The Arizona Cardinals have six wide receivers on the roster currently. One is Andy Isabella, despite his missed time in training camp. He landed on the COVID reserve twice. Once was for close contact and the second time it was for a positive test.
For some, it was a surprise that he made the team. For head coach Kliff Kingsbury, it made sense to keep him.
He spoke about it this past week in a press conference. There are a number of reasons why he is valuable to the team.
“His explosiveness, his speed,” he said to begin with. “He can play inside and outside. (He is a) very conscientious player, can play special teams, can be in the return game, can be a gunner. So there’s a lot of versatility there that for that slot that he is in, it makes a lot of sense for us.”
Isabella is the Cardinals’ No. 5 receiver on the team, which generally requires versatility and special teams value. His elite speed is a trait that is very useful. Kingsbury said, “speed like that is rare,” so even when he isn’t always in the lineup, he is a nice tool to have.
It is true. Those skills are valuable.
The problem is when you think of a former second-round pick. That means he should be a starter or an important rotational player. He is neither of those, so that is where it is frustrating.
Nonetheless, if you take the expectation of draft status, he does fit the profile of a No. 5 receiver. He has elite traits and is versatile. He is a player you want on your team if he is there.
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