Tavon Austin is Ridiculous

[superonyx]

How do you know?

He had 13 catches for 47yards last year.
He has failed to produce under 2 very different coaches in 2 very different offensive schemes.

Why would we expect him to suddenly be a legit weapon in this league?

Let’s let the preseason work itself out and see if he deserves a roster spot before pretending he is Desean Jackson.

 

[superonyx]

Seems possible.

The Rams were a disaster under Jeff Fisher.

Austin missed the 1 preseason with McVay which is the primary time players learn a new scheme.

The Cowboys investment in him is minimal. Even if he just remains a gadget player it's still worth it. I think he has a chance to be more than that but if not it's OK.

His success seems tied to his mental makeup. He obviously has the physical ability. The pressure of being a top 10 pick is gone now. Being in Dallas should be fun for him.

I don’t think it’s so obvious that he has the physical ability. His terrible YPC and failure under under 2 different offenses now is a real concern.

 

[T-RO]

Lemmie paint a little picture:

You got safeties and corners crashing down in run support because Zeke and the o-line are kicking are...and you got Tavon running deep crossing pattern. Tavon can out-run any corner out there.

No he's not a polished runner. No his hands aren't super.

But there will be some deep balls...and this will really hinder defenses from crashing hard.

 

[Zekeats]

In shorts he is

 

[Dre11]

In Dallas those plays are gadget plays

Nah, those are plays they’ve run, just not with consistent success. The one guy that had success running those plays couldn’t stay healthy (Dunbar). If you think back, Kevin Olgatree was good at those plays as well.

 

[bpfred]

I'm not sure Tavon Austin makes the team. With that speed/cutting ability, he could be helpful as a specialty back/receiver. But is that enough to justify a roster spot, if he doesn't help on special teams?

As a returner, he has fumbled at an incredibly high rate. Can you trust a guy like that as a returner?

He doesn't seem to have the same fumbling problem as a running back/receiver.

 

[Dre11]

I've never seen us run a tunnel screen. I call rocket screens a middle screen although it's not quite the same. Are you a coach?

Yes, I’m a coach, I also recall us running a few Tunnel screens with Dunbar. Rockets screens start on edge usually with the x taking 1 step beyond the line off scrimmage and then towards the qb. The middle screens starts in the backfield usually with the back going 1 -2 yards beyond the line of scrimmage and turning for the ball.

 

[OUCowboy]

I like the move for Austin but come on... He’s nothing special.

He’s short and stretches the field east and west but not really north and south.


Come to think of it we did nothing to add deep speed to this team.

I'm not sure what you mean by saying he doesn't stretch the field North and South. As someone pointed out earlier, there were several downfield throws in the video and he was open. And he clearly has speed, plus he plays fast. Fast and quick enough to get open and fast enough to keep most players from catching him from behind. That's fast enough for me, I think.

Honestly, all of the doubting and handwringing over Austin is funny. Will he be a good addition to the Cowboys? Will the coaches have the wherewithal to use him to the team's advantage? Those are legitimate questions, but to just arbitrarily dismiss Austin as a player, to call him trash and "garbage juice", before he has a chance to get to training camp, much less play in a game, is a little ridiculous.

How 'bout we all just wait and see.

 

[Dre11]

I'm not sure Tavon Austin makes the team. With that speed/cutting ability, he could be helpful as a specialty back/receiver. But is that enough to justify a roster spot, if he doesn't help on special teams?

As a returner, he has fumbled at an incredibly high rate. Can you trust a guy like that as a returner?

He doesn't seem to have the same fumbling problem as a running back/receiver.

lol....Austin is making this team.

 

[Dre11]

Austin is a special player but he's in a niche. He's too small to be a bell cow but he is big enough to play more snaps than the usual third down back. If Sprole can play then Austin should be able to. I just don't know if the coaches will pull EE off the field enough. It'll help EE to get less snaps assuming we get production from Austin. He's as big as Dorsett.

I'd love to see him get downfield from motion. They'll have to play at least 1 deep and likely two deep. A LB can't cover him.

I think you’ll see a lot more motion when he’s in as a receiver to create those mismatches against Lbs

 

[Rockport]

I really like the Austin move for where the pick was. One, I like him for his speed alone. If he and Thompson both make the team, that alone gives the WR group something we haven’t had in a while.

I also like that he presents a wrinkle other teams will need to prepare for. He’s capable of a big play now and then, and with our OL and teams keying on Elliott and Beasley, and with a mobile QB, he’s another threat.

He won’t put up stupid numbers, but for a 6th round pick, he’s a good value. If you don’t like him, you have an inflated idea about the worth of a sixth round pick.

Spot on. They didn’t obtain him to be a #1 WR and put up gaudy numbers. He’s a player the defenses will have to account for when on the field. You wanted unpredictability on offense? You got it.

 

[Dre11]

This entire thread is goofy. The guy has 1678 total receiving yards in his 5 year career. That comes to basically 336 yards a year or better yet 22 yards a game.
Yep, he’s ridiculous all right. There are a hundred Tavon Austin’s every year available as UDFA. And you gave up a draft pick for him.
If you lined up every dictionary in the world you wouldn’t find as many “if’s” in them as you find on this board.
One meaning of “if” is saying a thing is possible though not very likely. Hope is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? Here’s the reality the NFL is where hope goes to die.

You’re talking about the Austin under Fisher, you’re talking about Austin with awful qb play, a team with no offensive line, and no they talent on offense, but him. What would you have expected him to do in that organization? He wasn’t healthy in Mcvay first year.

 

[Dre11]

It was amazing to see McVay come in and make the Rams a contender so quick!
But your right Austin could need a change of scenery! But I think to be realistic the fans shouldnt expect too much from him other than some punt and kickoff returns duties and an occasional jet sweep!
Very unlikely he is gonna be a major contributor as a WR or RB on this team.

No fans should expect much from him. He has speed, something the offense needs. So they should expect a lot.

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

Austin looks like a legit football player. Maybe the gimmick plays will be more effective, but I hope he advances his skill set and makes the most of his opportunities as a WR. The position is wide open right now, or at least it should be.

He has speed. Can't hurt no matter where he is lined up as (rb/wr).

 

[HungryLion]

LOL. He was infinitely better than Austin on his best day and the best deep threat in the game.

He's like a hall of famer compared to this slop.

The hyperbole is ludicrous.

Is Tavon Austin as good as desean Jackson? Of course not.

But Austin has put up seasons with 600-800 total yards with 6-8 TD’s. Between rushing and receiving.

He isn’t slop. He can be a good complimentary piece to an offense. He just can’t be the focal point.

Saying he is slop is just flat out inaccurate.

 

[TheBigEasy]

Nor will he been on another teams roster besides the cowboys. Time for you to buck up and deal with it. Its gonna be a long season for you

Thank you!!! I think it's gotten to that time again where Reality does one of his famous purges. A purge is always good for a 40-50% jump in moral around here.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

Hope it's the good version and not the bad one.

 

[CATCH17]

I'm not sure what you mean by saying he doesn't stretch the field North and South. As someone pointed out earlier, there were several downfield throws in the video and he was open. And he clearly has speed, plus he plays fast. Fast and quick enough to get open and fast enough to keep most players from catching him from behind. That's fast enough for me, I think.

Honestly, all of the doubting and handwringing over Austin is funny. Will he be a good addition to the Cowboys? Will the coaches have the wherewithal to use him to the team's advantage? Those are legitimate questions, but to just arbitrarily dismiss Austin as a player, to call him trash and "garbage juice", before he has a chance to get to training camp, much less play in a game, is a little ridiculous.

How 'bout we all just wait and see.

He's been in the league for awhile. I would hope he has some downfield stuff.

I think he's a ok addition. He would normally disappear quick in a Jason Garrett offense but we'll see what happens this year.

 

[BigStar]

When I see the name DeSean Jackson, I can't help but mention that he spiked the football before crossing the goaline
in the US Army All-American game... and again in college at California (I wonder what classes he took)... and again in the NFL.

But yes, he was a killa as a deep threat.

I swear he kept trying to do that to see if the refs would catch on; even then pretty stupid thing to "try". It was a gimmick of his early on and through the pros. Not at all the same, but reminds me of examples when Ware would @ times be so fast off the snap he would be called for offside even though replay showed he only flinched when the ball moved. Refs simply couldn't give him credit for being that quick off the snap.

 

[xwalker]

It was amazing to see McVay come in and make the Rams a contender so quick!
But your right Austin could need a change of scenery! But I think to be realistic the fans shouldnt expect too much from him other than some punt and kickoff returns duties and an occasional jet sweep!
Very unlikely he is gonna be a major contributor as a WR or RB on this team.

Most people will laugh buy Lucky Whitehead had some value when he was here.

We saw that Switzer was not a threat like Whitehead had been on those gadget plays.

I will bet money that Tavon Austin can do anything Lucky Whitehead can do.