Bills and Tavon Austin mutually part ways

[Richard Noggin]

35 minutes ago, letsgoteam said:

On the other side of this, he may have wanted to explore his options and if noting turns up, he could end up back with the team.

 

Having a veteran player on your practice squad and granting his release, goes a long ways for that agent (and his/her clients) and vet players in general.

It's a no-brainer to release an unhappy practice squad player. The team can only lose by holding onto, yet not elevating, a PS guy who wants out. 

 

Austin might feel like he was so effective in his scout team reps at QB last week that he has earned the elevation this week as a WR. It must be difficult to be so integral to a team's weekly prep and then STILL overlooked as a viable gameday contributor, especially for a vet who was highly drafted and likely sees himself and his value differently.

[Chandler#81]

‘Mutually agree’=
‘Hey! You’re not playing cuz you SUCK!’
“Oh yeah?? Well F you!. I want out!”

[Punching Bag]

11 hours ago, Utah John said:

I think this is right.  The weather is turning colder in Buffalo, he's making a less-than-great salary but still needs to show up for practice every day, and he just wants to hang out where he's comfortable.  But not being on some team's practice squad makes him even less visible than he has been to other teams.  

 

Practice squad money each week is not chicken feed even in these hyperinflation times.  Maybe he wants to be like all of those people who just quit jobs and never started working in COVID era but I doubt he earned enough to do it.  Maybe another team spoke with his agent about wanting him on their practice squad but if so it could violate tampering rules.

[Mango]

12 hours ago, JayBaller10 said:

You could tell in camp that Austin still had a lot of passion for the game and believed he could be a contributor. To have McKenzie go down, Crowder go down, Kumerow go down, and Davis running hobbled, if after all that he still couldn’t get the call up I don’t blame him for leaving.
 

If I was Hodgins and didn’t get called up this week I’d leave too… unless I was content getting PS money.
It’s odd Austin wouldn’t get activated, McD just spoke highly about him as one of the options they had earlier this week.

I agree until the second paragraph. 
 

Austin, a vet can get away with asking to leave. Although I think his career is probably over or super close to it. But Hodgins has spent two years injured and the Bills have kept him around. I’m pretty high on Isaiah, but two years on IR then demanding a release from the PS is likely career suicide. Not to mention, if he can show anything in Buffalo it likely opens a lot of opportunities down the road. 

[MAJBobby]

15 hours ago, KDIGGZ said:

I don't blame him. I'd quit too if 2 slot receivers went down and they still didn't call me up. Better chance of playing elsewhere 

 

Then why through 4 weeks he hasnt signed with any team, if he has a better chance elsewhere?

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

5 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

‘Mutually agree’=
‘Hey! You’re not playing cuz you SUCK!’
“Oh yeah?? Well F you!. I want out!”

🎵"Good luck movin' up, cause I'm movin' out!" 🎶

🚗
(Thread needed a Billy Joel reference. 🤔)

Edited October 6, 2022 by Ridgewaycynic2013
'up', not 'on'! Moran! 🤨

[The Frankish Reich]

20 hours ago, Warcodered said:

Mutually parting ways sounds like how you describe a breakup when it's specifically not mutual.

I imagine there’s a lot of gentlemen’s agreements out there — you’ll agree to take a spot on the PS, and if we don’t elevate you by [date] we won’t get in the way of you finding another home. And maybe even give you a good rec… 

[MJS]

Just now, The Frankish Reich said:

I imagine there’s a lot of gentlemen’s agreements out there — you’ll agree to take a spot on the PS, and if we don’t elevate you by [date] we won’t get in the way of you finding another home. And maybe even give you a good rec… 

Practice squad players are FREE to sign with any team. The team can't get in the way of a player finding another home when they are on the practice squad.

 

This is what I don't get. Obviously, another team has not been interested enough in signing him, so why leave without another opportunity, essentially burning a bridge with the organization who at least wants you around and is paying you? He will probably sign to another team's practice squad, which is no different than his situation was here.

 

Good riddance, honestly.

[Beck Water]

2 hours ago, BUFFALOBART said:

From what I understand, Wegman's doesn't pay nearly as much, as a Practice Squad game check..

 

Yeah, guys on the practice squad all season make $200k/yr (plus medical, life, and disability insurance for themselves and family as I understand it)

 

Average starting salary for a college graduate is $55k a year.  Comp sci and financial sector may make 2x that, but it would be a special sitch to pay $200k a year fresh out of college.

 

19 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

I imagine there’s a lot of gentlemen’s agreements out there — you’ll agree to take a spot on the PS, and if we don’t elevate you by [date] we won’t get in the way of you finding another home. And maybe even give you a good rec… 

 

MJS is correct.  Practice squad players are free agents being paid by the game.  Our team is not obligated to keep paying them, and they are free to sign to the active roster of any other team at any time.

 

They can not be signed from one practice squad to another team's practice squad, however.

 

Per Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN there's something odd going on with Austin, though:

 

 

He's on the Commissioner's Exempt List now?  That ain't the usual designation for a player released from the PS - At All.

Edited October 6, 2022 by Beck Water