Browns sign rookie wide receiver Isaiah Bond after sexual assault case is dropped
Bond ran a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine — the ninth-fastest time among wide receivers — and was projected to be drafted in the middle rounds before he was accused of sexual assault and surrendered on April 10 in Frisco, Texas.
A Collins County, Texas, grand jury determined Thursday that there was not enough evidence to indict Bond and dismissed the case.
The Browns hosted Bond as one of their 30 predraft visits. Cleveland offensive coordinator Tommy Rees coached at Alabama the two seasons Bond was there, which also weighed into the decision.
Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry said in a statement that the organization spent the past four months doing 'extensive research that includes but is not limited to hearing from both sides of the case and receiving the results of an independently administered polygraph test.
'Before the allegations, we also spent a great deal of time with Isaiah during the draft process on campus, at the Combine and at our facilities. His time at Alabama with Tommy Rees also weighed heavily on our assessment of his ability to operate successfully in a professional environment if brought into our organization. It is these touchpoints and more that gave us the necessary insights to make this decision.'
Bond spent last season at Texas. He appeared in 41 games in college and had 99 receptions for 1,428 yards and 10 touchdowns. To make room for Bond, Cleveland waived long snapper Brent Matiscik.
Unsigned second-round pick Quinshon Judkins also had a domestic violence case against him dropped Thursday in Florida, but there was no word on when the running back might possibly be signed.
The Browns conclude the preseason on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams. Even though there are only a couple of weeks until the Sept. 7 opener against Cincinnati, coach Kevin Stefanski said Sunday he thinks both Bond and Judkins — or any player added to the roster this week — can make up for lost time.
'That happens during the season, can happen in training camp where you got, you have to get players up to speed quickly,' Stefanski said. 'That happens sometimes you get a guy on a Wednesday and they have to play on a Sunday. So that's part of our job as coaches, is to get them ready to roll.'
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Marshfield man gets 25 years in prison for November 2024 death of his roommate
WISCONSIN RAPIDS − A 28-year-old Marshfield man was sentenced Aug. 19 to 25 years in prison for the November 2024 death of a woman who was chocked to death then taken to Price County and set on fire. Deyvin Castro-Gutierrez pleaded no contest to and was found guilty of second-degree intentional homicide in the death of Blanca Jesenia Hernandez-Portocarrero, 28, of Marshfield. The charge was reduced from a charge of first-degree intentional homicide. Retired Marathon County Circuit Judge Gregory Grau, acting as a substitute judge in the Wood County case, found Castro-Gutierrez guilty of the reduced charge. As part of the plea agreement, a charge of mutilating a corpse filed in Price County was dismissed but considered during sentencing. Wood County District Attorney Jonathan Barnett said Castro-Gutierrez told investigators he and Hernandez-Portocarrero got into an argument over some text messages and phone calls she had made. Because she was smaller, Hernandez-Portocarrero got a knife to protect herself. Castro-Gutierrez knocked the knife out of her hand and then hit her throat and held his arm across it until she stopped breathing, Barnett said. Wood County inspections: One restaurant receives 10 violations on initial and reinspection Local business news: 7 Brew drops new drive-through coffee stand in Marshfield, expected to open this fall If the case had gone to trial as first-degree intentional homicide, a jury likely would have decided Castro-Gutierrez's account of how the death happened did not justify the charge, Barnett said. There was no evidence to dispute it, he said. A neighbor in the apartment complex had put a surveillance camera in the parking lot, because he believed someone had hit and damaged his car repeatedly, Barnett said. The camera happened to catch Castro-Gutierrez putting Hernandez-Portocarrero's body in the trunk of his car, Barnett said. That is the reason officials were able to determine it was him who killed Hernandez-Portocarrero, he said. Castro-Gutierrez then took the body to Price County where he put Hernandez-Portocarrero in a ditch and tried to burn the body, Barnett said. Some people came along and saw the fire. Defendant knows he has destroyed two families, lawyer says Nothing the defendant or anyone can do will bring Hernandez-Portocarrero back, said James Bennett, Castro-Gutierrez's attorney. It is clear he tried to cover up the crime afterward. "These actions are inexcusable here and will forever be with him," Bennett said. Castro-Gutierrez was born in Nicaragua and lived with his grandmother, Bennett said. From the age of 10, he cared for his grandmother. Castro-Gutierrez wanted to become a doctor, but his family was too poor to make that happen. Castro-Gutierrez came to the United States to make money he could send home to help his family, including his four children, in Nicaragua, Bennett said. His oldest daughter is studying pharmaceutical chemistry at a university. Castro-Gutierrez is both proud that he has helped his daughter do that and sad he won't be able to continue helping her. Castro-Gutierrez knows he had taken Hernandez-Portocarrero away from her four children and he will not be available for his four children for many years. He knows he's destroyed two families, Bennett said. He hopes to return to Nicaragua and his family in coming years. Victim's family asks for harshest possible penalty Hernandez-Portocarrero's aunt spoke to the judge by a video call. She spoke through a Spanish interpreter who was interpreting the Aug. 19 proceedings for Castro-Gutierrez. The aunt said the actions of Castro-Gutierrez have devastated Hernandez-Portocarrero's children and mother. He took her away from them, she said. The family would like Grau to give Castro-Gutierrez the harshest possible penalty, the aunt said. They would like to see him spend the rest of his life in prison. Castro-Gutierrez did not give a statement when given the chance. Grau gave Castro-Gutierrez 25 years in prison to be followed by 20 years of extended supervision, which was the joint recommendation of Barnett and Bennett. Since he is not a U.S. citizen, it is likely officials will send him back to Nicaragua when his prison sentence is finished, Grau said. Grau gave Castro-Gutierrez credit for 281 days already served in jail. Contact Karen Madden at kmadden@ Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at This article originally appeared on Marshfield News-Herald: Deyvin Castro-Gutierrez of Marshfield gets 25 years in roommate death
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Alabama football is no longer 'a Jalen Milroe offense.' What Ryan Grubb means
Ryan Grubb saw progress from all three of Alabama football's scholarship quarterbacks in the Crimson Tide's second scrimmage. All three, he said, made clean and accurate throws, pushing the ball downfield when they could and being smart with their check-down opportunities. To Grubb, it was three quarterbacks running his Alabama offense, one he expects to look a little different than last season. "We're not necessarily a Jalen Milroe offense right now," Grubb said. "Jalen was, obviously, a super talented runner, and that was probably a part of the game plan every week, which was smart last year by the offensive staff." Grubb did not doubt in Alabama starting quarterback Ty Simpson's ability to run the football. Simpson has averaged 5.9 yards on 22 rush attempts with three rushing touchdowns in three collegiate seasons. Grubb described Michael Penix Jr. as a "good runner," one Washington didn't utilize until later because "it's a long season." Grubb needs his quarterback to focus elsewhere. "You're better off with your starter being able to throw the football in this offense than run it," Grubb said. "We'll certainly look for those opportunities because Ty is a good runner. We'll make sure we have things for him. But taking care of him, making sure he's upright is important." Alabama football opens the 2025 season against Florida State Aug. 30. Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@ or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter. This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Ryan Grubb describes Alabama football as no longer a 'Jalen Milroe offense'
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NFL holdouts, contract negotiation tracker: Are Cowboys, Micah Parsons really headed for 'divorce?'
NFL training camp season is upon us, which means holdout/hold-in season is too as players seek new contracts. The biggest saga of the summer has been between Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys. Team owner and general manager Jerry Jones opened training camp with a wild, meandering media conference that took shots at Parsons' health, and Parsons has not been shy about voicing his displeasure with both that day and the entire process of trying to get a new deal. Parsons is arguably the NFL's best defender, and he's only 26 years old, so you'd think the Cowboys wouldn't mess around too much with this negotiation. You thought wrong! While the franchise has a history of leaving it late with star player contracts like Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, to its credit, the deals get done. ESPN's Adam Schefter doesn't sound so optimistic about this one. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] "You caan't get a deal done if you're not even talking, and the two sides haven't had any negotiations since late March or early April," he said Tuesday. "It sounds like at this point it's personal. It sounds like each side is dug in." There are, of course, plenty of instances in NFL history where negotiating acrimony was swept aside to get a deal done. Schefter, however, doesn't see that happening here. "I see these two sides headed towards a divorce in time," he said. "The only question is, when is that divorce going to happen, and how is it going to happen? Are they going to trade him now? Are they going to trade him after this year?" There's still over two weeks before the Cowboys open the regular season in Philadelphia against the Eagles on Thursday, Sept. 4. Who knows, maybe Jones wants to steal some thunder from Dallas' bitter rival opening the season as defending Super Bowl champion by getting the Parsons deal across the line a day or two before kickoff. Given the way this is trending, however, it doesn't feel like Parsons will be a Cowboy much longer. That's gloomy. How about the other contract seekers? Is there more gloom, or will there soon be reason to say "boom"? Washington Commanders WR Terry McLaurin: Boom Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson spoke last week on the gulf between McLaurin and the Commanders, and what a deal might look like. "I think if it can get to $27 million to $28 million in annual average value," Robinson said, "if you're getting somewhere between $50 and $60 million in guaranteed money, I don't think either side would be happy, but I think it is the middle ground that gets those two together." Robinson believes the negotiation has gotten to a point where McLaurin's asking for $33 million in average annual value and $60 million guaranteed, similar to DK Metcalf's deal with the Steelers. The Commanders and GM Adam Peters might not be willing to go there, since the history of age-30 receivers delivering after signing a deal like that is short (McLaurin turns 30 in September). Plus, teams reportedly haven't been hammering Washington's phone lines with trade offers, and Jayden Daniels has publicly spoken about wanting McLaurin back in the fold. All told, the momentum here seems to be headed toward a compromise deal, so we'll go boom. Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson: Gloom This situation has heated up again the past couple days. First there were reports over the weekend that the Bengals were listening to trade offers for Hendrickson. Then, the NFL's reigning sack king spoke to ESPN on Monday and said that while he and the Bengals are close on annual salary and the length of his next contract, the team's unwillingness to give him more than one year of guaranteed money remains the sticking point. The Bengals already amended their preferences with regard to guarantee structure twice this offseason, first with All-Pro wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase and then first-round pick Shemar Stewart. They really, really sound like they don't want to do it again, and even though teams know Cincinnati's back is against the wall at the negotiating table, all it might take is one reasonably sweet offer to get a trade done. We're going gloom here. San Francisco 49ers WR Jauan Jennings: Boom Jennings still hasn't practiced since reportedly aggravating a calf injury on July 27, but he did attend the 49ers' preseason game against the Raiders over the weekend, and he's done at least one light workout. We're not going to debate whether the injury is real or not, or if Jennings is maximizing his missed time in an effort to get a deal done. We're simply going to note that this doesn't seem to be a particularly acrimonious situation, and headlines have been sparse on it for weeks. That's usually a good sign. Boom.
