Baltimore Ravens: The case for and against acquiring Tavon Austin
SEATTLE, WA – DECEMBER 17: Wide receiver Tavon Austin #11 of the Los Angeles Rams rushes against the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter of the game at CenturyLink Field on December 17, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr /Getty Images)
Pros for signing Austin
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For starters, Tavon Austin would immediately be the Ravens’ starting punt returner. This would give them a consistent home run threat on punt returns that they haven’t had. He has plenty of experience returning punts including some experience with returning them for touchdowns. Austin has three punt return touchdowns in his career thus far. Jerry Rosburg’s special teams units always rank near the top of the league, but he hasn’t had an explosive return man like Austin. This would be a major upgrade at a position that is always undervalued.
Austin will likely come cheap. As far as the Ravens are concerned, this would without a doubt be his best trait. The Ravens need a lot of playmakers, and they don’t have a ton of cap room to acquire them. If they can get one for cheap, that would surely aid them with their tight-budget playmaker shopping it’s huge.
We can’t forget to talk about Austin’s speed and agility. It’s not a coincidence that he’s handled kick returning duties for his entire football career. This is a guy that can leave defenders reaching for nothing but air when he gets in space. While he has good straight-line speed, Austin’s agility is what makes him dangerous. Quick cuts and lateral quickness help him break away on screens and punt returns.