Bills working out FA receiver Andy Isabella tomorrow UPDATE: SIGNED

[Beck Water]

4 hours ago, Pete said:

Who is top of the depth chart as lead punt returner now?  That has to say something

 

 

LOL.  Preseason depth charts are notably meaningless, kind of like pre-season "power rankings".  Which is why the Bills website simply says "depth chart will be announced at a later date".  For that matter, in-season depth charts just slot all the 53 players onto a chart, which is why you would find stuff like Andre Smith backing up Matt Milano; when Milano was actually injured, is that who we'd see on the field?  Hell to the No's!

 

Look, I wish Shakir well.  Rookie to 2nd year are expected to take a big step and I hope he does.  But let's not fluff up his experience and its results last season to make him into a proven and reliable returner, or use the first 3 days of training camp to craft a narrative to that effect. 

 

 

10 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

We'll only run 2TE sets if Kincaid and Knox are both healthy.    

 

We'll run 21 (except in short-yardage situations) almost exclusively if either Kincaid or Know is hurt.

 

I expect we'll keep 3 TEs.  

 

If that's true, the problem is that a large portion of the playbook the team has been practicing goes away.

 

Who do you see as the "21" personnel and why would that be the go-to?

[ColoradoBills]

Camp body for vet minimum with no dead cap.  Can't get upset over that.

[Beck Water]

1 hour ago, Manther said:

I didn’t say it did.  He is here to try out.

 

I'm sorry if I misunderstood you.  You said "Hines was a RB to return. Isabella is a WR to return. Same roster spot different position, but, same position. Players get hurt too. Great player to hedge bets with."

 

I interpreted that as you believing Hines and Isabella were on the same level as potential PR/KR.  In fact, Isabella's experience with KR is minimal, and his PR is one.  One return, one yard.

 

So sure, he's signed to the roster to show what he can do.  But in the sense of providing a proven alternative at KR/PR, No.

[SCBills]

25 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

If that's true, the problem is that a large portion of the playbook the team has been practicing goes away.

 

This is a good point, and part of the reason I wouldn’t have minded drafting Darnell Washington over Dorian Williams. 
 

If I had to guess, if he can handle it.. they may have 2-TE sets for Knox/Kincaid and then separate packages where Kincaid just runs the slot route, which can be interchangeable with a WR. 

[SCBills]

Just now, ScottLaw said:

Before the injury that he has every year?…..which causes him to attempt to catch the ball like he’s vertically clapping?

 

You continue to prove my point of overtaking @eball for worst takes of the offseason. 

Yea.. I actually think a healthy Gabe has WR2 ability in him.. especially if he’s able to run in a trio with Diggs and Kincaid like he did when we had Beasley and/or Sanders taking some pressure off him. 
 

That said, to state injuries held him back, without acknowledging that he’s struggled with the same injury in multiple years, is disingenuous. 

 

 

[Roundybout]

7 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

If Kincaid can take the lions share of targets as the 2nd option than yea I agree…. Just a tall task for a rookie. If not, I really hope Beane scours the trade market at the deadline and gets aggressive…. He seems to overvalue draft picks, but at the same time won’t hesitate to use an early round pick on a RB so his mindset is infuriating at times.

 

Eh, one second round pick isn't really "hesitating to use an early round pick." Moss was a fifth rounder and Singletary was a third-rounder. 

[Pabstblueribbon]

Looking into this fella a little more now. When we faced him with the Cardinals he went 1/1 for 14 yards. His only sighting of the day was the opening play of the gutwrenching dhop drive. Left Tremaine diving at air. I'm sure McB has probably gone over this tape a time or two. 

 

It's at the 1:40 mark for my  fellow masochists

 

 

[BigAl2526]

I'm pretty sure that Andy Isabella is not going to be the next Tyreke Hill for the Bills.  I think the Bills are stockpiling candidates for return specialist in response to the injury to Hines.  They are hoping that if they throw enough darts at the board, they may get a good score even if they don't hit the bull's eye.  As far as depth at WR is concerned, there is plenty of competition at the back end of the roster.  Isabella would have to be shockingly good in preseason to carve a path into any kind of significant role as a WR in the regular season.

Edited July 29, 2023 by BigAl2526

[billsfan89]

2 hours ago, ScottLaw said:

Moss was a third rounder. One 2nd a two thirds back to back to back. 

So many premium picks spent on RB’s hopefully Cook is a keeper. At least Singletary was solid his time here just never dynamic 

[freddyjj]

4 minutes ago, BigAl2526 said:

I think the Bills are stockpiling candidates for return specialist in response to the injury to Hines.

😂 Queen Isabella of Spain has a better odds of being the Bills KR/PR! 
 

Oh and where I grew up we threw darts at the board, not dots. 

[BigAl2526]

2 minutes ago, freddyjj said:

😂 Queen Isabella of Spain has a better odds of being the Bills KR/PR! 
 

Oh and where I grew up we threw darts at the board, not dots. 

The Bills presumably have some reason for signing him.  BTW I corrected dots to darts.

[Warcodered]

 

[Manther]

On 7/29/2023 at 9:57 AM, Beck Water said:

 

I'm sorry if I misunderstood you.  You said "Hines was a RB to return. Isabella is a WR to return. Same roster spot different position, but, same position. Players get hurt too. Great player to hedge bets with."

 

I interpreted that as you believing Hines and Isabella were on the same level as potential PR/KR.  In fact, Isabella's experience with KR is minimal, and his PR is one.  One return, one yard.

 

So sure, he's signed to the roster to show what he can do.  But in the sense of providing a proven alternative at KR/PR, No.

I agree with you Hines is an elite returner.  Isabella is a on a tryout to be a returner or maybe make the team as a WR on the PS or 6/7th WR.  That 6th/7th could possibly return kicks/punts or be a back up if our returner went down.  A good player to tryout and potentially step in with injuries.

[Pabstblueribbon]

8 hours ago, Warcodered said:

 

Had to look up who #15 is. 

braydon johnson.. Holy Mackerel. Lol the last frame of that clip has him looking comically huge next to Gabe

Edited July 30, 2023 by Pabstblueribbon

[Beck Water]

2 hours ago, Manther said:

I agree with you Hines is an elite returner.  Isabella is a on a tryout to be a returner or maybe make the team as a WR on the PS or 6/7th WR.  That 6th/7th could possibly return kicks/punts or be a back up if our returner went down.  A good player to tryout and potentially step in with injuries.

 

so looks as though you're correct that Isabella is getting his shot as a potential PR

 

 

He also apparently made a nice contested catch against Neal:

 

 

[Beck Water]

So I went looking for anything on Andy Isabella with the Ravens.  He was released before their training camp opened.  Usually teams do that if the guy is a problem, or just isn't cutting it because there's a lot of room on that 90 man roster.  But, that doesn't seem to be the case

 

I like the Ravens fan bulletin board "Russell Street Report", so that was my first stop after google turned up nothing for me.

Minicamp Day 1:

Quote

Andy Isabella executed when called upon in a variety of ways. He separated well and made a few catches through contact without any clear miscues. I still don’t see him making the team, especially as a smaller slot-only guy in a room with a few of them already, but keeping him on the practice squad for some gameday activations in case of week-to-week injuries might not be a bad idea.

 

Minicamp Day 2:

Quote

Lamar Jackson led a nice touchdown drive and he capped it off with a touchdown to Isaiah Likely. Jackson looked sharp passing the football. There were some fantastic catches today. Andy Isabella was impressive during the session. He had a contested catch against Ar’Darius Washington. Josh Johnson missed him on a deep shot where he split the safeties. That could have been a well executed play and design given a better-placed ball. Ben Mason even got into the action with a nice grab over the head of a linebacker in hot pursuit.

 

I guess it could be a courtesy kind of thing, they don't see him making the team so they cut him before training camp to give him a chance elsewhere.  But the Ravens have twelve (12) WR on their roster right now, so clearly they liked those 12 guys better than Isabella.  Question is: why, when he was apparently separating and making catches?

[GunnerBill]

Just now, Beck Water said:

So I went looking for anything on Andy Isabella with the Ravens.  He was released before their training camp opened.  Usually teams do that if the guy is a problem, or just isn't cutting it because there's a lot of room on that 90 man roster.  But, that doesn't seem to be the case

 

I like the Ravens fan bulletin board "Russell Street Report", so that was my first stop after google turned up nothing for me.

Minicamp Day 1:

 

Minicamp Day 2:

 

I guess it could be a courtesy kind of thing, they don't see him making the team so they cut him before training camp to give him a chance elsewhere.  But the Ravens have twelve (12) WR on their roster right now, so clearly they liked those 12 guys better than Isabella.  Question is: why, when he was apparently separating and making catches?

 

They don't necessarily have to like all 12 better. Likely cos he is a vet with a bit ofna reputation who has been in the league if they are looking at Isabella and saying man we can't see a way through for him it could be a courtesy thing. Overall balance plays in too. Isabella is strictly slot only. They have Duvernay who is slot only. They drafted Flowes who is slot only. And Rashad Bateman has been at his best in the slot too. Might have been numbers in that position.

[DJB]

 

[Beck Water]

15 minutes ago, DJB said:

 

 

That has got to be some kind of a joke account y'all are falling for

Makes zero sense

But goes well with this

 

Edited August 17, 2023 by Beck Water

[BillsShredder83]

I understand the tradition of it. Kyle Orton has waited his time to be enshrined on the wall of fame..... but do we have Isabella cut the line? What other guy on the wall has ran a 4.2

 

Get er dunnnnnm