With an open spot because of Kendrick Bourne’s season-ending injury, New England scoured the practice squads of other teams, looking for a player who might be able to help them in the short and long term. On Thursday, the Patriots made news and filled out their 53-man roster, signing cornerback Alex Austin.
Austin is a rookie originally drafted in the seventh round by the Bills last year, and after he was released by Buffalo on August 29, he was signed by Houston and started the season on the Texans roster. Houston waived him and put him on the practice squad in Week 5.
He was released from the Texans’ practice squad on Tuesday. Austin starred in college with Oregon State, where he recorded 141 tackles, one sack, four interceptions and three fumbles in four seasons. He was twice named an Honorable Mention for the All-Pac 12 team.
He also has deep connections with the franchise, he noted, so the Patriots roster news was a nice surprise. Austin grew up with Patriots corner Jack Jones and his mother is close with legendary linebacker Willie McGinest—he is not actually related, but Austin said he calls McGinest his, “uncle.”
“My uncle, Willie McGinest, actually was in the Super Bowl,” Austin said on Thursday after arriving in Foxborough. “He was a winner here with the Patriots, three-time champ, so to be able to have that in my family and be able to be here in New England is a blessing. Happy, great franchise, great defense, great coaching staff. Ready to work.”
CB @kinnggalex, signed by the Patriots today, explains his special connection to the franchise — his “uncle” is @WillieMcGinest.
Alex Austin Hoping to Find Home on Patriots Roster
It has been odd, though, that Alex Austin has not been able to find a consistent roster spot before New England. When he was coming into the 2023 draft, he was projected to be a mid-round pick, maybe as high as the fourth round.
After the draft analyst Greg Cosell of NFL Films, said he was surprised Austin was still on the board in the seventh round.
During an appearance on One Bills Live in May, “I watched this guy and I kept thinking to myself, ‘What’s the difference between this guy and a guy taken in the fourth round?’
“I thought he played zone really, really well which … not a lot a lot of college corners coming to the NFL really understanding zone. I thought he had great awareness of routes. Excellent eye discipline … Now, I’m not suggesting this guy could start at outside corner this year, but I think down the road this guy has starter traits in the NFL.”
That’s good news for the Patriots roster.
Secondary Injuries Piling Up
The Patriots need help on the back end of the defense, with Myles Bryant and Jonathan Jones both limited in practice this week. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, a rival of Austin in college (Gonzalez went to Oregon), is out for the year. It could be that Austin gets action not long after signing on to the Patriots roster.
His connections to the franchise and potential are a nice side note, but he is on his third team in three months. According to NFL.com’s predraft scouting report on Austin, consistency could be a problem:
“Austin’s size, length and football IQ work in his favor, but there is a lack of consistency with his man coverage that could limit the way NFL teams use him. He’s decent at mirroring the release from press but struggles to stay in-phase with quality route runners. He plays with below-average top-end speed and recovery burst in man coverage, but his instincts and awareness take him where he needs to go from off-man and zone coverage.”
Now that he is on the Patriots roster, Austin will get the chance to prove that wrong.
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Patriots Sign 22-Year-Old Rookie CB With ‘Starter Traits’ to Roster