With wrist and rib injuries compromising the availability of Tyler Ervin, the Green Bay Packers are adding veteran free agent wide receiver / kick returner, Tavon Austin. In a related move, the Packers release wide receiver, Darrius Shepherd.
Voice of the Packers, Wayne Larrivee expects Austin to be used as a return man and as a motion receiver in Matt LaFleur’s scheme – similar to Ervin’s role pre-injury.
“That’s the role they will ask him [Austin] to play more often than not,” Larrivee tells Wisconsin’s Afternoon News. “He’s the same type of player, only a little faster than Tyler Ervin.”
Expected to practice on Wednesday, Austin will have the rest of the week to learn the basics of Matt LaFleur’s offense. How many snaps Austin yields on Sunday against the Eagles is anyone’s guess.
“They’ll give him a couple of routes to run. As far as the motion stuff and the eye-candy stuff that Ervin did so well, I don’t know how much time that takes for a player to get indoctrinated enough where he can carry out those fakes and maybe make a run or two out of it.”
Since being drafted with the 8th overall selection by the St Louis Rams in the 2013 NFL Draft, Austin never developed as the deep threat receiver many expected, but has shined as a return man.
As a punt returner Austin has three touchdowns to his credit, and was one of only two players in the NFL to post a punt return touchdown each season from 2013-15 (Steelers WR Antonio Brown).