The Cleveland Browns have been busy over the last few days, as they get ready for Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
For starters, the Browns named veteran Joe Flacco as their starting quarterback, which was the worst-kept secret in the league. The 41-year-old quarterback didn’t play in Cleveland’s first two preseason contests, which was the first sign that he was likely the starter.
In addition to naming Flacco as the starter for Week 1, Cleveland also bolstered its receiver unit, signing former Texas wideout Isaiah Bond to a three-year, $3.108 million deal.
The rookie wide receiver, who was projected to be a third-round pick, went undrafted earlier this year after being arrested for a sexual assault warrant. However, last week, the District Attorney in Collin County (Texas) announced that the grand jury ultimately decided not to indict Bond, opening the door for him to be signed.
Given his recent off-the-field case, which forced him to miss most of training camp/preseason, Bond has a lot of catching up to do. That said, Flacco is looking forward to playing with the rookie wide receiver.
Joe Flacco on new Browns WR Isaiah Bond: “Anytime you bring that kind of speed to an offense, it could help a lot of things out … it can open up all kinds of possibilities.” pic.twitter.com/Je2iaYgm2O
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) August 19, 2025
Joe Flacco Discusses New Possibilities with Isaiah Bond in Cleveland
“Anytime you bring that kind of speed to an offense, it could help out.. It can open up all kinds of possibilities," Flacco said via ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi.
One thing that Cleveland’s WR room was missing was a receiver with speed who could take the top off the defense. They already have the route runners (Jerry Jeudy) and possession wideouts (Diontae Johnson), but having that explosive vertical threat gives the defense something else to think about.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Bond ran a 4.39 40-yard dash, which was up there with some of the fastest receivers in Indianapolis. His college teammate, Matthew Golden, ran a blistering 4.29 40-yard dash.
The 5-foot-11 Bond began his college career at the University of Alabama, where he spent two seasons. Over that stretch, the explosive wideout had 65 receptions for 888 yards and five TDs across 27 games.
From there, Bond took his talents to the University of Texas, where he racked up 34 receptions for 540 yards and five touchdowns. He also averaged 15.9 yards per catch. If the Browns can get him up to speed, they might have a legit gamebreaker on their hands, as Bond has above average hands and good body control when discussing his route running.