What is Tavon Austin?

[Loyal]

I'm having a come-to-Jesus-moment about Eric Davis tonight, which may cause the forfeiture of my Ram's Fan card, but the guy agrees with me....lol.

Davis was asked about Austin, and he said what I have always said, Austin is a gadget guy and not a #1 WR. "Forget the Desean Jackson comparisons, because he's a freak." He his not Darren Sproles who is much thicker and sturdier. Austin is a very fast guy with straight speed, but is that worth when he gets hit by a defensive player? When teams see Tavon enter the game, they think a gadget play is coming. "Tavon is an excellent returner...he's like a pinball" and is dangerous that way.

Now if Gurley gets unleashed, this makes Austin more dangerous...which we already know. He has to get gameplanned into the open, according to Davis.

So Davis is dubious about McVay's idea of making Austin into the deep threat WR....

 

[Dxmissile]

I'm not at all. Tavon is a better route runner then people give him credit for and he catches better then people realize. He played in a offenses that really didn't showcase what he can do but if McVay is the genius we all think then Tavon is going to be the weapon he was drafted to be

 

[Loyal]

I'm not at all. Tavon is a better route runner then people give him credit for and he catches better then people realize. He played in a offenses that really didn't showcase what he can do but if McVay is the genius we all think then Tavon is going to be the weapon he was drafted to be

I hope you are right, but my sense is that he doesn't deal well with contact at the line (5 yard cushion). It throws his timing off, and you shouldn't have to scheme a #1 WR open, if he is really a #1 WR.

 

[Dxmissile]

I hope you are right, but my sense is that he doesn't deal well with contact at the line (5 yard cushion). It throws his timing off, and you shouldn't have to scheme a #1 WR open, if he is really a #1 WR.

Yeah I feel you. I don't think he is a number 1 though I don't really consider him as a true wr, but he can definitely play if you watch him at West VA and in some NFL games you can see that he can do it, for some reason the coaching staff didn't have him run a lot of those routes even though he was successful at them

 

[SteezyEndo]

I just hope the wrist won't be an issue. I don't think he is a #1 WR as far as I've seen, but under McVay he may be great TBD...

 

[Loyal]

I just hope the wrist won't be an issue. I don't think he is a #1 WR as far as I've seen, but under McVay he may be great TBD...

I could agree with that..No way to erase that 300 yard + game from my memory....

 

[rams56]

Austin is an offensive weapon pure and simple.... probably not a true no.1 wr. But he is smaller and faster than Jackson with more lateral agility and yes, a smaller catch radius. And he is lighter than Sproles ....but with way more speed. If he runs deep routes then the defense has to respect his speed... not one coach schemed to get him open... they make the defense defend his speed....with fisher it was horizontal streching ... on crossing patterns and wr sweeps.... McVey just wants him to stretch the defenses vertically also.....it's about defending his speed and open field running ability. .... not about scheming him open. And of they don't respect his speed because they think will only be affective on crosses and wr sweeps then that even makes it easier for Austin to get open deep....

Go Rams.......

 

[DCH]

He's a small African American gentleman who runs pretty fast.

 

[Adi]

Tavon has been very limited due to horrible play calling , he was barely ever allowed to run real nfl routes. I believe mcvay makes Tavon into a dangerous player.

 

[Ram65]

McVay needs to have Tavon run various routes. He is every bit as fast as Jackson. He has serviceable hands and is quicker than just about any other player in the league. Here some nice video of Jackson routes that I think Tavon can be successful running. No one expects Tavon to be a No 1 WR. He can stretch the field if given the opportunity. He also can turn a bubble screen into a big play


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-TYVWdTjPU

 

[bnw]

I'm not at all. Tavon is a better route runner then people give him credit for and he catches better then people realize.

I hope so but I've watched every down he's played and I don't see it.

 

[Mojo Ram]

Dangerous punt returner. I'd like to see McVay scheme him a little more into the backfield with Gurley like Cignetti did in 2015. As far as WR goes he might have better success with elevated coaching but i also don't think he'll ever be a true #1 or #2. He would look pretty good in 4 WR sets though as a deep threat.

 

[WvuIN02]

The only people calling Austin a #1 wide receiver, or expecting him to be, are people who dont understand football. Fans have this need to slot a guy based on their draft position being that high as needing to be a #1 and put up those kinds of numbers. Guess what? He isnt, nor will he ever be.

I've posted this before, but the consensus of his biggest fans on WVU forums was low round 1 or early to mid round 2 before that draft. That's a Sneed/Fisher screw up, so please stop taking it out on him. He is not AJ Green or Julio Jones, he really is in his own unique class of player which causes fans headaches because they need to put him in this box or that box. He is the ultimate complementary piece to an offense and can be a threat to score on any play.

That said, I wouldn't have drafted him that high or paid him what they did and Im a huge supporter. But that's the Rams mistake, not his. The Rams were desperate to keep playmakers and overpaid him, hes got a good agent I guess? I dont see him ever putting up Antonio Brown numbers in catches yards etc, but in this offense with other weapons he can not only score but open up the offense for others. He is a one of in the NFL who can be a swiss army knife, but it will take other pieces and a creative offensive mind like McVay to get the most out of his potential. Let's see what happens.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Austin is too small. And that is what keeps him from being defined as anything but a gadget player.I do not like Eric Davis, but he is right on the money. I never liked him as a pro because it was going to be impossible for him to do what he did in college against teams with only one or two good defenders.

He doesn't run good routes and even if he did he is too easily knocked off with a chip by a LBer. He isn't a good slot receiver because he is not able to be physical when needed. His hands are small and his arms are short. Bailey was the better receiver. Austin is the better gadget player that has to be schemer open because he can't just get open when he wants like a Calvin or Julio, or even Taint. He isn't a Steve Smith either. He isn't that tough or good at his craft.

Austin can be good if everything else is clicking. However if everything else is clicking then he has a bit part instead of being the feature. So to me he was never worth trading up for.

As soon as McVay was hired, with his offensive game plan that requires precision route running and full understanding of the game plan, I predicted that this would be Tavon's last, overpaid season with the Rams.

He isn't even As Hakeem quality and what was As? a third round pick?

 

[StealYoGurley]

He is at best the number 3 option on a good offense

 

[rams56]

TA is actually 2 inches shorter than Jackson but at 179 lbs ....4 lbs heavier than Jackson...and 2 100's faster than jackson.....everything you describe as to why TA can't succeed as a true NFL receiver have always been the knock on Jackson......so now I'm even more convinced he can do it........plus all the gadget stuff.......

Go Rams.........

 

[kurtfaulk]

The only people calling Austin a #1 wide receiver, or expecting him to be, are people who dont understand football. Fans have this need to slot a guy based on their draft position being that high as needing to be a #1 and put up those kinds of numbers. Guess what? He isnt, nor will he ever be.

I've posted this before, but the consensus of his biggest fans on WVU forums was low round 1 or early to mid round 2 before that draft. That's a Sneed/Fisher screw up, so please stop taking it out on him. He is not AJ Green or Julio Jones, he really is in his own unique class of player which causes fans headaches because they need to put him in this box or that box. He is the ultimate complementary piece to an offense and can be a threat to score on any play.

That said, I wouldn't have drafted him that high or paid him what they did and Im a huge supporter. But that's the Rams mistake, not his. The Rams were desperate to keep playmakers and overpaid him, hes got a good agent I guess? I dont see him ever putting up Antonio Brown numbers in catches yards etc, but in this offense with other weapons he can not only score but open up the offense for others. He is a one of in the NFL who can be a swiss army knife, but it will take other pieces and a creative offensive mind like McVay to get the most out of his potential. Let's see what happens.

Exactly. He's never gonna carry an offense. Get some playmakers around him and he will tear a defense apart, if he has an oc with some imagination.

.

 

[A.J. Hicks]

I think we'll certainly see Tavon used in that go-route move quite often this season - the Desean Jackson role.

However, the way I undertand Mcvay's offense, the way it sets defenses up and attacks weaknesses.

I can see Tavon being used quite well to create mismatches. You going to shadow him with your number 1 db? A LB? A safety? What about when he moves around the formation?

That is what the entire offensive personal is going to look like. . . Finding the mismatch and exploiting it!

Has Tavon earned his contract or even the accolades of his high draft pick? No. However, imo, before last years season when he signed that extension I fully believed that he could potentially produce enough to earn that contract. Did he? No. It's widely known that our offensive staff was bad last year.

Are people still upset with Tavon's contract if he has 1,200 all purpose yards and 13 TD's? I'm just curious.

I too think if he can't start producing he'll be gone. But this is truly his first opportunity to really be taught how to play the game. And Tavon has shown he is not one to give up in pursuing lofty goals.

 

[CGI_Ram]

If we selected our offensive personnel based on last year's offense, nobody would be back.

Gurley, Goff, Austin... none of them.

Heck, Britt had a statistically good year... and we didn't want him back either.

Austin's contract was front loaded. If he plays well this year, in McVay's offense, his final 4 seasons average $9MM from 2018-2021 and suddenly that looks more appropriate.

I'm not losing any sleep over Tavon Austin, that's for sure.