shaunpinney
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I'm sure we'll see a totally different Tavon Austin this coming season. Yarber & McVay will use him properly.
Tavon Austin.. Pay cut?
- Thread starter MegaRam88
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shaunpinney
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I believe we have really look at the fact that our leaders were poorly coached last season - I don't think there was an upgrade made anywhere on the coaching staff. This year has seen wholesale improvements. After this season there are NO EXCUSES. The players need to step up to the mark now.
Adi
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I know he was signed for a lot of money but to be fair he has not had a chance to improve. He has been in horrible offenses and when he did play well in 2015, they went away from that and ran a totally different offense last year. He had 10 TDS in 2015 and that's top 10 for WR. I know he will never be a number 1 guy but we know he's one of the most eclectic players in the NFL, a dangerous return man and a undervalued blocker. If he doesn't work out under McVay then its time to move on but as of right now I am happy he's on our team.
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Well, I don't think there are any excuses anyway, but as far as the idea of TA taking a pay cut.....Why would he? Most, if not all of us would not optionally give up gtd salary. The only options management has, is to reduce playing time, trade, or an outright cut from the team.
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1maGoh
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Minor correction. He had 10 touchdowns as a WR/RB/PR in 2015. If you include all those positions, his 10 TDs was good for 16th on the NFL, not top 10.
As a WR he had 5 TDs in 2015, good for 42nd in the NFL.
His TD production is a bad way to measure his quality at WR. His punt return TD has nothing to do with his WR skills, quality, or usefulness. His 4 rushing TDs have nothing to do with his WR skills, quality, or usefulness.
He's a great gadget. He's an average WR. I'll even qualify that by saying, "average so far". He might improve. I personally don't think he's going to get better than 2015 but I could easily be wrong. He's just not a guy I want to be counting on at WR. We need to have a number 1 and a number 2 WR ahead of him in order for his assortment of TDs to be meaningful over the course of a season.
Sportsed
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I guess my first thought would be what type of numbers would make him worth his contract. He's not just a WR, he's a playmaker who has been playing for the worst offensive scheme in the league----that's why Fisher and his offensive staff took a pay cut. So, what type of numbers should he produce to warrant his contract-----16tds, 600yds rushing, 800 -900yds receiving, 400yds in punt returns, and a couple of blocks that help spring Gurley for some long runs? Stats like those would go a long way to justifying the contract; I think he his very capable of producing these type of numbers with Fisher gone and McVay now leading the Rams. We have to keep in mind that judging, grading and grading our players based on the last coaching staff is a waste of time. JMHO, of course.
Adi
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16th in the nfl behind RB's? That's pretty damn good. I agree with you on the team needing a number 1 and 2 receiver ahead of him just do to his size limitations. He is a great runner with the ball though and in 2015 showed flashes of how dangerous him and Gurley running the ball could be. We can only hope he gets better under a real offense and maybe we stop holding and his TD's don't get called back.
LACHAMP46
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1maGoh
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To be fair it's a tie at most places, so there's like 6 other guys at 16th place and like 30 to 40 guys above him. But yeah, he's good if you think of the total value that he brings.
The only issue I have with him is the talent he brings at any individual position, which he can only play one position at a time. As a WR, he's a decent number 3. As a running back he's a decent number 2 or probably a number 3. He's a good punt returner. But any given offensive play, and that's where we need the most help (and where we're hoping someone can finally figure out how to use him), you're only getting third or, at best, second string performance out of him.
I don't know what the cost of a second string running back and a third string WR is, but to me, his value would be the combined cost of those contacts. Optimally for the team, they would pay him slightly less than that combined cost.
In order for him to play up to his current contract, in my opinion, he would have to pay at a level at both positions that they couldn't risk him on punt returns anymore. Solid #2 WR, solid#2 RB. Or just be a #1 WR. We're paying him like a #1 WR, he needs to pay like one or play like a #2 at two positions. He was close to almost being that good in 2015.
All just my opinion of course.
CanRamFan
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I wish I had as much optimism as you do. I know coaching plays a big role in player development and what not but I also think some people take the coaching angle too far. Sometimes players just aren't good, regardless of whos coaching them. I see TA as a fast guy with really good start and stop abilities but nothing more. He'd be a nice piece on an offense that is established for a much lower price but the money he's getting suggests he's a super star. He has a very small catch radius, can't win contested balls, not physical at all, not known as having a high football iq, bad hands, not a great route runner. He basically has none of the traits I want in a WR except speed.
...and undervalued blocker ? Isn't TA one of the smallest players in the NFL ? I think most NFL players would have their way with his tiny frame.
shaunpinney
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LumberTubs
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The previous regime said over and over again that they were going to get Tavon more involved. It's clear now that they didn't have the first idea of how to actually do that. In my mind, the levels of incompetence within the previous offensive staff were unrivalled.
Turning to the future, we all hope Tavon can be utilised correctly by a staff that knows how to achieve that.
Turning to the future, we all hope Tavon can be utilised correctly by a staff that knows how to achieve that.
Zaphod
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That is so true, at first that would cause me to double take ... wait, that was 11?
If everyone else on the team was a serious about their technique as he is, the offense would be a different story.
As a wide receiver though ... ugh.
We need some MFers that can run some routes and catch some balls.
If everyone else on the team was a serious about their technique as he is, the offense would be a different story.
As a wide receiver though ... ugh.
We need some MFers that can run some routes and catch some balls.
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SteezyEndo
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No more excuses.... He plays under this staff, if they ask him to jump he will reply how high?. I want him to succeed, yet I don't want his ego to be an obstacle in his overall game now that he thinks he's ballin' because we decided to dump a boat load cash on him prematurely.