Rams: West Virginia receivers on different paths (PFF bullcrap)

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Robocop

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https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2014/12/01/rams-west-virginia-receivers-on-different-paths/

- Meh.. PFF bullshit but figured I'd throw it out there to fuel some Tavon support against these guys. Obviously big improvement need made to magnify his skill sets but I really get pissed at these "advanced analytics" they use to try and grade every player in their own little microcosm like there's not a ton of outside variables effecting these stats. w/e bradford comes back and Tavon will be a different man. suck on it PFF. But Bailey is a fucking beast hands down and I expected him to be a clutch receiver since day one.

Rams: West Virginia receivers on different paths

Alex Sinclair | December 1, 2014
  • The St. Louis Rams had high hopes when they drafted West Virginia wide-out Tavon Austineighth overall in 2013. The dynamic Austin was expected to excel in Brian Schottenheimer’s offense, due to its reliance on short, quick passes and Austin’s breakaway speed when in space. Unfortunately, Austin has somewhat struggled so far during his time in St. Louis. He has contributed just 604 receiving yards, 295 rushing yards and eight total touchdowns on his way to an underwhelming -9.5 receiving grade for his career to date. Nor is Austin generating the extra yards with his feet that was expected, his 4.8 yards after catch per reception ranks 41st out of 111 qualifying receivers this year.

However it is the other Mountaineer from the Rams’ 2013 draft class who is impressing right now. Taken in the third round, Stedman Bailey has caught the eye with 15 receptions for 215 yards and one touchdown in the last three games; good for a +6.1 receiving grade. Across that three game span Bailey ran 49.3% of his routes as a Slot Receiver, with a perfect 100% catch rate, and a hugely impressive 3.55 yards per route run. That’s the sort of reliable production that should make Bailey difficult to shift from the line up.
 

NukeRam

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WOW!!! 100% catch rate! Bailey is a total football player too. Remember some of his hits on special teams?
 

Robocop

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WOW!!! 100% catch rate! Bailey is a total football player too. Remember some of his hits on special teams?
had a friend at WVU during those two's playing days and he said Bailey was a steal cus Tavon got the attention for big yard numbers but Bailey was the clutch TD receiver with the best hands.
 

Legatron4

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I hate admitting it because I'm Tavons biggest supporter and he's one of my favorite players on the team but dude, Steadman is just head over heels better then him as a football player.
 

Memphis Ram

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Coming out of college Bailey was clearly the better WR and Austin was the better weapon.
Nothing has changed since.

6a00d8341c652b53ef015391c79429970b-800wi
 

rdlkgliders

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It isn't an unfair assessment although I do believe that TA will still be a very viable multi purpose threat moving forward. He will continue to grow in the offense as all around him better understand his strengths I for one am being very patient with TA and he does affect the game on every play due to the need for the opposing D to account for him.
In Bailey I see flashes of a great WR with very good hands and a knack for finding the seems however I need to see him string together several consistent games before I am entirely sold on his ability to be a top receiver in this league,
 

Big Willie

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[QUOTE=" but figured I'd throw it out there to fuel some Tavon support against these guys. Obviously big improvement need made to magnify his skill sets but I really get pissed at these "advanced analytics" they use to try and grade every player in their own little microcosm like there's not a ton of outside variables effecting these stats. w/e bradford comes back and Tavon will be a different man. suck on it PFF. But Bailey is a freaking beast hands down and I expected him to be a clutch receiver since day one.[/QUOTE]

One of the things I hate about the media is the incessant need to push one person down in an effort to elevate another one. From the moment he arrived in camp, we consistently heard from coaches that Sted ran tremendous routes. This year experts called him the best WR in camp. His football IQ, route running and pass catching ability give him the opportunity to become a tremendous player. Had he been 6'4", he would have been a second round pick. Had Sted been 6'4" and ran a 4.4 forty time, he would have been a top 10 pick. At his size and speed he does not have unique athletic ability.

Tavon has a unique skill that is tied to his speed, quickness and elusiveness. That's why he was a high draft choice. He will have moments of greatness and flash, but he will never be an every down consistent performer like Sted can be. Sted can be like Ike was on the GSOT, Tavon can be like a less fumble prone Az.....and I will take that everyday all day.

They both produce in their own ways. No need to compare them to each other. Statistics be damned.
 

Robocop

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It isn't an unfair assessment although I do believe that TA will still be a very viable multi purpose threat moving forward. He will continue to grow in the offense as all around him better understand his strengths I for one am being very patient with TA and he does affect the game on every play due to the need for the opposing D to account for him.
In Bailey I see flashes of a great WR with very good hands and a knack for finding the seems however I need to see him string together several consistent games before I am entirely sold on his ability to be a top receiver in this league,
i do believe Tavon can take it up a big notch with Bradford next year. Wasnt it Bradford with Tavons huge game against Indy? Schotty might be going back to a spread offense more with a healthy Bradford but also with the ability for a change of pace with the ground game between mason and Tavon again. all of this depending on a seriously upgraded line
 

leoram

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[QUOTE="

Tavon has a unique skill that is tied to his speed, quickness and elusiveness. That's why he was a high draft choice. He will have moments of greatness and flash, but he will never be an every down consistent performer like Sted can be. Sted can be like Ike was on the GSOT, Tavon can be like a less fumble prone Az.....and I will take that everyday all day.

They both produce in their own ways. No need to compare them to each other. Statistics be damned.

I compared Austin to Hakim a month before they were drafted. BTW, he was lucky not to lose two punt return fumbles against the Raiders. It wasn't until they were drafted I compared Bailey to Steve Smith. It's his ultra competitive nature that sets him apart from more athletic players. In that way, I agree with your Ike Bruce reference.
 

kurtfaulk

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i do believe Tavon can take it up a big notch with Bradford next year. Wasnt it Bradford with Tavons huge game against Indy? Schotty might be going back to a spread offense more with a healthy Bradford but also with the ability for a change of pace with the ground game between mason and Tavon again. all of this depending on a seriously upgraded line

nah it was clemens. the colts played man to man, easy pickings for a player like austin to exploit.

.
 

Elmgrovegnome

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Coming out of college Bailey was clearly the better WR and Austin was the better weapon.
Nothing has changed since.

6a00d8341c652b53ef015391c79429970b-800wi

I didn't think Tavon Austin would translate so well to the NFL, but I was advocating Stedman Bailey being picked by the Rams. As you know I kept pointing to Dexter McCluster. Even though they are not the same position player he and Austin share something in common. Both are small, quick and fast. Both dominated at college (moreso for Tavon) because of their unique physical gifts. Thing is many players play very well in college because they have a physical advantage over the rest of the college players. But when they reach the NFL a player needs more than just elite athleticism to have the same level of success. Watching WV play it was clear that Bailey was the better football player and Austin was a playmaker. College playmakers often struggle to find themselves in the NFL because that type of freelance gadget player is not as successfully used against elite NFL defenses. They are often neutralized because the playing field is more even and they have to adjust, become more of a football player or fade away. I hope Tavon can adjust because right now all of his jukes that were making college defenses look silly are not working in the NFL. But he still has time.
 

Robocop

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nah it was clemens. the colts played man to man, easy pickings for a player like austin to exploit.

.
all the more reason it should be easy for Tavon to thrive with the right routes and a gun slinger to throw it
 

Athos

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Studman has always been the more complete WR with the superior routes, elite hands, and FB knowledge. Nothing new.

Austin is more impressive from a physical standpoint. Studman from a football standpoint.
 

JonRam99

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Great posts & discussion! I love this board. :)

Watching Tavon's highlights before he was drafted, I was pretty excited... but then I watched Stedman's, and I was so impressed with his abilities to just plain out-ball the lesser DB's around him, and seeing all the TD's he scored (wayyyy more than Tavon), I knew he'd be a great go-to WR, and he's living up to his hype video so far--the "mountaineer" play earlier this year was nothing short of amazing.

But as for Tavon, how much would this PFF guy be gushing if we didn't have all of Tavon's PR TD's called back??? and I'm pretty sure he had another TD catch called back, as well as an end-around called back. Tavon has had the worst luck on this team. :mad:
 

jap

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Tavon is already showing he can be a matchup nightmare. On Kenny's long TD vs the Broncs, it was Tavon who drew the extra coverage allowing Kenny an easier one-on-one matchup. Tavon's ability space is extremely well known to NFL DC's, and as long as they have to worry about him downfield, he makes things much easier for the other fly guys. Tavon needs an accurate QB to get him the ball while in motion, without slowing down. That's where the dynamic between him and Sam will shine now that the Little Big Man is getting more comfortable with his multiple roles.

Sted drew high praise from the Horns' backup QB's when the visited the WVA campus before the 2013 draft. They came away with the fascinating feeling that throwing to Sted was like throwing to a 6-foot, 3-inch receiver. Sted has been growing in leaps & bounds this season. One wonders what he would look like now at this point with a healthy Sam throwing to him in Game Day situations often.

Both roommates are assets who are only beginning to scratch the surface of their enormous talent. They feed off each other and support each other. Shouldn't their fans be following their example?
 
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I don't think Tavon will ever live up to his draft position, if you get drafted top 10 you should be a 1,000 yard a year guy, not the 4th best WR on the team guy, at the moment Tavon is a very expensive mistake. Would love for him to prove me wrong.
 

mr.stlouis

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I remember being a Hopkins guy during this draft. I remember arguing several times that Bailey was better than Tavon and you wouldn't have to burn a first to get him. But don't get me wrong, I was going crazy in excitement when the Rams pulled off the trade and am not even close to saying it was a bad decision. Schotty figured something out with Tavon last week. If they play off, hit him immediately for a WR screen. Soon they have to cheat up and then Tavon can really go to work.

And defenses NEVER forget when Tavon is on the field. For a guy with underwhelming stats, they have their full focus on him every snap.

Nobody was calling Quick a bust after his burst on the scene.
 

reggae

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https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2014/12/01/rams-west-virginia-receivers-on-different-paths/

- Meh.. PFF bullcrap but figured I'd throw it out there to fuel some Tavon support against these guys. Obviously big improvement need made to magnify his skill sets but I really get pissed at these "advanced analytics" they use to try and grade every player in their own little microcosm like there's not a ton of outside variables effecting these stats. w/e bradford comes back and Tavon will be a different man. suck on it PFF. But Bailey is a freaking beast hands down and I expected him to be a clutch receiver since day one.

Rams: West Virginia receivers on different paths

Alex Sinclair | December 1, 2014
  • The St. Louis Rams had high hopes when they drafted West Virginia wide-out Tavon Austineighth overall in 2013. The dynamic Austin was expected to excel in Brian Schottenheimer’s offense, due to its reliance on short, quick passes and Austin’s breakaway speed when in space. Unfortunately, Austin has somewhat struggled so far during his time in St. Louis. He has contributed just 604 receiving yards, 295 rushing yards and eight total touchdowns on his way to an underwhelming -9.5 receiving grade for his career to date. Nor is Austin generating the extra yards with his feet that was expected, his 4.8 yards after catch per reception ranks 41st out of 111 qualifying receivers this year.

However it is the other Mountaineer from the Rams’ 2013 draft class who is impressing right now. Taken in the third round, Stedman Bailey has caught the eye with 15 receptions for 215 yards and one touchdown in the last three games; good for a +6.1 receiving grade. Across that three game span Bailey ran 49.3% of his routes as a Slot Receiver, with a perfect 100% catch rate, and a hugely impressive 3.55 yards per route run. That’s the sort of reliable production that should make Bailey difficult to shift from the line up.
 

reggae

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At this point, I would have to say this is a fair assessment. Bailey looks to be the slot guy When Quick returns. They have to try and work Austin in. But, I'm souring on him as a punt returner as well.
 

dieterbrock

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If Bailey plays like this all the time, and Tavon can make the occasional highlight reel, it would be fine with me. Basically one guy is playing like the 8th pick in the draft, while the other plays like a 3rd rounder. Just cause they werent drafted that way doenst matter