Isaiah Bond has revealed that he plans to sign with the Cleveland Browns after the conclusion of a legal issue that threatened to end his NFL career before it began. The former Texas receiver would almost certainly have been drafted back in April had it not been for the off-field question marks.
There is no guarantee that the Browns will sign the receiver as yet, but there is reported to be a mutual interest. Bond would likely have interest from elsewhere if the Browns decide against signing the former Texas speedster.
After a significant delay to his career, though, is Bond still worth a shot in dynasty leagues?
Isaiah Bond’s Dynasty Outlook
Despite the news that Bond may finally find himself on an NFL roster, the receiver has missed almost the entire offseason, with the 2025 season kicking off in less than a month. Bond’s chances of learning the team’s playbook and familiarizing himself with the offense in time to make an impact in the first year are slim, leaving him facing a difficult road to relevance.
That said, the Browns’ roster is far from the deepest at the wide receiver position, with Cedric Tillman, Jerry Jeudy and Diontae Johnson facing little competition. Even if Bond can acclimatize quickly in Cleveland, he’s unlikely to be troubling any of those three soon.
Johnson, however, is on a minimal one-year deal with the Browns and is on his fifth team in the past two years due to character issues. If he can’t make it work in Cleveland, the team’s WR3 role will be wide open.
0️⃣0️⃣7️⃣ Touchdown
2022 All-American Isaiah Bond (@isaiahbond_) takes off for a Texas score.#HookEm 🤘#AllAmericanBowl 🇺🇸
— Navy All-American Bowl (@AABonNBC) September 15, 2024
Second-year receiver Jamari Thrash would be the favorite to step in, but he has a lot to prove after earning just seven targets in his rookie year. Had the Browns drafted Bond, though, he would likely have stepped straight into the WR3 role, and the team may not have signed Johnson in May.
Should Fantasy Managers Add Bond in Dynasty Leagues?
The decision to add Bond in dynasty will likely depend on your league’s roster setup. Those in deeper leagues, or with taxi squads, could do much worse than adding a speedy route runner who averaged 14.4 yards per reception over three years in the SEC.
Had he been drafted, landing in such a shallow receiver room would have caught the eye of analysts, and Bond would have undoubtedly made the cut in rookie drafts. His ADP in rookie drafts would have depended on his real-life draft capital, but many initially had the receiver being drafted on Day 2 in April.
QUINN EWERS ➡️ ISAIAH BOND
Bond’s first TD in a Texas uniform 🤩 pic.twitter.com/rC7fyDzi7Z
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 31, 2024
Given the catching up he has to do, any investment in Bond would be made with 2026 in mind, and things could look a lot different in Cleveland by then. With his legal issues behind him, the receiver has the talent to eventually make his mark in the league and be a weekly contributor in fantasy.
If roster spots are at a premium in your league, Bond will likely prove a frustrating stash for at least the first half of the 2025 season. However, his potential opportunity to earn a spot in the Browns’ receiver rotation and his speed and playmaking ability make him an intriguing upside pick-up.
