Rams Set Private Workout with Austin

[iced]

<a class="postlink" href="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/14/austins-pre-draft-tour-ends-with-rams-coming-to-morgantown/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... organtown/</a>

Interest continues to rise in diminutive West Virginia receiver Tavon Austin.

In addition to the Rams, Bengals, Buccaneers, 49ers, and Jets, Austin also will make a final-week visit to the Lions.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Austin will wrap up his pre-draft tour with trips to see the Jets, Lions, and Buccaneers. The Rams also will put him through a private workout in Morgantown.

Some think Austin’s floor will be the Rams at No. 16. He ceiling isn’t clear, given his height.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Smoke screen.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[DR RAM]

Smoke screen.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

You joking?

 

[Stranger]

Smoke screen.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

You joking?

Exactly. To what end would they be smokescreening?

 

[CGI_Ram]

Smoke screen.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

You joking?

Maybe they are pretending to have interest because they like someone else?


Sent from my mom's basement using Tapatalk HD

 

[bluecoconuts]

I think he's likely the pick at 16 if he's there, unless there's a no brainer sitting in front of them. He'll go over Vaccaro because of S depth in this draft if they're both there.

 

[Rabid Ram]

I think he's likely the pick at 16 if he's there, unless there's a no brainer sitting in front of them. He'll go over Vaccaro because of S depth in this draft if they're both there.

There may be depth but I believe there is a big drop in talent after top 2 safteys go

 

[DR RAM]

Smoke screen.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

You joking?

Maybe they are pretending to have interest because they like someone else?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

I just don't believe that we would waste our time and resources if we weren't really interested. I think there is less "pretending" in the NFL than people think, and there is more "due diligence".

If you can come up with a scenario of why we would be smoke-screening, I'd be interested in hearing it.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Smoke screen.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

You joking?

Maybe they are pretending to have interest because they like someone else?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

I just don't believe that we would waste our time and resources if we weren't really interested. I think there is less "pretending" in the NFL than people think, and there is more "due diligence".

If you can come up with a scenario of why we would be smoke-screening, I'd be interested in hearing it.

I think we saw a lot of gamesmanship in the RG3 deal.

And... They kept their interest in Brian Quick tightly under wrap to the point everyone was shocked.

I'm sure your right, there is less pretending... But I think everyone and their neighbor thinks the Rams take Austin at 16. Might as well fan those flames if you got someone else on the radar at that spot.


Sent from my mom's basement using Tapatalk HD

 

[DR RAM]

Smoke screen.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

You joking?

Maybe they are pretending to have interest because they like someone else?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

I just don't believe that we would waste our time and resources if we weren't really interested. I think there is less "pretending" in the NFL than people think, and there is more "due diligence".

If you can come up with a scenario of why we would be smoke-screening, I'd be interested in hearing it.

I think we saw a lot of gamesmanship in the RG3 deal.

And... They kept their interest in Brian Quick tightly under wrap to the point everyone was shocked.

I'm sure your right, there is less pretending... But I think everyone and their neighbor thinks the Rams take Austin at 16. Might as well fan those flames if you got someone else on the radar at that spot.


Sent from my tablet using Tapatalk HD

We fan the flames so that a team will try to jump ahead of us to take Austin? But if we don't want Austin, what does that accomplish? If we don't want Austin, then the player that we want will be there anyway, whether someone jumps us or not. Now, not showing interest could mean that we could find a trade down partner, right? That would make more sense to me. Now consider this:

But it's so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of you: are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet or his enemy's? Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool, you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.


Hard work > Strategy > Gamesmanship > Smokescreen

 

[CGI_Ram]

Smoke screen.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

You joking?

Maybe they are pretending to have interest because they like someone else?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

I just don't believe that we would waste our time and resources if we weren't really interested. I think there is less "pretending" in the NFL than people think, and there is more "due diligence".

If you can come up with a scenario of why we would be smoke-screening, I'd be interested in hearing it.

I think we saw a lot of gamesmanship in the RG3 deal.

And... They kept their interest in Brian Quick tightly under wrap to the point everyone was shocked.

I'm sure your right, there is less pretending... But I think everyone and their neighbor thinks the Rams take Austin at 16. Might as well fan those flames if you got someone else on the radar at that spot.


Sent from my tablet using Tapatalk HD

We fan the flames so that a team will try to jump ahead of us to take Austin? But if we don't want Austin, what does that accomplish?

Every player drafted in front of us, that we do not have interest, slides another player down?

Sent from my mom's basement using Tapatalk HD

 

[DR RAM]

Who would you be targeting? If you were the GM, CGI?

 

[CGI_Ram]

Who would you be targeting? If you were the GM, CGI?

Lol... Austin. And I'm being serious.

But if they wanted someone to fall to them;

Vaccaro, Jones, Cooper, Warmack, Fluker?

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[PhxRam]

Smoke screen.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

You joking?

Maybe they are pretending to have interest because they like someone else?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

I just don't believe that we would waste our time and resources if we weren't really interested. I think there is less "pretending" in the NFL than people think, and there is more "due diligence".

If you can come up with a scenario of why we would be smoke-screening, I'd be interested in hearing it.

Exactly.. I think these are just smoke-screens for the smoke-screen

 

[CGI_Ram]

Exactly.. I think these are just smoke-screens for the smoke-screen

Do you believe teams try to throw other teams off?


Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[-X-]

Sure there are smoke screens. I don't know that having Austin in for a private workout is a smoke screen, necessarily, but you just never know. Every team is trying to fuck up every other team around this time of year as far as I'm concerned.

NFL draft smoke screens make it hard to know what teams think
... as written by Ian Rappoport of NFL.com

<a class="postlink" href="http://wap.nfl.com/news/0ap1000000155253/nfl-draft-smoke-screens-make-it-hard-to-know-what-teams-think/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://wap.nfl.com/news/0ap100000015525 ... ams-think/</a>

 

[Memphis Ram]

Didn't WR Stedman Bailey go to West Virginia, too? Might he be at this private workout?

 

[-X-]

Didn't WR Stedman Bailey go to West Virginia, too? Might he be at this private workout?

Hmmm.

 

[DR RAM]

Sure there are smoke screens. I don't know that having Austin in for a private workout is a smoke screen, necessarily, but you just never know. Every team is trying to fuck up every other team around this time of year as far as I'm concerned.

NFL draft smoke screens make it hard to know what teams think
... as written by Ian Rappoport of NFL.com

<a class="postlink" href="http://wap.nfl.com/news/0ap1000000155253/nfl-draft-smoke-screens-make-it-hard-to-know-what-teams-think/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://wap.nfl.com/news/0ap100000015525 ... ams-think/</a>

That was an example of collusion, not a smoke-screen.

Sure, nobody wants another team to know what they are going to do, but not everybody's board is the same either. I think most teams can smell a smoke-screen, but where we are picking, it'd be hard to accomplish anything. Last year, we scored, but not because of a smoke-screen, but because we were in a unique position.

We would accomplish more not showing interest in somebody at where we are picking, or just putting it out there that we are a willing trade partner, which we have already put out there.

Seems to me that because we have a need, and the players value appears to already be there that teams would assume, just as most everyone has, that if they really want Austin, they would have to trade ahead of us to get him. Our smokescreen really wouldn't do anything for us, but if we said we were not in love with him then we could benefit from a team that wants him by trading down to jump in front of the Steelers who also have a big need at WR.

And yes, watching Bailey again would make more sense if we were trying to fool someone, but our need is so great, we really are not going to fool anyone if we don't address the WR in any prior round. Because of that, we may have to be the team that has to go get the player that we want.

 

[jrry32]

Smoke screen.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

You joking?

Maybe they are pretending to have interest because they like someone else?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

I just don't believe that we would waste our time and resources if we weren't really interested. I think there is less "pretending" in the NFL than people think, and there is more "due diligence".

If you can come up with a scenario of why we would be smoke-screening, I'd be interested in hearing it.

I think we saw a lot of gamesmanship in the RG3 deal.

And... They kept their interest in Brian Quick tightly under wrap to the point everyone was shocked.

I'm sure your right, there is less pretending... But I think everyone and their neighbor thinks the Rams take Austin at 16. Might as well fan those flames if you got someone else on the radar at that spot.


Sent from my mom's basement using Tapatalk HD

I'm not buying it, CGI. The Rams aren't going to waste their time going to Morgantown to work the kid out for a smokescreen. As you said, everyone and their mother already links Austin to us. What is there to gain? We had him in for a visit and everyone thinks we're going to take him. The private workout wasn't necessary to put the thought in their minds.

As for Quick, he was a 2nd rounder though...bit of a different scenario.

I think there's a lot less pretending than is believed. Teams are pretty straight forward with things. They aren't going to waste valuable time and workouts/visits that are capped trying to trick other teams too often imo. Scout your guys, know who you want and have contingency plans if they aren't there.

The draft is all about evaluation and strategy...the smoke-screens really aren't all that necessary unless you think there's a special talent that is seriously underrated and don't want to tip your hand. And in that case, it's less about smoke-screens and more about just not letting the other teams see your cards.