Jets Sign Jeremy Ross, Waive Taiwan Jones

The New York Jets have signed wide receiver/returner Jeremy Ross for the third time this year.  Ross was brought in to compete in training camp for a position as the primary returner, but was cut prior to the start of the regular season when undrafted rookie Jalin Marshall showed some promise.  Ross was brought back in Week 4, returned a couple of kicks for the Jets in Weeks 4 and 5, then was cut for the second time by the Jets.  Now he returns for a third go around in the 2016 season.

Jeremy Ross has been a competent kick returner and a very good punt returner in his four year NFL career, averaging 25.1 yards per kick return and 11.2 yards per punt return. His problem has been an inability to secure the football.  Ross has fumbled 11 times in just 189 career touches, an awful one fumble every 17 touches average.  Unfortunately for the Jets, that represents a major upgrade from current returner Jalin Marshall, who has fumbled four times in just 34 touches, for an even more awful one fumble every 8.5 touches average.  As a point of reference, anything worse than an average of one fumble for every 50 to 60 touches is generally considered unacceptable in the NFL.

So the Jets have brought back a terrible fumbler, presumably to replace an even more terrible fumbler. Yay, I guess?