Jeremy Ross is trying to separate from the pack. He's in the middle of a receiving competition that will that will come down to the wire when the Jets need to trim their roster to 53 by Saturday at 4:00 p.m. E.T.
"It's going well, everybody is competing and making plays out there," Ross said this week. "We have a great group. We're having fun and we're focusing on getting better and taking it day by day."
The rest of the competitors include Chandler Worthy, Jalin Marshall, Charone Peake and Robby Anderson. Ross has the most NFL experience of the bunch, but his most significant advantage may be his return ability. He holds career averages of 11.2 yards and 25.1 yards per punt return and kick return respectively and the Cal product has displayed a knack for the big play throughout the preseason. He returned the Jets' first kickoff of the summer for 51 yards against Jacksonville and Ross added a 28-yard punt return against the Giants as he spun away from Dwayne Harris and shot up the sideline.
"It definitely creates value being a return man," he said about his chances making the team. "We don't come a dime a dozen — there's not a lot of us out there. It does take a skill and I think it creates value being able to do multiple things. If you have one guy who can do seven things versus seven guys doing seven different things, it definitely creates more value. In this league, they preach the more you can do, the more valuable you are."
Thursday not only marks the concluding preseason game of 2016, but also the final opportunity for players like Ross to showcase his skills before final cuts.
"Every single game you want to make an impression, whether it be game one, game three or game four," he said. "You definitely want to leave a lasting impression every opportunity you get. You treat these games like every one is important so you come out here, work hard and do your best."
