Ross' job in jeopardy as Lions create competition at return specialist
If the games were played in a blizzard, Jeremy Ross wouldn't have to worry about any job security.
It was Dec. 10, 2013 that Ross put on a show on a snow-covered field in Philadelphia, returning a punt 58 yards for a touchdown and a kickoff 98 yards for another touchdown.
The Detroit Lions appeared to have found a much-needed return-specialist threat at that point, but Ross hasn't been so effective since the breakout performance and his job now could be in jeopardy.
At the very least, the Lions are trying to challenge Ross this offseason by creating some competition. Joe Marciano, the team's new special-teams coordinator, acknowledged as much more than two months ago. The Lions then backed it up by drafting Ameer Abdullah, a running back and return specialist from Nebraska, in the second round of the NFL Draft.
Make no mistake, Ross isn't ready to relinquish the return duties.
"It means a lot," he said. "I definitely want to be back there. I love being a return man. I love doing punt returns, kick returns. It's an exciting place to be. You get to make a lot of big plays for your team. It's definitely important, something I want to do."
To keep the job, he's clearly going to have to be more productive than he was last season.
Ross' average punt return fell from 16.2 yards in 2013 to 8.9 in 2014, while his average kick return dropped from 29.3 yards to 25.4.
His longest punt return last season was 28 yards and his longest kickoff return was 41 yards, with no touchdowns.
For players who had at least 30 punt returns, Atlanta's Devin Hester led the league with a 13.3-yard average (one touchdown). For players with at least 20 kick returns, Cincinnati's Adam Jones ranked No. 1 with a 31.3-yard average (no touchdowns).
It was inevitable that the Lions would start looking for a potential replacement.
"I think you've just got to stay focused on what you can control," Ross said. "When you get so concerned with circumstances or things around you, that's when you start getting shaken. But if you just focus on one thing, what you can control, and say, 'Hey, I'm just going to control myself, get better and things will take of themselves.
"If I go out there and I'm not giving my best and I'm not the return man, that's on me. If I give my best, give everything I've got to being the best I can be, and I don't get it, hey, more power to you, you're just better. That's the only thing you can control is yourself."
Coach Jim Caldwell likes the way Ross is responding to the situation.
"Jeremy's a competitor," Caldwell said. "Not only do you see that he's doing well in terms of the return game portion, but also in the receiver position as well. It's all part of it.
"I think that, without question, when you bring guys in, if you have a number of guys that can do significant things in different phases of the game, it becomes very competitive. That's a good thing."
ZIGGY WANTS TO BE 'THE GREATEST'
Defensive end Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah was considered a "make or break" type of talent when the Lions selected him with the fifth pick overall in 2013.
As he enters his third year in the league, there's no question that Ansah is making it.
He had eight sacks as a rookie in 2013 and followed that up with 7 1/2 last season.
His life might be considerably more difficult without defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley creating havoc inside, but Ansah has no intention of taking a step back.
In fact, he's expecting even more out of himself.
"I'm just trying to be the greatest," Ansah said. "The greatest at my position and what I do."
Caldwell believes that such lofty goals are only natural for someone of Ansah's talent and demeanor.
"Ziggy's a very, very disciplined guy," Caldwell said. "He's ambitious. He certainly has the physical capability to be an unusual player in this league.
"I'm glad that's his goal. We expect a lot from him. He's capable of delivering."
EXTRA POINT
--- The Lions are entering into the final stages of their offseason program. The last four of their allotted 10 voluntary OTA practices will be held this week.
The team then has a three-day, mandatory mini-camp next week (June 16-18) before breaking for the summer.
The official training camp is scheduled to begin in early August.
