Rams Ex Tavon Austin Signs with Buffalo Bills
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Wide receiver and return specialist Tavon Austin is joining the ranks of the AFC East.
The former Rams wideout has signed a deal with the Buffalo Bills, which the team confirmed on Friday. While the financial terms of the contract have yet to be disclosed, Austin’s deal with Buffalo is for one year.
Austin was the eighth overall choice out of West Virginia in the 2013 NFL Draft by the then- St. Louis Rams — who ironically traded up with the Bills to secure his services.
Austin’s tenure in a Rams uniform was marked with some impressive feats. During his rookie campaign in 2013, he was named to the PFWA All-Rookie team, after recording 40 receptions for 418 yards and four touchdowns. In 2016, he set a career-high in both receptions (58) and receiving yards (509). After spending five seasons with the Rams [three seasons in St. Louis and two in Los Angeles], Austin joined the Cowboys in 2018, following his trade to Dallas from Los Angeles in exchange for a 2018 sixth-round draft pick.
Austin spent the 2020 season with the Green Bay Packers in 2020 before joining the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021. The 31-year-old logged 213 yards and one touchdown off 24 receptions with the Jags last season.
While Austin is expected to add depth to the Bills’ corps of pass-catchers, he may be more valuable to the defending AFC-East Champions both as a ground threat and on special teams. In addition to his career-total 244 receptions for 2,239 yards and 16 touchdowns, he also has 199 rushing attempts for 1,361 yards and 10 touchdowns. As a return specialist Austin has amassed 1,483 yards and three touchdowns on 190 punt returns, as well as 25 kickoff returns for 451 yards.
Austin now joins wideout Jamison Crowder as experienced additions to a receiver group that also includes Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis, Isaiah McKenzie, Jake Kumerow, and fifth-round pick Khalil Shakir.
