Calvin Austin Iii Faces Crowded Giants Receiver Room After $1.5 Million Deal

calvin austin iii signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the New York Giants, but the move now comes with a crowded path to playing time. He was set to work as a punt returner and offensive weapon, yet three veteran receiver additions have already complicated that plan.

Giants Add Beckham, Smith-Schuster

Austin had looked like the clear fourth option when he joined New York, with a chance to grow into more if needed. That outlook changed after the Giants added three receivers with veteran experience, including Odell Beckham Jr. and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Smith-Schuster joined after a workout with the team. Braxton Berrios also came in, and he brings extensive experience as both a kick and punt returner, which overlaps directly with the role Austin was expected to fill.

Return Job On Thin Ice

The overlap is the real issue. Austin’s best offensive trait is his deep ability, but Darius Slayton already has that part of the field covered for the Giants. That leaves Austin competing for a smaller slice of the offense than the one he was signed to handle.

He moved on from the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason after being described as a former fourth-round pick and a player who wore a lot of hats there. The Steelers wanted to revamp their receiver room this offseason, which would have cut into his role anyway, but New York’s additions have put the squeeze on him even faster.

Gunner Olszewski is feared to have a torn Achilles, which leaves the Giants with a return-game vacancy on one hand and more receiver competition on the other. Austin still has a path, but it is narrower now, and the team’s newest moves suggest his value will have to come from more than just speed on the back end.