round n round… various views of Tavon as a receiver

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All from off the net. Different views. From various discussions, various other boards.

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oldschoolramfan

Austin…IMHO…I think Schotty was limited by his own offense in ways to get Tavon the ball.

I can see Cig’s drawing up plays in the dirt to get #11 the ball. I really think Tavon explodes on the NFL Highlights this year.

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rickyvram

I never bought the argument that the Rams coaches did not know how to use Tavon Austin. They have used him in a variety of ways. I always thought the problem was Tavon not being able to run routes effectively enough that they had to find gimmick ways to get him the ball. A coaching staff should not have to figure out how to use a WR drafted #8 in the first round. From what we hear now, Tavon thought he could do what he has always done in football, just show up and be the best guy on the field. You can certainly blame the Rams for moving up to draft a small wr that, at least at the outset, was not capable of running NFL routes, but I would not say they did not know how to use him.

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LAram

So why are bubble screens good for every other team but the Rams with Tavon?

Creases??. In the NFL if you can’t break a tackle, or can’t make guys miss in tight spaces…you got problems.

Sproles, CP, Harvin, D. Thomas, Hilton, Bush, etc., etc can all run them because they can do both.

If you have a player that you have to do special things for, he’s not a special player.

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Zackn2012

I think the present coordinator agrees with the view that Tavon is the one who had to step up (as a receiver anyway). He is also saying Tavon IS stepping up.

Some quotes:

Cignetti

“Tavon Austin’s had a great offseason. Tremendous. It starts in the classroom. He’s learning, he’s paying attention. He’s bringing it to the practice field. You can just see it from his route running. What a difference. His effort, his attention to details.

Wagoner

By his own admission, he’s struggled to pick up the playbook and the nuances of route running. During organized team activities, Austin has been sharper than in the past, showing a newfound knack for making plays in traffic

CoachO

The thought process to drafting him, IMO, was that he was going to be a quicker, faster “Danny Amendola” type. But that hasn’t been the case. I have watched them try to run him on the option routes (arrow routes) and crossing routes in training camp, and he just isn’t very good at it. And when forced to settle into the soft spots of the zone coverage, and being forced to virtually come to a complete stop, Austin loses his advantage. In the open field, or catching the ball on the move he is as dangerous as any receiver in the game. But he just doesn’t have the stop and start quickness they envisioned.

Until Austin himself shows he can figure it out, I just don’t see why so many think they should design the offense around getting him the ball.

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Just to add a little to all that. Tavon, according to espn splits, has one reception in the middle of the field in 2014, and In 2013 he has 3. Where he could be used effectively IMO (based just on what we’ve seen) was the outside perimeter. But depending on the year, you can see a dramatic difference. Just to pick one stat as an example, in 2013, they hit him 10 times on the left sideline for 138 yards, or 13.8 per. In 2014, they him 9 times on the left sideline for 59 yards, or about 6.6 per. That means when they used him on the outside in 2014 it was primarily hitting him on shorter passes. Since we already know he can be hit on medium and deeper outside passes, to me that just confirms what we saw, which was that Hill/Davis either couldn’t hit those or wouldn’t throw them.

We know how they will use him. It’s no mystery. He will run some routes, get some screens, run the ball in various ways (reverses, typical RB plays, etc), catch the ball out of the backfield, and return some punts.

But strictly as a receiver, he will either add more to his game this year or he won’t. I don’t bet against him, but like everyone else, I need to see it.

But I think previously, some of it was him, and in 2014, some of it was the qbs.

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thehammer

if you figure how complicated Cigs playbook is and how stupid Austin is….doesn’t take a a genius that adds up as another bad year for Austin

people mention that Indy game..seen lot of mediocre wr’s score on blown coverages…weird people keep mentioning it.

Austins only hope not to be a complete bust is Quick and Gurley become studs and Austin becomes the 3rd option…

still dumb as a rock…..they keep bringing he is learning the playbook(after 3 seasons) for a reason

another thing about Austin…Tavon is another Bradford IMO…low wonderlic strongly suggested a long learning curve..what he could do day one was run bubble screens so the rams ran out and signed players like Cook and Britt who can’t block a lick…the key for a bubble screen is that wr/te crackback block. They also kept Givens on the roster who also can’t block…

can you imagine if we had signed a vet wr who was alo a great blocker to help Austin. Just one play Austin could of owned as he learned the playbook. people blame Schotty but think it is Fisher who doesn’t see the big picture. Austin has the ability to run 2/3 plays very well just think we haven’t found players to complement his skills when we run those plays

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SunTzu_vs_Camus

No one doubts his talent with the ball in his hands… The big drawback seems to be the mental aspect of Tavon understanding how to play NFL ball (sight reads/adjusts, film study?, etc) though the exact causes are never really fully said…but implied in Cig’s quotes.

Certainly not in the 6ft/190lb classic #1 WR sense…..but a playmaker!!!
Cigs must use him well and Tavon MUST do his homweork and run the right routes, etc….for there to be success. However, I’m not sure of anyone that doesn’t get excited and think anything can happen on any play with Tavon getting the ball in his hands……his football talent is magnificient.

he looks elusive to me – even more than AzAkim. imo IMO – Tavon is PURE elusiveness…and is magic with the ball in his hands.

these are just a few NFL clips (I could show his college highlights, but then folks will say that’s easy)

How to get it in his hands is the question. Tavon MUST do his part to know the plays and work hard in the film room. But Tavon is an exceptional talent and a playmaker….and worth the price we paid to get him. imo

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Through their first couple of years, Amendola was clearly better at what the two of them were supposed to do. With the exception of returning punts, that is. If anyone is of the opinion that Tavon was every bit as polished and disciplined as Danny A when he first came into the league, or even close to as good a year later, then go ahead and set up your island.

Anyone who plays madden could learn a “slot route”. His problem so far has been in the execution of those routes. Which, obviously, has a lot to do with knowing when to sit down in the zone, when to run through it, knowing the depth of the route, diagnosing coverages, and knowing when to run the sight adjustment.

*IF* Tavon was well versed in all of that, then it would be stupid on an epic level for the coaches NOT to use him to his full capacity. That simply wasn’t the case though.

It’s like saying Dante Hall was mishandled by several coaches and coordinators. Because he’s arguably the most athletically gifted player to come into the league the past few decades, and he never morphed into the world’s best slot receiver either. Sometimes limitations are what they are; and instead of willing a player into being more than he can be, you have to identify what he excels at and utilize those talents the best that you can.

Can he improve? Sure. I don’t think anyone is saying he’s hit a wall.

Just to add something, Isaac Bruce on Tavon 6 months ago: