BEREA, Ohio — Isaiah Bond doesn’t know what his exact workload will be on Sunday when the Browns open the season against the Cincinnati Bengals.
But the undrafted rookie receiver is ready to do whatever is asked of him in the Cleveland offense when that game rolls around.
“Whenever my number is called, I know I’ll be on the field,” Bond said on Wednesday.
Whether Bond doesn’t know (or more likely, just didn’t want to divulge) what his exact workload will look like, it’s certain to be more than the nine snaps and zero targets he got in the preseason finale against the Rams.
The Browns, after all, have made a concerted effort to get Bond brought up to speed after his late arrival in training camp after not being signed until Aug. 18. The reason for his delayed arrival was due to a sexual assault arrest in April that caused him to go undrafted.
But since his arrival in Berea after his case was no-billed by a Texas grand jury, he’s put in extra time with coaches and on his own time to get up to speed.
“Yeah, I think he’s done a really nice job,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “He’s worked extra with (receivers) coach (Chad) O’Shea, (assistant receivers) coach (Stephen) Bravo-Brown, in terms of getting up to speed.
“He’s very, very smart. So that’s very helpful when it comes to creating roles for players. ... We’ll see what he can handle, but he’s mentally and physically done a really nice job.”
The Browns have thrown him into reps with starters early and often, and of course didn’t hesitate to get him into that final preseason game after less than a week of practice time.
They’ve trusted him to pick up this offense quickly.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” he said. “It also goes to show the hard work I put in offseason to be able to be put in different roles and use my talent to the best of my ability. So it just proves my offseason hard work and dedication.”
It’s clear they want to give him a legitimate opportunity as the season begins, largely so he can show off his elite speed. Bond turned in a 4.39 at the NFL Combine in March, but said the fastest he ran it was in 4.2.
“The speed,” Jerry Jeudy said when asked what Bond adds to their receiver room. “He did a great job just coming here and just learning the offense pretty quick. He feels like a very smart, talented player that’s going to have a big role in this offense and I’m excited for him.”
In 41 games over three seasons at Alabama and Texas, Bond caught 99 passes for 1,428 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 14.4 yards per catch. He also rushed for 101 yards and a TD.
At Texas last season, he caught 34 passes for 540 yards and five touchdowns in 14 games, helping the Longhorns make a push toward the College Football Playoff. But an ankle injury cost him two games and hurt his production in others. Upon arriving in Cleveland he said his ankle is “perfectly fine.”
Jeudy is clearly the Browns’ top option among their receiving corps after his first Pro Bowl season.
After that, Cleveland has a handful of unknowns. That includes whether Cedric Tillman and Jamari Thrash can take developmental jumps in years three and two, respectively, and after strong camps.
But it also includes how much Bond can produce after arriving late.
“I’m really just looking forward to just going out there and showing my talents,” he said. “Just going and showing why the Cleveland Browns made the right decision and going out there and showing my talents to the world for sure. And being a great asset to this team and helping us get wins. That’s my biggest goal on the field.”
Bond is also relishing the fact that his first NFL action will come against a division opponent at home.
“I mean, this is what I play this sport for,” he said. “I play this sport to play in big games and to go shine in big games. That’s what I love.”
All signs point to Bond having the opportunity to do just that.
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