Arizona Cardinals 2019 second-round pick Andy Isabella has had a rough go of things in his professional tenure.
On August 11, the Cardinals placed Isabella on their COVID-19 list, per Darren Urban of the team’s official website. This marks the second time Isabella has landed on the reserve list this summer.
Now he will be unavailable from playing against the Dallas Cowboys on Friday.
So that leaves us with trade speculation. Isabella is already behind DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green, Christian Kirk, Rondale Moore and even KeeSean Johnson on the Cards unofficial depth chart. While any NFL team like the Cardinals could use WR depth, other teams could use Isabella’s services more.
Isabella to the Chargers
When Isabella returns from the COVID-19 list, trades can start to be made concerning the 24-year-old.
Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus connected Isabella to the Los Angeles Chargers as a possibility.
Isabella brings top-end speed on the outside for a team looking to stretch the field and could open things up even more in the passing game for the Los Angeles Chargers. Former first-rounder Mike Williams is great at getting downfield and high-pointing the ball for contested catches, but perhaps Isabella could stress defenses even more and open things up underneath for Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler, and new tight end Jared Cook.
This makes sense for the Chargers because a change of scenery could be perfect for Isabella. The Chargers had many wide receivers go down with an injury in 2020 and Mike Williams recently went down with a hip flexor injury.
The Chargers WR3 Jalen Guyton also barely caught half of his targets (28 of 55) with quarterback Justin Herbert.
Spielberger also mentions that it would take only a fifth-round pick to snag Isabella. 30 catches in two seasons won’t take a lot to pry from another team. Why not from the Chargers’ perspective?
Should the Cards Trade Isabella?
Isabella was drafted by the Cardinals in the second round of the 2019 draft. It can get a bit tiring hearing this over and over, but Isabella was drafted two spots before DK Metcalf. No one can argue that Isabella has been a huge disappointment. Two years later, the Cardinals draft another WR in the second-round, Rondale Moore. This time, the Cardinals might’ve struck gold.
While there isn’t any reason to play him over guys like Hopkins, Green, Kirk and Moore, the Cardinals might need to decide who that fifth option will be.
On August 5, Kliff Kingsbury complimented Isabella’s game and that he can also be used in the return game.
“I don’t think at that position you can have enough speed,” Kingsbury said. He also noted that Isabella’s strength is being a “trick play guy” and return man.
The speed can be put on display by Isabella.
Right now, Isabella is again losing valuable time and can’t be tested. When Isabella comes back, the team shouldn’t be quick to trade him. Remember, the team is dealing with many players with “minor issues” and that includes WR’s Hopkins, Green, Moore and Kirk.
The team would be trading Isabella arguably at his lowest value. But a fifth or sixth-round pick could help solidify another position, says Spielberger.
The Cardinals used a top-50 draft pick on Purdue wide receiver Rondale Moore this past April, and while they’ve made it clear that Moore and Isabella bring very different attributes to the table, Isabella is now, at best, the No. 5 wide receiver behind DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green, Christian Kirk and Moore. The draft pick gained by Arizona could then perhaps help them pursue a cornerback, such as C.J. Henderson.
Of course, trading for C.J. Henderson would start with a higher pick and then the fifth-round pick. But, it might now be looking up for Henderson in Jacksonville according to Jaguars coach Urban Meyer.
The Cardinals need all the help they can get in the draft, even if it’s a fifth or sixth-round pick. Their drafting hasn’t been pretty since 2017, and the Cards sit at dead last according to PFF.
No one knows what the roster could look like with injuries that can always occur before the first regular-season game. This is a question worth answering near the final roster cuts.
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