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Bills sign former second-round pick Andy Isabella to compete for WR roster spot

ryan miller, rochester democrat and chronicle
·2 min read
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Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Andy Isabella pulls in a touchdown pass as Detroit Lions cornerback Darryl Roberts (29) defends during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Andy Isabella pulls in a touchdown pass as Detroit Lions cornerback Darryl Roberts (29) defends during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

The Buffalo Bills added another wide receiver three days into training camp.

Buffalo signed former second-round draft pick Andy Isabella after bringing him in for a workout Friday. The Bills released wide receiver Jalen Wayne.

The Bills have All-Pro Stefon Diggs and are expecting a jump from Gabe Davis but the wide receiver group has some uncertainty after that. Isabella, 27, will compete with Deonte Harty and Khalil Shakir in the slot. The Bills also have Trent Sherfield, who can line up inside or out, and selected rookie Justin Shorter in the fifth-round in April. Isabella could also serve in a return role after running back Nyheim Hines suffered a season-ending knee injury when he was struck by a Jet Ski.

The 5-foot-9, 188-pound Isabella was taken by the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 62 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. The speedster was selected ahead of Pro Bowl receivers DK Metcalf, Diontae Johnson and Terry McLaurin.

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 31: Andy Isabella #89 of the Arizona Cardinals scores a touchdown on an 88 yard reception during the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium on October 31, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. 49ers won 28-25. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 31: Andy Isabella #89 of the Arizona Cardinals scores a touchdown on an 88 yard reception during the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium on October 31, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. 49ers won 28-25. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

Isabella was a force in college at UMass. He had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and finished his career with 231 catches for 3,526 yards and 30 touchdowns. Isabella was a finalist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award as a senior − it went to current Denver Broncos wideout Jerry Jeudy − and led college football in receiving yards per game (141.5).

Isabella ran a 4.31-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and flashed game-breaking ability in his first two years, with an 88-yard touchdown as a rookie and a two-touchdown game early in 2020.

He barely saw the field after that. Isabella was the sixth of six wide receivers on the roster in 2021 − stuck behind DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green and Christian Kirk − and only had one catch while being inactive for half of the Cardinals' games. Arizona released Isabella a month into 2022 and he landed on the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad for the majority of the year. Baltimore released him on Tuesday. Isabella has 33 career receptions for 447 yards and three TDs.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills sign former second-round draft pick Andy Isabella