The Arizona Cardinals appear to be intent on further developing the talents of wide receiver Andy Isabella to ensure that Kyler Murray is set up for long-term success. But the 2020 season has made it glaringly obvious that Isabella may not actually possess deep-threat talent as many had hoped.
Coming into the 2019 NFL draft, Isabella boasted impressive stats and athleticism – so much so that he was chosen over DK Metcalf himself. But despite racking up top notch receiving yards in his final two years of college, Isabelle has now totaled a mere 224 receiving yards on the season.
"With wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald potentially wrapping up an incredible career with the Cardinals, Isabella is in the position of stepping up to help create a dynamic receiving core – or quickly proving his bust potential."
The addition of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was perhaps the greatest heist in Cardinal’s franchise history. In his debut season with the team, he finished at #2 for both receiving yards and targets, in addition to demonstrating remarkable chemistry with Murray and proving to be a high-powered weapon for the Arizona offense.
Still, the current receiving core displays some substantial holes and painfully misplaced talent. With Hopkins as a solid flanker, Kirk has been primarily playing the stretch – but with his ability to gain yards after the catch, the receiver would arguably be better suited to replace Fitzgerald in the slot.
There’s also the option of replacing Isabella with a competent stretch receiver from free agency to truly boost the impact of this offense as a whole. But if the Cardinals head into the 2021 Draft with the goal of addressing other areas of need instead (including the struggling secondary), it would mean Isabella having the chance to prove that his disappointing performance was more due to his lack of opportunity rather than ability.
"Buried in the Cardinals’ depth chart through the season, Isabella’s lowly snap-share is perhaps the most significant contributing factor to the lack of production that we’ve seen from the wide receiver this year."
The third year break-out narrative may actually prove true for Isabella in 2021 – particularly with the presumed absence of Fitzgerald providing a renewed opportunity to get his hands on the ball. For Isabella’s third year in the league to bring about greater production for this offense, there are several components that need to fall into place. One major factor is the offensive line – in the current situation, Murray has hardly any time to make a play before getting blitzed.
Allowing more time for plays to develop not only allows the team to get the most out of Murray, but it also means more effective pass-catching opportunities – particularly for those in the stretch position. The grueling match-up of Murray misfiring on judgement calls and coach Kliff Kingsbury’s questionable play-calling have also undoubtedly played a role in the Cardinal’s inability to clench postseason glory, but a sparse receiving core coupled with a lackluster offensive line have had a major impact, as well.
Bolstering the offensive line will play a significant role in determining whether Isabella sees his NFL breakout in 2021.