Rams extend Tavon?

i like this offense. honestly, i like the way it’s coming together.

the wide receivers could be a little stronger, but i think higbee, if he can stay healthy, mitigates the need at the wide receiver position. and i like the skills that tavon brings. he’s a different kind of player. i like that. just need to make his other teammates come in and fill the gaps around him.

obviously the one thing the offense is missing is a quarterback to make it all work. and i don’t think the answer is keenum. he looks good now, but i get this feeling that when the regular season starts, his skillset won’t work. i could be wrong. it’s just a feeling. but hopefully. after about 4 games. goff is ready to get in there and take the offense up another level. sure keenum’s been more efficient this preseason, but i haven’t seen him make some of the throws i’ve seen goff make. his physical skill set does not compare to goff. but that’s ok.

tied with deandre hopkins for most tds by a receiver from the 2013 class.

That is a decent contract. imo

Finally, the Rams get a player signed early.

Tavon is under contract through, 2021. The franchise tag for this year for WR is 14.6M.
Tavon gets 4M this year.
12M next year.
42M for the next 4 years.
New money is 10.5M for the years 2018 – 2021. Count 2016 and 2017, he gets 56M for the next 6 years.

Tavon’s contract figures to be ~5.1% of the salary cap over the life of the contract. I think that is a good figure for the Rams.

InvaderRam wrote:

tied with deandre hopkins for most tds by a receiver from the 2013 class.

They were talking about this on L.A. sports radio this morning that I was streaming. The hosts couldn’t quite grasp why Tavon was getting paid so much while comparing him to other receivers. You can’t do that with Tavon. He’s unique and yes–he scores touchdowns. That’s worth something. And if he became a free agent teams would be scrambling to get him.

PA Ram wrote:

InvaderRam wrote:

tied with deandre hopkins for most tds by a receiver from the 2013 class.

They were talking about this on L.A. sports radio this morning that I was streaming. The hosts couldn’t quite grasp why Tavon was getting paid so much while comparing him to other receivers. You can’t do that with Tavon. He’s unique and yes–he scores touchdowns. That’s worth something. And if he became a free agent teams would be scrambling to get him.

yeah it’s kind of hard to gauge his value because he isn’t a traditional wide receiver. and as zn mentions it’s not the best comparison to hopkins who is a traditional wide receiver.

i’m still on the fence with the signing. touchdowns are important but yards are important too. i do expect him to improve more over the next couple years. he came into west virginia a running back and came out a receiver so i gotta believe we’ve yet to see the best.

but it’s hard to tell cuz i think the rams have been reluctant to unveil the whole offense. they must have big plans in store for tavon.

also here’s an article where fisher explains they anticipate more production from tavon going forward.

Jeff Fisher: Tavon Austin was paid based on “anticipation of what he’s going to do”

Jeff Fisher: Tavon Austin was paid based on “anticipation of what he’s going to do”
Posted by Mike Florio on August 29, 2016, 5:18 AM EDT

The Rams on Saturday gave receiver Tavon Austin a four-year extension with a new-money average of $10.5 million. The move has prompted some to question the decision, based on Austin’s performance during the first three years of his career.

On Sunday, coach Jeff Fisher explained that Austin’s compensation is aimed at not the past but the future.

“It’s our anticipation of what he’s going to do,” Fisher told reporters. “We’ve seen what he’s capable of and we’re hoping we’re going to get a lot more than what we’ve seen in the past. I know people are putting out numbers and things like that, but they forget three or four punt returns that were returned for touchdowns that were called back. He’s very, very talented with the ball in his hands. He is a problem to defend against and we hear that week after week after week. I was speaking with [Broncos defensive coorindator] Wade [Phillips] before the game and [he was saying], ‘This guy is really good.’ It was obvious, the way they defended us, they knew we weren’t going to give him the ball, so they just kind of disregarded where he was, but things change here in a couple weeks. I’m just really happy for Tavon. He’s a great team guy, full of energy and he’s got a God-given talent that’s going to carry us a long way.”

Regardless of any punt returns that were called back due to penalties, Austin’s numbers on offense have been limited by a lack of talent around him, specifically at the quarterback position. If the team had a true downfield passing threat, it would be easier to create opportunities to get Austin the ball in space at or near the line of scrimmage, allowing him to make people miss and gain lots of yards.

And so the ability to get a full return on the team’s investment in Austin won’t depend solely on how Austin plays, but how others play around him — starting with the quarterback position but also taking into consideration the offensive line, running back Todd Gurley, and a collection of fellow receivers whom Terrell Owens regards as no-names.