Marvin Austin, a talented defensive tackle whose career has been overshadowed by injuries and off-field issues, is heading to Denver.
The Broncos have announced that Austin signed today.
In college at North Carolina, Austin flashed great talent, and heading into his senior season in 2010 he was viewed as a future first-round pick. But at the start of his senior season he was suspended for the entire year as part of the scandal that embroiled the Tar Heels’ football team. There was also talk heading into the draft that NFL teams had concerns about Austin’s character beyond just his alleged violation of school and NCAA rules, and Austin ended up slipping to the second round of the 2011 NFL draft, where he was chosen by the Giants.
Austin missed his entire rookie year after tearing a pectoral muscle in the preseason, and he ended up playing in just eight games with the Giants. He has bounced around the league since then with the Dolphins and Cowboys, but he hasn’t made an impact anywhere.
Now Austin will get a shot at catching on with a new team. He’ll have to compete just to make the 53-man roster in Denver, but for the Broncos, it’s a low-risk signing with potentially significant rewards.