The Opening Drive 8/18: BFB Expands Coverage and the Browns Expand at Wide Receiver
Some help with content and some help at wide receiver.
The vision for Browns Film Breakdown has always been concrete: to create an environment that passionate Browns fans want to be part of. I’ve always wanted the fans who can’t stop thinking about the team seven days a week to feel heavily involved in what we do here—and I think that community has formed well. We’ve had some quality team members come and go for various reasons, but I’ve largely tried to keep the content rolling and keep you all satisfied during the busiest times of the offseason and preseason.
But with any endeavor like this, I’m always looking for ways to improve. I think a fantastic pathway was presented with Brad Ward, and I couldn’t be happier to see it come together. I was fortunate to bring Brad into the OBR fold years ago, a place we both care about deeply, and we formed a great friendship during that time. I have great respect for Brad’s content, work ethic, and passion for the Browns. I have no doubt he’ll help us thrive here at BFB. We’ll be working closely on podcasts, post-game shows, and more throughout the season.
Please join me in welcoming him to the fold. And before we discuss the other big news this morning, click the link to become a supporter if you haven’t already, and enjoy all the latest from Browns Film Breakdown.
What’s Going On at Browns Film Breakdown
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The other addition in the Browns’ world is one we saw coming since late last week. The team has made it official, signing UDFA Isaiah Bond after a few days of discussions and ironing out the details. Bond’s arrival is going to shake up the wide receiver room, and those details will come later this week when projecting the 53-man roster. For now, Bond and his agent were in town this morning to finalize everything and lock it into place.
The question is just how effective Bond will be in the NFL. As we discussed on the podcast last week, Bond was a fringe top-100 prospect—some had him closer to the top 75, but that depended on the outlet. I was set to scout him closely before the draft, but his cycle was cut short by the legal trouble, and I decided it wasn’t worth the time with so many others at the position to study.
The biggest thing Bond brings is his speed. He’s a legitimate “lid-lifter” who can run past coverage in schemes that demand safety depth, and he has some route nuance as well.
He doesn’t play well through contact, and he won’t consistently win contested catches, but he can operate well enough in space to threaten both horizontal and vertical zones. He’ll also be a threat on take-off concepts against man coverage, where he can put his head down and run. His skill set complements others in the position group, and you can see how he fits in this offense that prioritizes a deep-threat route on most concepts—especially off play-action.
He won’t be expected to come into Cleveland and thrive in a heavy role right away. He will need time and development. He doesn’t bring much special-teams value (only three returned kicks in college), but he’ll need to try to get involved in that phase to carve out a consistent roster spot this year and into the future. The Browns gave him a fully guaranteed three-year deal (base salary) that includes a $53K signing bonus. The length is consistent with other UDFAs on the market, but the guaranteed $3.018M is more in line with a third-round pick.
It’s clear the Browns believed he was worth a draft pick before the incident last April, and they’re proving that now. His connection to Tommy Rees, from their time together at Alabama in 2023, also plays heavily into this. Rees knows how to use the rookie and where he fits best. The Browns have shown a three-year investment here, so we’ll see how it plays out. There will also be fallout for the rest of the fringe wide receiver room, yet to be determined.
If you’re not subscribed over there, rectify that—the Opening Drive is free, you know. Film Rooms and analysis will continue throughout the early week, so stay dialed in. And if you’re not with us in a supporter capacity, you’ll want to rectify that as well so you don’t miss any content. I appreciate all of you.
Browns Film Breakdown will return later today with some offense scheme study.
Welcome, Brad!