deep wide receiver corps is punctuated with a killer fumble that cost the Packers dearly in their division-round playoff ouster against the San Francisco 49ers. Despite that special teams gaffe, Ross remains on the Packers’ squad and has a legitimate chance to earn the fourth, fifth or (possibly) sixth receiver spot on the team. Rather than being known for that fumble, Ross would probably prefer you remember his 58-yard punt return against the Tennessee Titans and his 44-yard kickoff return against the Minnesota Vikings.
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Fellow Cal alum quarterback Aaron Rodgers has praised Ross’ work ethic and desire to improve as a receiver. He told ESPN Wisconsin, “I think he’s got a big chip on his shoulder, and I’m excited about him. He’s a guy who, like Jarrett (Boykin), stepped up last year and asked me multiple times for meetings on the side and really wanted to pick my brain and get better on the mental part of the game. It shows on the field because he looks stronger and he’s running his routes with a lot of confidence. I think he’s got a great shot at playing a big part in our offense.”
If the Packers decide to remove Randall Cobb from special teams, Ross is a leading candidate to take over those responsibilities.
Jeremy Ross fast facts:
Age: 25
Size: 6-foot, 215 pounds
College: California
Jersey: No. 10
Twitter: https://twitter.com/J_Ross_10
Bio: Ross finished his career at Cal ranked No. 2 on the school’s all-time punt return list with a 15.2-yard average. He played in 43 games with 14 starts and caught 57 passes for 764 yards (13.4 avg.) and three touchdowns during his career.
Chances of making the Packers roster: Fair — The Packers saw enough in Ross last year to elevate him to the regular squad, and it may be in the Packers’ plans to take Cobb off of special teams.
Practice squad eligible: Yes.
Julian Rogers is an NFL writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter (@mrturophile), or connect with him on Facebook and Google.
