Tavon Austin a forgotten playmaker?

[Ramsey]

We need to draft a receiver by the end of the second round! And I believe we will do just that. Must have another weapon to distract from Cook, Austin, and Stacy. We must stop making it too easy on opposing defenses. Got to score more points! After Stacy make his impressive debut, Seattle piled extra bodies into the box and stopped Stacy dead in his tracks, in game 16.

I love Tavon Austin. The first few games of last season, I felt some silly girl was diagraming plays for Tavon Austin. Don't throw short curl patterns to Tavon. Throw passes to Tavon, as he's moving downfield towards the goal line. If you add Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans, or Odell Beckham Jr. to the Rams arsenal, now you have something to keep defensive coordinators up past their bedtime. Let's say we draft Sammy.

In the backfield you got Bradford and Stacy. Tavon in motion, Watkins and Pettis wide, Cook in the slot. How many defensive players can you put in the box to stop Stacy? Who do you put your 3rd best coverage man on? Watkins? Cook? T. Austin? Pettis? How about your 4th best pass coverage guy?

The opposing defense can't crowd the box. And the defense must put speedy, smaller guys out there to cover our receivers. Stacy will have plenty of running room. Now, throw some uptemp , no huddle into the mix. Defense can't substitute as fast as Rams offense can.

I keep hear tales told about how hot Bradford was at Oklahoma in an untempo no-huddle spread offense. But NO! Don't put Sam Bradford in the environment he thrives in! Don't do that, unless we fall 3 touchdowns behind! Then suddenly Sam Bradford is slinging bulleye's, and the Rams Offense is moving with momentum and rhythm! Too late!

 

[jrry32]

I love Tavon Austin. The first few games of last season, I felt some silly girl was diagraming plays for Tavon Austin. Don't throw short curl patterns to Tavon. Throw passes to Tavon, as he's moving downfield towards the goal line.

The hitch route can be quite effective. The issue is when all you run with Tavon are short routes like the hitch, drag, bubble screen, etc. The DB doesn't worry about getting beat over the top which makes it difficult for Tavon to run him off the route before his break...and that makes it difficult to pick-up YAC.

The hitch can be quite effective due to Tavon's explosiveness, stop/start ability, and cutting ability but you gotta use him on deep routes to back the defender off before you throw it. Same thing with those stupid bubble screens. Can't use the bubble screen when they don't respect the guy's ability to get vertical. Those bubble screens become effective when they are worried that Austin will run right by them and back off.

 

[moklerman]

What about Tavon on one side, Watkins on the other and Givens/Bailey in the slot?

 

[jrry32]

What about Tavon on one side, Watkins on the other and Givens/Bailey in the slot?

What about it? Would be the ideal scenario if we draft Watkins...well...not Givens in the slot. Bailey? Yes.

 

[moklerman]

What about it? Would be the ideal scenario if we draft Watkins...well...not Givens in the slot. Bailey? Yes.

Just seemed like people were trying to shoe-horn someone into the slot position so Givens would remain the starter as one of the outside receivers. I like Bailey better at the slot but Givens still has his speed so he might alternate with Bailey and provide a good 1-2 punch.

 

[jrry32]

Just seemed like people were trying to shoe-horn someone into the slot position so Givens would remain the starter as one of the outside receivers. I like Bailey better at the slot but Givens still has his speed so he might alternate with Bailey and provide a good 1-2 punch.

Givens is too soft and not a good enough route runner. Pettis or Bailey would be the more logical slot option.

 

[kurtfaulk]

We need to draft a receiver by the end of the second round! And I believe we will do just that. Must have another weapon to distract from Cook, Austin, and Stacy. We must stop making it too easy on opposing defenses. Got to score more points! After Stacy make his impressive debut, Seattle piled extra bodies into the box and stopped Stacy dead in his tracks, in game 16.

not really. I keep going back to the panthers game. How difficult did opposing teams find it to move the ball in their house? The rams moved it at will. Bonehead penalties and drops stopped them from putting up huge points against them. They have the fire power to put up huge points, they just need to get it together and I'm sure they will do that this season, as long as the oline performs well.

.

 

[Ramsey]

The hitch route can be quite effective. The issue is when all you run with Tavon are short routes like the hitch, drag, bubble screen, etc. The DB doesn't worry about getting beat over the top which makes it difficult for Tavon to run him off the route before his break...and that makes it difficult to pick-up YAC.

The hitch can be quite effective due to Tavon's explosiveness, stop/start ability, and cutting ability but you gotta use him on deep routes to back the defender off before you throw it. Same thing with those stupid bubble screens. Can't use the bubble screen when they don't respect the guy's ability to get vertical. Those bubble screens become effective when they are worried that Austin will run right by them and back off.

I agree with all that.

 

[nighttrain]

This. When Austin got outside last year, notably against Carolina, he absolutely burned their CBs. He gives you that break the top off the defence threat that Chris Givens is supposed to give us - but doesn't.

What we need as well is a guy who is tall and can fight for balls in the air - as well as being a "playmaker". Like Brian Quick is supposed to be but isn't.

Givens, I think, succumbed to hype from PD and maybe in his own head he thot he was that good. What he found out, you never stop working to improve in the NFL, there's a whole bunch of guys right on your footsteps. My opinion, Givens will bounce back, and be at the very least the deep threat he was in rookie season, and last I heard from Coach Fisher, Quick was improving.
train

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I know people are really high on Sammy Watkins (and I would be on board with drafting him) but I feel like Tavon Austin has been a forgotten man around here. I do have my questions about Austin myself, but I can't deny the guy has a lot of talent and dedication. Manly it's the height that concerns me about him but if Welker can play at 5'9, Austin should be able to play at 5'8 (Bradford is taller then Brady, so hopefully it's no big deal trying to find Austin). The guy has the offseason to really dissect his game and learn more about the offense like the back of his hand (very important to instantly DO something on the field rather then think about it, like he probably had to do as a rookie). Also, if he really dedicates his time to learning defenses, then he'll be able to play much differently then he did in 2013. He'll be able to adjust his routes based off of what the defense is doing (using his amazing quickness and speed!), making Bradford's life much easier and making him a bigger threat. In 2014 it's fair to see him really become that Danny Amendola that Bradford relied on so much, except Austin is much more dangerous with the football then Amendola was.

I think Tavon Austin can replace and do a better job of being our slot WR then Amendola. I think that's enough of a reason for me to lean towards an OL to protect Bradford with our first pick. Again, I wouldn't mind Watkins with our first pick, but I feel like Austin has been a forgotten man around here.

WHO?

 

[leoram]

Stedman Bailey is the forgotten man, IMO. While he doesn't have Tavon's explosiveness, he does have elite hands, runs better routes, and competes for the ball when it's in the air like a champion. Of course, the injury is what stopped Tavon at the end of the season but his role will continue to expand as long as he stops dropping the damn ball. Bad hands are why Givens should only be a backup and good hands and reliable assignments are the only reasons Pettis get reps at all. Quick is the enigma and the only reason many of us look for someone at the top of the draft. I, however, prefer a guy like Ebron as we need a legitimate inline blocking TE to facilitate an elite running game and Ebron is an even better receiver than either Cook or Kendricks-- a true upgrade.

 

[RamsFan14]

Just seemed with this draft coming up, nobody really paid much attention to last years addition with Austin (and Baily too). What makes Austin so good is that he can do multiple things, such as slot, come out of the backfield, and even play outside. I think he'll best be used as a slot WR, but hey who knows. It'll be tough to game plan for him that sounds certain haha.