The Arizona Cardinals are finally moving on from a player they struggled to find a role for, as the team announced Tuesday that it had released wide receiver Andy Isabella. In a corresponding move, the Cardinals signed center Billy Price, who was a first-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals back in 2018.
Isabella was a player head coach Kliff Kingsbury clearly targeted in the 2019 NFL Draft, as the UMass product was selected in the second round with the No. 62 overall pick. He was selected over future NFL stars such as D.K. Metcalf, Diontae Johnson and Terry McLaurin, but his opportunities at the next level were limited.
Isabella caught just nine passes for 189 yards and one touchdown in his rookie season. He caught 21 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns in his second NFL season, but his playing time dwindled in 2021 -- as he caught just one pass all year. This offseason, Isabella was granted permission to seek a trade. His agent, Bradley Blank, told CBS Sports NFL Insider Josina Anderson that he was planning on reaching out to teams during the free agency period.
"I think we have all concluded, including the Cardinals that it might be best for Andy to get a fresh start," Blank told Anderson in March.
No trade partner ever materialized for Isabella, and now, he will have a chance to start over somewhere else. This season, Isabella has caught two passes for 21 yards.
"They stacked the odds against me, but that doesn't faze me," Isabella said in the preseason. "I'm going to show up every day and do what I have to do. They can do whatever they want, they ain't going to break me."
