PFF’s Monson: Cardinals WR Andy Isabella ‘isn’t a lost cause yet’

Preseason takeaways were hard to come by for the Arizona Cardinals.

They played only starters with limited NFL experience, and sparingly at that. Otherwise, the three preseason games acted as an extended audition for the guys on the bubble of the 53-man roster.

One player who took advantage was receiver Andy Isabella, the second-round pick from 2019 who so far has failed to live up to his draft projections. Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson named Isabella as “not a lost cause yet” in picking a takeaway from Arizona’s trio of preseason outings.

As a former second-round draft pick, Andy Isabella has been a disappointment so far, catching 31 passes in three years. But he showed this preseason that he can still be a factor in the offense. He caught 14 of 22 passes thrown his way for an impressive 2.3 yards per route run. With Christian Kirk leaving in the offseason, there is a vertical slot role within the offense available if Isabella can consistently bring that speed to bear.

Isabella’s work was good enough to stick on the initial roster, but it remains to be seen if he would be the first option out of the slot, even if second-year pro Rondale Moore can’t go in Week 1 as he deals with an undisclosed injury.

Fourth-year pro Greg Dortch, who has three total NFL receptions since entering the league in 2019, has earned the trust of Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury and could be turned to as a slot option if Arizona enters the year scrounging at the bottom of the depth chart.

It could take a bleak injury situation in front of Isabella for the receiver to see more than a few snaps. Then again, the preseason was enough to give Kingsbury reason, in case the receiver is needed, to have confidence in him.

After all, that is why the Cardinals gave the man a roster spot despite requesting a trade earlier in the summer.

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