For the baffling minds out there let me kick my fantasy football brain into gear on Austin.
Austin will be used more as a change of pace RB to zeke the same way the packers use Ty Montgomery now.
The rams had some success using him in such ways the last two years but went away from it due to the extended usage of Gurley. For the rams it was like starting a project and not finishing it.
Expect some jet sweeps, pitches to the outside/ inside, and wheel routes etc out of the backfield on some 3rd and shorts with his speed.
This is just another dak friendly move and could compensate for the loss of witten as a safety blanket. Adds a weapon in case you want to put him in with zeke and could keep those extra guys out of the box on running downs.
So NO, Austin won't take away time from any wideouts. Dunbar and anyone else the cowboys have experimented with has nothing on Austin and you guys will like our new RB/WR.
He is actually a slot receiver that can run the nine route. Finally, Dallas has a burner!!!
It is a heck of a trade if you ask me, Beasley and Switzer will have to earn there keep.
The bright spot of day three of the draft.
With this type of player it's not just about his own production. He can back defenders off due to speed which helps open things up for other players. This is something the Cowboys were severly lacking last year. In 2017 none of Witten, Dez or Beasley were a speed threat and TWill was not really a deep threat. That made it easy for defenses to "sit" on routes, especially on 3rd and long.
Austin may play more RB than WR; however, for this example I'm going to compare a player of his type to Cole Beasley in the Cowboys offense.
Actually to start the example, lets consider Tyreek Hill vs Beasley and then work back to Austin.
Beasley is great in the short area with his quickness. If it's 3rd and 4 he is difficult to cover by a single nickel CB; however, on other plays, especially 3rd and long, defenses are not overly worried about him because even if he catches the ball, they are not worried about a big gain regardless of what type of coverage they play.
With a Tyreek Hill type player, defenses are worried him blowing past them which alters their style of coverage and the CBs technique (up vs off, etc..).
Now replace Tyreek Hill with Tavon Austin and regardless of whether Austin is at Slot-WR or RB, the concept is similar.
In regards to RB specifically, one of the decisions D-Coordinators and indivual defensive players have to make in regards to coverage is how much to focus on covering the RB IF he runs a pass pattern, especially a delayed pass pattern. You will often see an underneath defender in a situation of having to decide between coming up to cover a RB in the flat r staying back as a front defender in zone. If he cone up the WR behind him is open but if he stays back to QB will go to the RB. If that RB is Alfred Morris the defender will stay back but still have time to come up after Morris catches the ball and stop him for a limited gain. If that RB is a legit burner with WR type receiving ability, then that defender is in a non-win situation.
Some teams will have the outside edge player pickup the RB if he goes out. The OLB in a 3-4 often has this responsibility. If the defense is in man coverage, there can be a lot of space if that outside contain player does not get into the flat early enough. Other times it can be a 4-3 LB, a Safety or a CB in zone that has to worry about the RB in the flat.
Tavon Austin has not lived up to his draft status; however, he has been a legit NFL WR. He he runs a pass pattern as a RB or splits out as WR, you can't cover him with a LB like you could with Alfred Morris or Rod Smith.
