Who's got ESPN INsider?

[-X-]

I let my subscription lapse, because there was about 1 Rams article per year.
If anyone has it, could you post the rest of this article?

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Rookie Review: Tavon Austin

By Kevin Weidl | ESPN.com
http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/nfl-draft/post/_/id/1539/1539

Tavon Austin was one of the most talked about prospects heading into April’s draft. The pint-sized receiver (5-foot-8, 174 pounds) from West Virginia was heralded by many as one of the most electrifying playmakers from the 2013 class.

Entering his senior season, there was talk about Austin maybe working his way into the first-round mix. He put together a tremendous senior year in which he accumulated 2,917 total yards while adding 17 touchdowns in a variety of manners -- receiving, rushing and on special teams as a returner. He combined that with a strong pre-draft process during which he confirmed the speed he had displayed on tape by clocking in with the second-fastest 40-yard dash (4.34). The St. Louis Rams traded with the Buffalo Bills from No. 16 to No. 8 to take Austin.

What made Austin unique coming out of West Virginia was his rare combination of lateral quickness and top-end speed. On tape, he was able to effortlessly weave in and out of traffic and was a threat to deliver a home run from anywhere on the field. Austin also brought excellent versatility, which was seen in last year's Oklahoma game, when he lined up at running back for the first time in his career and manufactured 344 yards rushing and two touchdowns. I attended that game, and it was the best individual performance I have seen live, as Austin registered a Big 12-record 572 total yards of offense against the Sooners.

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[Agamemnon]

Landry Jones tosses 6 TD passes as Sooners avoid upset

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Associated Press
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia couldn't stop Oklahoma's Landry Jones. Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey ran circles around the Sooners' defense.

In a wild finish, Jones got the last laugh.

More From SoonerNation

Thanks to Landry Jones' final drive in Saturday's win over West Virginia, the senior has his first-ever, come-from-behind, late-game-winning drive, writes Jake Trotter. Story

Jones' 5-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Stills with 24 seconds left lifted Oklahoma (No. 12 BCS, No. 13 AP) to a 50-49 win over West Virginia on Saturday night.

Jones finished with 554 yards passing to break his own school record. His six TD passes tied another mark he holds. He needed a terrific game to offset the performances of Austin and Bailey.

Austin rushed for a school-record 344 yards and set a Big 12 record with 572 all-purpose yards. Bailey had 13 catches for 205 yards and four touchdowns.

"I'm incredibly proud of the team for holding it together as they did and to come back," said Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops. "Landry Jones, to lead those drives at the end of the game, such great precision and execution throwing strikes. (The) receivers made tough competitive catches and all of it together was really pleasing to come back and win away from home."

Oklahoma (8-2, 6-1 Big 12) had its conference title chances revived with Kansas State's 52-24 loss to Baylor.

"It proves in this league, you can get beat by anybody on any given day, and every team in this league has the capability of beating you if you don't come out to play," Jones said.

The Wildcats (10-1, 7-1) beat the Sooners earlier this season and can still clinch the league's automatic Bowl Championship Series berth with a win on Dec. 1 against Texas or with another Oklahoma loss.

More From ESPN.com

Looking for more information on this game? Check out our blogs for Instant Analysis.

• Big 12 blog

Oklahoma has games left against Oklahoma State next Saturday and at TCU on Dec. 1. Any loss also would eliminate the Sooners from consideration for an at-large BCS bowl berth.

Oklahoma improved to 4-0 in road games this season. The Sooners also beat Texas at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

It marked the first time in 16 tries that Oklahoma overcame a fourth-quarter deficit to win dating to 2007. The win moved Stoops within 10 of Barry Switzer's school record of 157.

"They ended up making one more play than we did," West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said.

West Virginia (5-5, 2-5) lost its fifth straight game. After starting the season 5-0, the Mountaineers are still searching for an elusive sixth one to become bowl eligible.

The losing streak is the Mountaineers' worst since they lost six straight in 1986. It also was West Virginia's third loss at home this season. The last time that occurred was 2001.

The teams combined for 1,440 yards. The 778 yards surrendered by Oklahoma were the most in school history, surpassing the 616 yards allowed in a loss to Baylor last year.

West Virginia has failed to reach 100 yards rushing in its previous three games, so Holgorsen stuck Austin, a wide receiver, in the backfield.

"They just finally gave me the chance and I just took advantage of it," Austin said.

More on Oklahoma

For full coverage of the Sooners, check out the Oklahoma blog, part of ESPN's College Football Nation. Blog
More:
• Oklahoma's clubhouse page
• ESPN.com's Big 12 blog

Austin broke the rushing mark of 337 yards set by Kay-Jay Harris against East Carolina in 2004. He also topped the Big 12 all-purpose yards mark of 375 set by Hollis Mitchell of Texas in 2000 against Kansas and the school record of 356 set by Garrett Ford against Pittsburgh in 1965.

Stoops called Austin's performance one of the best he's seen in the Big 12.

"He's right up there with anybody," Stoops said.

Geno Smith went 20 of 35 for 320 yards and four scores for the Mountaineers. He became the first quarterback to surpass 300 yards against the Sooners this season.

Oklahoma couldn't hang onto a 31-17 halftime lead. The teams combined for 31 points in the fourth quarter, including four touchdowns over the final seven minutes.

Austin's 54-yard run, plus a pair of Oklahoma penalties on the play, gave West Virginia the ball at the Oklahoma 8. Smith then lofted a ball that Bailey caught in the left corner of the end zone, and the Mountaineers had their first lead at 43-38 with 7:12 left.

Stills finished with 10 catches for 91 yards and four scores. His 7-yard TD grab with 4:10 left gave the lead back to the Sooners, only to have Bailey cap a three-play, 92-yard drive with a 40-yard TD grab with 2:53 left, his third of the quarter.

That was plenty of time for the Sooners, who took over at their 46 after Brennan Clay's long kickoff return.

Jones hit Justin Brown with a 36-yard pass. A 10-yarder to Brown put the ball at the West Virginia 14. On fourth-and-3 at the 5, Jones changed the play at the line and found Stills on a slant for the go-ahead score.

"Landry audibled out to for the touchdown and Kenny ran a great route," Stoops said. "He fought his way to the inside position and those are tough catches."

Smith's desperation pass as time ran out fell incomplete just short of the end zone.

I don't pay for espn, but is this what you wanted? I just clicked on the link.

 

[Agamemnon]

ESPN.com: NFL Draft [Print without images]

Monday, November 18, 2013 Rookie Review: Tavon Austin
By Kevin Weidl

Yes, there are times where it seems as if the Rams' Tavon Austin can fly.
Tavon Austin was one of the most talked about prospects heading into April’s draft. The pint-sized receiver (5-foot-8, 174 pounds) from West Virginia was heralded by many as one of the most electrifying playmakers from the 2013 class.

Entering his senior season, there was talk about Austin maybe working his way into the first-round mix. He put together a tremendous senior year in which he accumulated 2,917 total yards while adding 17 touchdowns in a variety of manners -- receiving, rushing and on special teams as a returner. He combined that with a strong pre-draft process during which he confirmed the speed he had displayed on tape by clocking in with the second-fastest 40-yard dash (4.34). The St. Louis Rams traded with the Buffalo Bills from No. 16 to No. 8 to take Austin.

What made Austin unique coming out of West Virginia was his rare combination of lateral quickness and top-end speed. On tape, he was able to effortlessly weave in and out of traffic and was a threat to deliver a home run from anywhere on the field. Austin also brought excellent versatility, which was seen in last year's Oklahoma game, when he lined up at running back for the first time in his career and manufactured 344 yards rushing and two touchdowns. I attended that game, and it was the best individual performance I have seen live, as Austin registered a Big 12-record 572 total yards of offense against the Sooners.

Austin’s knack for creating splash plays in college placed high expectations on him coming into the season. He finally delivered what general manager Les Snead and the Rams organization had been waiting for in a 38-8 road victory over Indianapolis in Week 10. Austin pulled in two catches, both for touchdowns, of 81 yards and 57 yards while adding a 98-yard punt return for a touchdown. All three of Austin’s touchdowns were a direct result of his ability to create with the ball in his hands.

It would be easy to sit back and say Austin had been a disappointment leading up to his performance against Indianapolis, but when stepping back and taking a second look, that isn’t necessarily the case. First, going into the Indianapolis game, Austin was tied for second with the Houston Texans' DeAndre Hopkins and the New England Patriots' Aaron Dobson for receptions among rookie receivers with 31 -- behind only Keenan Allen of San Diego with 32 receptions.

Second, digging into the tape revealed that Austin had several big plays negated by penalties, including an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown in Week 3 against Dallas and a 64-yard touchdown reception against Carolina in Week 7. In addition, there have been several instances where Austin was cut loose by coverage, but QBs Sam Bradford and Kellen Clemens failed to locate him.

Austin can continue to improve working on avoiding traffic with routes, eliminating a few drops and maintaining better ball security. Austin lacks ideal size and strength and is easily knocked off routes. He must do a better job of keeping the ball tight to his body after the catch as defenders close quicker and have more awareness for ripping the ball loose at the NFL level.

Austin’s performance against Indianapolis has to get Snead the Rams' front office excited for what appears to be a promising 2013 draft class. OLB Alec Ogletree, who was taken with their second first-round pick (30th overall), needs more seasoning but has flashed the athleticism and playmaking ability that made him intriguing out of Georgia. Third-round pick Stedman Bailey, who was Austin’s teammate at West Virginia, has come on as of late and is beginning to contribute, while fifth-round pick RB Zac Stacy has already brought great return out of Vanderbilt, rushing for 537 yards and three touchdowns.

The loss of Bradford to a torn Achilles against Carolina was a tough blow, as he had been playing some of his best football the two games prior. Snead may look to add another quarterback to the roster for depth this offseason from a 2014 draft class that might not have the talent at the top as the 2012 class but is shaping up to be one of the deepest in recent history.

Or this?

 

[-X-]

No, the rest of the article I posted.

 

[CGI_Ram]

I'm an insider.

I'm on my phone, however... let me see what I can do.

 

[CGI_Ram]

AP Photo/Darron Cummings
Yes, there are times where it seems as if the Rams' Tavon Austin can fly.
Tavon Austin was one of the most talked about prospects heading into April's draft. The pint-sized receiver (5-foot-8, 174 pounds) from West Virginia was heralded by many as one of the most electrifying playmakers from the 2013 class.

Entering his senior season, there was talk about Austin maybe working his way into the first-round mix. He put together a tremendous senior year in which he accumulated 2,917 total yards while adding 17 touchdowns in a variety of manners -- receiving, rushing and on special teams as a returner. He combined that with a strong pre-draft process during which he confirmed the speed he had displayed on tape by clocking in with the second-fastest 40-yard dash (4.34). The St. Louis Rams traded with the Buffalo Bills from No. 16 to No. 8 to take Austin.

What made Austin unique coming out of West Virginia was his rare combination of lateral quickness and top-end speed. On tape, he was able to effortlessly weave in and out of traffic and was a threat to deliver a home run from anywhere on the field. Austin also brought excellent versatility, which was seen in last year's Oklahoma game, when he lined up at running back for the first time in his career and manufactured 344 yards rushing and two touchdowns. I attended that game, and it was the best individual performance I have seen live, as Austin registered a Big 12-record 572 total yards of offense against the Sooners.

Austin's knack for creating splash plays in college placed high expectations on him coming into the season. He finally delivered what general manager Les Snead and the Rams organization had been waiting for in a 38-8 road victory over Indianapolis in Week 10. Austin pulled in two catches, both for touchdowns, of 81 yards and 57 yards while adding a 98-yard punt return for a touchdown. All three of Austin's touchdowns were a direct result of his ability to create with the ball in his hands.

It would be easy to sit back and say Austin had been a disappointment leading up to his performance against Indianapolis, but when stepping back and taking a second look, that isn't necessarily the case. First, going into the Indianapolis game, Austin was tied for second with the Houston Texans' DeAndre Hopkins and the New England Patriots' Aaron Dobson for receptions among rookie receivers with 31 -- behind only Keenan Allen of San Diego with 32 receptions.

Second, digging into the tape revealed that Austin had several big plays negated by penalties, including an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown in Week 3 against Dallas and a 64-yard touchdown reception against Carolina in Week 7. In addition, there have been several instances where Austin was cut loose by coverage, but QBs Sam Bradford and Kellen Clemens failed to locate him.

Austin can continue to improve working on avoiding traffic with routes, eliminating a few drops and maintaining better ball security. Austin lacks ideal size and strength and is easily knocked off routes. He must do a better job of keeping the ball tight to his body after the catch as defenders close quicker and have more awareness for ripping the ball loose at the NFL level.

Austin's performance against Indianapolis has to get Snead the Rams' front office excited for what appears to be a promising 2013 draft class. OLB Alec Ogletree, who was taken with their second first-round pick (30th overall), needs more seasoning but has flashed the athleticism and playmaking ability that made him intriguing out of Georgia. Third-round pickStedman Bailey, who was Austin's teammate at West Virginia, has come on as of late and is beginning to contribute, while fifth-round pick RB Zac Stacy has already brought great return out of Vanderbilt, rushing for 537 yards and three touchdowns.

The loss of Bradford to a torn Achilles against Carolina was a tough blow, as he had been playing some of his best football the two games prior. Snead may look to add another quarterback to the roster for depth this offseason from a 2014 draft class that might not have the talent at the top as the 2012 class but is shaping up to be one of the deepest in recent history.

 

[RamFan503]

No, the rest of the article I posted.

Isn't the second one he posted IT?

 

[-X-]

Isn't the second one he posted IT?

Yeah, I see that now. It didn't look like that on my phone at the time I was reading this thread though.
I smell a little trickeration afoot.

 

[RamFan503]

Yeah, I see that now. It didn't look like that on my phone at the time I was reading this thread though.
I smell a little trickeration afoot.

:yousure:

 

[OnceARam]

The article says that Bradford hurt his achilles...? Regardless, I'm glad to see TA getting some much deserved love after a great performance against the Colts.

 

[OkieRamFan]

I watched that OU vs WV game. Austin was absolutely unstoppable that day. I was pleased to see him drafted by the Rams. I suspect that we will see more days like the colt game for Mr Austin in the future.