The Giants decided to chase speed, not a perfect replica, when they moved on from Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency.
Calvin Austin III agreed to a one-year contract worth up to $4.5 million, and New York Post reporter Ryan Dunleavy said on the Talkin’ Giants podcast that the team sees Austin as Robinson’s replacement after Robinson signed with Tennessee.
Austin brings a different profile than the player he’s being asked to replace. He has appeared in 48 NFL games with 16 starts, totaling 84 receptions for 1,100 yards and eight receiving touchdowns.
He has also added 639 punt-return yards and one touchdown. The Giants are betting that a bigger role in New York can unlock more than the limited part he played in Pittsburgh.
That’s where the appeal starts. Austin is faster than Robinson, more of a threat to stretch the field, and less established as a volume slot option.
Robinson caught 92 passes last season, but much of that work came near the line of scrimmage. Austin, by contrast, has averaged 13.1 yards per catch over his first four seasons and has the kind of burst that can force defenses to respect the deep ball.
The fit is broader than just one spot, too. Austin can line up in the slot, work outside and handle punt returns, giving John Harbaugh another way to create field position without tying him to a single job.
Still, the price and the replacement label aren’t quite the same thing. Austin has never had more than 36 catches in a season, while Robinson finished last year with 92 receptions for 1,014 yards. The Giants still need someone who can win the short, steady routes that keep an offense moving.
Austin doesn’t need to mirror Robinson exactly if his speed turns into explosive plays. What he does need is health, Jaxson Dart’s trust and proof that he can handle a bigger load than a specialty role.
For now, the Giants have made a low-cost wager on a player with a clear NFL trait. Camp and the preseason will tell the rest of the story.
In Other News...
Odell Beckham Jr. Is Making The Giants Face A Real Roster Decision
Odell Beckham Jr. spent the entire 2025 season unsigned, but he is back in Giants camp on a one-year veteran-minimum contract and already working with the first team. For a team sorting through the bottom of its receiver depth chart, that matters. Beckham is no longer just a familiar name in the building; he has become part of a genuine competition for one of the final spots on the 53-man roster, and his work this summer is forcing the staff to treat the decision like more than a nostalgic reunion.
The larger wrinkle is how practical this all has become. New York did not commit much to the move, and there is no guarantee the roster path stays open just because Beckham once mattered so much here. If his camp work keeps holding up, the Giants will have to decide whether the upside and experience are enough to justify carrying him, or whether the final receiver cut comes down to something a lot less sentimental. [Read more 🡒]
Giants May Have Found The Defensive Duo Theyve Been Missing
The Giants are looking at a new way to tighten up the middle of their defense, and it starts with linebackers Arvell Reese and Tremaine Edmunds sharing the field. Reese, the rookie and former fifth overall pick, gives New York a fast, versatile piece who can move around the formation, while Edmunds brings the kind of experience and communication that can steady everything behind him.
For a defense that wants to make quarterbacks think twice before snapping the ball, the appeal is obvious. The idea is to use both players to create uncertainty by blending pass-rush and coverage responsibilities, giving the Giants more flexibility in how they line up and attack. If the pairing develops the way the team hopes, it could become one of the more useful adjustments in the defenses mix this season. [Read more 🡒]