Getty Ravens WR Andy Isabella running after making a catch against his new team in a preseason game on August 21, 2022.
The Baltimore Ravens are adding another weapon to their offensive arsenal by signing free agent wide receiver Andy Isabella to their practice squad, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on Wednesday, October 5.
Former #Cardinals WR Andy Isabella is signing with the #Ravens practice squad, per source.
This move comes days after their top wideout and primary deep threat, Rashod Bateman, suffered a foot injury in the second half of the team’s 23-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 4. The 2021 first-rounder was absent from the first day of practice on Wednesday and is considered day-to-day with clarity of what exactly his injury entails.
Isabella was waived by the Arizona Cardinals on October 4, 2022, and went unclaimed through the waiver wire. He was originally drafted by the team in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft at No. 62 overall out of the University of Massachusetts.
Potential Impact on Offense
While Isabella only has 33 receptions, 447 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns in 39 career games, he still possesses the blazing speed to get behind and take the top off of opposing defenses and is a shifty slot option as well.
ANDY ISABELLA IS SPEED 💨
In Arizona, he was always either buried on the depth chart by veterans like Larry Fitzgerald and AJ Green, notable former first-round trade acquisitions such as DeAndre Hopkins and Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown, and was just simply underutilized. The Ravens’ front office got a first-hand and up-close look at what he can do when they played the Cardinals in the second week of this year’s preseason this year on August 21, 2022.
Isabella was arguably the second most impressive pass catcher in that game after Ravens fourth-round rookie tight end Isaiah Likely who stole the show with a sensational first-half performance. He finished tied for his team’s lead in receptions with 5 for 54 receiving yards and showed some refined route-running nuance in addition to speed and to the ability to pick up yards after the catch.
If Bateman can’t play for the team’s huge Week 5 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, they’ll likely lean on third-year rising all-purpose star Devin Duvernay, veteran Demarcus Robinson, and James Proche who head coach John Harbaugh said is 100% healed from a groin injury. However, if they feel like they might want more speed on the field to offset Bateman’s 22.1 yards per catch average, Isabella could get elevated to provide another deep threat.
Andy Isabella is very, very fast.
Gus Edwards Activated From PUP List
While Bateman wasn’t on the practice field on Wednesday, the fifth-year running back returned to practice for the first time since suffering a torn ACL just before the start of the 2021 regular season. He opened the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list and had to miss at least the first four games but now that he has been officially removed from it, the 21-day window for him to be activated to the active 53-man roster has opened.
“Gus looked good. He’s out there, he’s done a really good job with his rehab, he’s worked really hard. He had a good day,” head coach John Harbaugh said in a press conference on October 5, 2022. “So, it’s obviously just the first day back in quite a long time; we’re going to have to see where it goes, but it was certainly a good start.”
Edwards’ presence, physicality, and production were sorely last season and to start this year. Through the first four games of the 2022 season, the Ravens’ run game has gotten off to an inconsistent start and came up short in some key situations where a healthy ‘Gus the Bus’ would’ve likely helped them convert. His teammates were happy to have him back on the field and look forward to his eventual return.
“It was wonderful seeing Gus today,” quarterback Lamar Jackson said in a press conference in October 5, 2022. “He looked like Gus to me. It looked like he’s back, 100%. [I] just can’t wait to see him on the field.”
With Justice Hill dealing with a minor hamstring injury and Dobbins dealing with a chest injury that kept him out of practice on Wednesday as well, they could use and might need him sooner rather than later.