Andy

Isabella

The former Raven and Cardinal — and a longtime favorite of the football analytics community — Isabella will be looking elsewhere for work in 2024. Isabella has 33 regular season catches in four NFL seasons. This preseason, he managed one catch for 15 yards on 23 pass routes.

Buffalo brings Isabella back after releasing him on Tuesday. The journeyman wideout — a favorite of analytics advocates — is unlikely to see the field in 2023 unless the Bills suffer a rash of receiver injuries. Isabella has 33 career receptions in four NFL seasons.

The release of Isabella seems to confirm that Deonte Harty will operate as the primary slot wide receiver for the Bills entering the 2023 season, although Trent Sherfield and Khalil Shakir are likely to mix in for situational roles in the slot in addition to rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid’s likely slow utilization as well. Also waived or released were S Zayne Anderson, DT Eli Ankou, WR Marcell Ateman, CB Alex Austin, OL Ike Boettger, OL Nick Broeker, CB Kyron Brown, DE Kameron Cline, DT DJ Dale, RB Darrynton Evans, LS Reid Ferguson, OL Richard Gouraige, LB Travin Howard, CB Ja’Marcus Ingram, OL Kevin Jarvis, WR KeeSean Johnson, LB A.J. Klein, OL Greg Mancz, S Dean Marlowe, RB Jordan Mims, OL David Quessenberry, WR Tyrell Shavers, WR Bryan Thompson, DT Kendal Vickers and TE Joel Wilson.

Isabella joined the Ravens’ practice squad last year and was eventually called up to the active roster for two games. He was signed to a reserve/future contract after the season but Baltimore waived him earlier this week. It didn’t take him long to find a home as he will now be competing for a spot on the backend of the Bills’ roster. Buffalo’s depth at receiver leaves something to be desired, so it’s possible Isabella makes it through the cutdown date, though his lack of special teams experience severely hinders his chances of sticking.

It is obviously a poor sign for 26-year-old Isabella’s NFL future that he is getting cut in the opening moments of camp. The former Dynasty darling has just three catches since 2020. The end is nigh.

Cut loose by the Cardinals in October, Isabella spent a few months on the Ravens’ practice squad before arriving on the active roster in Week 16. He failed to catch a pass across two games. Now 26, the light has simply never come on for the former second-rounder. He has three catches over the past two seasons. It will be an upset if Isabella breaks camp with the Ravens’ 53-man roster next summer.

Andy Isabella and Anthony Brown were called up to the active roster in a pair of corresponding moves. Bynes hasn’t been active for a game since Week 7. He opened the year as a starter but was quickly taken out of the rotation. Another team may choose to claim him for some added depth at the end of the season.

The 2019 second-rounder was finally cut by Arizona after a forgettable three-plus seasons in the desert that never saw Isabella develop into an offensive contributor. Isabella, 26 next month, has 33 career catches and three touchdowns, averaging 13.5 yards per catch. He lands with a Ravens team short on wideout depth, so it’s a good spot for the player and team.

Isabella managed just five targets through four weeks despite Arizona’s lack of depth at the wideout position, and hadn’t started a game since 2020. The 2019 second-rounder, taken two selections ahead of DK Metcalf, will hit waivers at 25 years old. The physical traits and special teams ability could make him a claim target, but Isabella has 33 career catches in 39 games.

Green left Week 3 shortly before halftime and did not return. His absence will create opportunities for Andy Isabella, although the fourth-year wide receiver is still not likely to be on the fantasy radar. Instead, we could see targets continue to condense to Marquise Brown, Greg Dortch, and Zach Ertz. DeAndre Hopkins can’t return soon enough.