John Ross most certainly needs a change of scenery, and the New England Patriots have a penchant for getting the most out of those types of guys.
But actually getting him to Foxboro might be a challenge.
With the trade deadline nearing, the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver has been named as a potential target of the Patriots. Ross has yet to become the talent many thought he would be when he was taken ninth overall in the 2017 Draft, but he would still give New England a solid vertical threat.
But according to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones, the Bengals' asking price for pretty much everyone could prevent things from actually happening.
From Jones' column published Friday.
The Bengals have no chance of competing in the top-heavy AFC North this season (or 2021, in truth) and should be planning for the future. That means trading off pieces before the Nov. 3 trade deadline and amassing picks and cap space for the coming years.
Instead, all's quiet on the Cincinnati front.
"I'm hearing a lot of chatter but asking prices seem unreasonable," one NFC executive told me this week.
There's still over a Week until the deadline, and the 1-4 Bengals have games against the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans between now and then. It's conceivable that they are 1-6 by the time the deadline hits, and one has to think that would bring prices down.