Rams ready to set Tavon Austin free on offense

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  • September 11, 2016 at 9:17 pm #52665
    Avatar photozn
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    Rams ready to set Tavon Austin free on offense

    Alden Gonzalez

    http://www.espn.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/30617/rams-ready-to-set-tavon-austin-free-on-offense

    THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — On Monday night, in the regular-season opener against the San Francisco 49ers from Santa Clara, California, the Los Angeles Rams will finally unveil their plans for Tavon Austin.

    Austin basically touched the ball only one time during the preseason, but that is in no way indicative of the fourth-year receiver’s current role within the offense. Quite the contrary. The Rams gave Austin a four-year, $42 million extension in large part because of how much more they believe he can contribute to an offense that is now headed by first-year offensive coordinator Rob Boras and new passing game coordinator Mike Groh.

    He is expected to be targeted more frequently as a receiver while continuing to get looks out of the backfield and return punts.

    “Tay is a special player,” Boras said. “We see it in every avenue when he gets the ball, whether he’s a punt returner, whether he’s a receiver, whether we line him up in the backfield. He’s an explosive player. … Bringing Mike Groh in has really helped, not only him technically but also schematically with us all on offense.”

    Austin has averaged 647 yards from scrimmage in three seasons, but he nearly doubled his 2014 production in 2015, a season that saw the 5-foot-8, 176-pound receiver total 473 receiving yards and 434 rushing yards. Only five other players — Devonta Freeman, Charles Sims, Giovani Bernard, David Johnson and Mark Ingram — amassed at least 400 yards rushing and 400 yards receiving in 2015, and they’re all running backs.

    Rams coach Jeff Fisher said in June that Austin can “maybe double” his catches from 2015, which would mean finishing with 104 — a mark only seven receivers reached last season.

    Austin didn’t catch a single pass during the four-week preseason, but the Rams moved him around a whole lot.

    “They definitely used me the right way in the preseason,” Austin said. “Whatever happens Monday, that’s for the world to see. You know I’m not a selfish guy. I did some great things without the ball that opened up other people. That’s all it’s about — the win.

    September 11, 2016 at 9:47 pm #52669
    bnw
    Blocked

    This storyline is getting old. He said show me the money and again he’s been paid. The Show Me state in me still says Show Me production worthy of a #1 pick and the latest big contract he’s signed.

    • This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by bnw.

    The upside to being a Rams fan is heartbreak.

    Sprinkles are for winners.

    September 11, 2016 at 11:38 pm #52678
    Avatar photoInvaderRam
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    bnw wrote:

    This storyline is getting old. He said show me the money and again he’s been paid. The Show Me state in me still says Show Me production worthy of a #1 pick and the latest big contract he’s signed.

    yeah. they’re certainly paying him based on potential. they’ve pretty much admitted as much.

    i’m fairly optimistic he can live up to the contract, but it’ll be tough to accurately grade him. not sure he can be graded as a pure receiver.

    but i certainly hope that he can develop as a receiver. just not sure we can compare him to guys like antonio brown.

    but he certainly has to do more than he has on the past. how much? not too sure.

    i’m thinking 1400-1500 yards from scrimmage and 8-10 tds a season.

    last year he had approximately 900 yards from scrimmage and 9 tds.

    • This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by Avatar photoInvaderRam.
    September 11, 2016 at 11:50 pm #52681
    Avatar photozn
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    InvaderRam wrote:

    not sure he can be graded as a pure receiver.

    My own view is that he simply can’t be graded as a pure receiver. Largely because, he’s not one. He’s something else.

    He had 52 receptions and 52 rushes last year. If he raised the number of receptions that would be fine with me.

    September 12, 2016 at 12:03 am #52683
    Avatar photoInvaderRam
    Moderator
    zn wrote:
    InvaderRam wrote:

    not sure he can be graded as a pure receiver.

    My own view is that he simply can’t be graded as a pure receiver. Largely because, he’s not one. He’s something else.

    He had 52 receptions and 52 rushes last year. If he raised the number of receptions that would be fine with me.

    well i want him to also raise his ypc.

    he had 53 receptions and 9 yards per catch.

    i’d like to see about 80 catches at 11 ypc.

    that’d put him at about 900 yards. and then maybe another 450 yards rushing.

    that’s about 1350 yards from scrimmage.

    September 12, 2016 at 6:15 pm #52710
    Avatar photowv
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    Well…I like Mike Groh. Thats all i got.

    September 12, 2016 at 9:21 pm #52719
    Avatar photoInvaderRam
    Moderator

    ya know even 70 receptions and 750 yards. and 350 yards rushing would be enough to make me feel good about that contract. that would put him over 1000 yards from scrimmage. but i’d want that td total to be around 8-10.

    Well…I like Mike Groh. Thats all i got.

    hopefully groh can extract just a little bit more out of him this season.

    • This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by Avatar photoInvaderRam.
    September 12, 2016 at 9:55 pm #52726
    Avatar photozn
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    I am one of those guys who thinks Tavon will do more when he can do more…that is, when he develops his game (eg. route running) so he offers more.

    And I think yes, Goff could add some ideas too.

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