I won't speak for anyone else, I have no reason to question his work ethic. He shows up every day, works hard at practice. I just think the issue is he hasn't learned what it takes from the mental side of the game at this level. He has always been able to get by on pure athleticism. And that isn't enough anymore. He is still as dangerous as ever with the ball in his hand in the open field. But it's on him to find a way to make himself more available and gain the trust of the QB.
And by trust, I mean both that he will be where he is suppose to be, when he is supposed to be there, and that he will catch the ball when they throw it to him. What I have seen throughout two training camps, is hestiation on his part when diagnosing coverages, therefore, not always being where he is supposed to be.
One glaring example for me, is when they ask him to run an option route. Like the "arrow" route. This is the same route that Amendola made a living on here. Austin just doesn't run it very well. Last year for example, someone like T.J. Moe continually gets open, and catches the ball in tight spaces, running the exact same route. But when they try to run Austin, he either gets caught up in the traffic, or doesn't get the proper depth on the route. This is what I guess I am trying to say when it comes to "figuring out the mental part of the position.
