Tavon Austin Traded
- Thread starter VeteranRamFan
- Start date
-
To unlock all of features of Rams On Demand please take a brief moment to register. Registering is not only quick and easy, it also allows you access to additional features such as live chat, private messaging, and a host of other apps exclusive to Rams On Demand.
Arms length buyer and seller....agreed upon a 6th round pick. Open - free market transaction.
So, even though you and I (yes I agree with you-felt he was worth more) 'thought' he was worth more than a 6th round pick, clearly he is not.
Unfortunately, many of the posters here will never see it your way. They look at Tavon as a failure. However, who actually failed?
How can you move up to draft a mercurial talent like Austin and not! have or develop a sound plan on how to use him properly? You cannot! just try to turn him loose on an offensive poor team with no real complimentary pieces to limit the focus NFL DCs were bound to employ against him. NFL defenses have a long history to trying to defense the likes of Gale Sayers, Barry Sanders, the father/son combo of Terry/Eric Metcalf, our own Marshall Faulk, etc. They know they have to flood the field around such game breaking talent with as many defenders as possible to stop such a talent from trashing your game plan.
To claim that the Horns have replaced Tavon's talent is to show one's ignorance of the same. Tavon and every one of the special players I listed in the paragraph above share the same dynamic trait: elite or near elite speed combined with elite quickness (i.e., acceleration, change of direction speed, etc.)---a dynamite combination that virtually every NFL DC (save the hapless Colt DC during Tavon's rookie season) felt obligated to contain by any means necessary. As it is, Todd Gurley is the closest Horn to Tavon in combining speed with near elite quickness, and even he does not approach Tavon in sheer speed. Still, both possess the ability to take the rock to the house on any given play.
Our own Isaac Bruce had some of Tavon's special combo trait. He literally could make 90-degree cuts at full speed, a skill that allowed him gain separation with relative ease compared to most receivers. Isaac literally had to be double and triple-teamed early in his career (when he still had all of his original speed) because he was considered virtually un-coverable by a single CB. Former Pittsbergh WR, Lynn Swann, made the sliding catch his signature move. However, in his early years, Isaac made more sliding catches in a single season than Lynn ever did in his entire career. It was no accident that Isaac corralled 119 passes for over 1700 yards in his sophomore season. This is why I so wanted Tavon to learn how to run routes properly from Isaac himself . . . so he could translate that incredible electric instinctive quickness to designed pass routes and gain easy separation to make up for his average hands.
It is obvious that the Fisher regime failed Tavon. Tavon contributed to his failure to maximize his own success as well in that it appears he clearly did not know who to work with to maximize his own special gifts. It is possible that Sean could have resuscitated Tavon's effectiveness to a more consistent degree had Tavon remained healthy. However, the death knell for Tavon was the wrist injury he sustained last off-season, which prevented him from getting truly involved with Sean's offensive scheming last year. I believe concern of that surgically repaired wrist contributed mightily to the muffs on punt returns last season.
Despite the unprecedented move to retain Tavon by the Horns, the need to add pieces to the evolving offense/defensive/special teams plans outweighed the experimentation required to get the best out of Tavon. Dallas saw him as an answer to their own special needs and moved to obtained him. In the end, the game is a business, and Tavon had not shown enough to become un-expendable in Sean's offense as yet.
All the best to our former Little Big Man has he moves on to cowboy country. I just hope we never have to see his best against us in the future.
Truth is TA failed here. Couldn't run crisp routes, had a hard time understanding the playbook, lost his return job by mishandling balls. Nice he gets a new start somewhere else
The only person who wasted talent was Austin. Fisher didn't help, but Fisher didn't prevent him from learning how to catch or run routes. And Fisher certainly didn't make him drop punts last year.
Exactly. I'm hoping they were up front about the possibility of trading him when they restructured, but that's actually irrelevant. Every player should know they could be traded, and his new deal would make him very attractive for a new team from a cap standpoint.
Austin didn't really have a skill set, just speed and instincts. Your point stands, he can be replaced well by those players.
Me too. As long as the players keep the perspective that "we" is the team and understand that all the moves were for the good of the team, I think they'll be fine. If they think the "we" is the collection of people who identify as a "me", then they might get upset. Team success over individual success, not team success with the current individuals over individual success.
There it is.
At his absolute best he would be a good second string running back. He's not a WR, just like you said. But even as a second string running back, there's a lot he isn't able to do.
He can't run routes, he can't catch well, and he can't run up the gut. He's exceptionally tiny, so pass blocking is going to have some limitations.
He has open field instincts and speed, but no skill set. Without skills to get him in the open field, his natural traits of speed and instincts won't get him anywhere.
I can stop pretending he's terrible if others will stop pretending that his success was anything more than a fluke, one year wonder that hasn't been and probably won't be repeated.
Elmgrovegnome
Legend
With the additions of Travin and Travon, trading Tavon made sense. There would have been too much confusion in camp.
.
After the way they treated tavon the rams shouldn't be looking for players to do them any favours anymore.
.
After the way they treated tavon the rams shouldn't be looking for players to do them any favours anymore.
.
Dude. None of that even matters. It's all about the money. Tavon is no victim, dude's been paid and paid well.
Rams haven't been gettin breaks from the players for that matter either. We've lost just about every good player that comes up for contract.
I never said he was a victim. He made his money and more. But the next time they ask a player to take a pay cut he's gonna tell them to shove it.
.
Possibly, but they also may realize the Rams did him a solid in trading him to a team that needs WR and 3rd down back help. He's in one of the few spots that wanted him and need him. This might be for the best for Tavon because his snaps declined last year and with the trade for Cooks and drafting of Kelly they were likely to go down even more again.
Personally, I am glad that Tavon is gone, he summed up everything wrong with the Fisher era - shouldn't have traded up, shouldn't have extended him to a huge deal, should have held him more accountable
This said, Dallas is a great spot for him and I wish him well, just not against us
This said, Dallas is a great spot for him and I wish him well, just not against us
I was all for trading him but tavon with a broken leg is worth more that a 6rh.
Not sure how mcvay could not find a way to make him useful.
How he turns his career around and shows that explosiveness again.
Not sure how mcvay could not find a way to make him useful.
How he turns his career around and shows that explosiveness again.
Dieter the Brock
Fourth responder
I'm going to miss the Tavon Austin discussions.
Tavon gets a chance to be a part of the Dallas offense. Who knows maybe he helps beat the Eagles which helps the Rams with home field advantage. Rams weren't going to give him that many opportunities.
The Rams might have gamed him some on the contract but, we don't know the details. Had the Rams cut him IIRC he had 5 Million guaranteed money coming to him. A veteran minimum salary for 5 years of service is $790,000.
https://landryfootball.com/understanding-nfl-minimum-salaries-veteran-cap-benefit-rule-free/
Had he been a free agent how much would a team offer him? Depends how many teams had real interest. He probably would be in the same neighborhood as he is going to make now, 7-8 Million for the year. Darn confusing what the Rams save with the trade. Here it says 1 Million which they can use. The Rams are up against the cap max so it helps.
https://theramswire.usatoday.com/20...s-rams-tavon-austin-salary-cap-trade-cowboys/
I'm going to miss Tavon running with the ball for the Rams. He was exciting to watch. His production being down and the Rams getting Cooks for jet sweeps (Cooper too) his roster spot can go somewhere else that is needed. The end of Tavon Austin's Rams career looks like the best thing for everyone.
Tavon gets a chance to be a part of the Dallas offense. Who knows maybe he helps beat the Eagles which helps the Rams with home field advantage. Rams weren't going to give him that many opportunities.
The Rams might have gamed him some on the contract but, we don't know the details. Had the Rams cut him IIRC he had 5 Million guaranteed money coming to him. A veteran minimum salary for 5 years of service is $790,000.
https://landryfootball.com/understanding-nfl-minimum-salaries-veteran-cap-benefit-rule-free/
Had he been a free agent how much would a team offer him? Depends how many teams had real interest. He probably would be in the same neighborhood as he is going to make now, 7-8 Million for the year. Darn confusing what the Rams save with the trade. Here it says 1 Million which they can use. The Rams are up against the cap max so it helps.
https://theramswire.usatoday.com/20...s-rams-tavon-austin-salary-cap-trade-cowboys/
I'm going to miss Tavon running with the ball for the Rams. He was exciting to watch. His production being down and the Rams getting Cooks for jet sweeps (Cooper too) his roster spot can go somewhere else that is needed. The end of Tavon Austin's Rams career looks like the best thing for everyone.
Last edited:
Tavon is a RB in a WR body.
Him being on the roster as a wr was only taking away reps from someone.
I have a ton of respect for him. Worked his azz off, did whatever was asked, blocked like a nasty sumbitch and never, NEVER complained and handled everything with class.
Him being on the roster as a wr was only taking away reps from someone.
I have a ton of respect for him. Worked his azz off, did whatever was asked, blocked like a nasty sumbitch and never, NEVER complained and handled everything with class.
jacktheripper85
Starter
As I’ve mentioned numerous times-especially in analyzing how this coaching staff grades players-they put a huge premium on intelligence and how that translates to success on the field.
Tavon isn’t here because he lacks talent-he isn’t here because 95% of the time he’s on the field he doesn’t know what the f&$k is going on. McVay just doesn’t have the patience to have guys like that on the roster.
Tavon isn’t here because he lacks talent-he isn’t here because 95% of the time he’s on the field he doesn’t know what the f&$k is going on. McVay just doesn’t have the patience to have guys like that on the roster.