[snackdaddy]

I dunno about this. In my opinion, he was such a non factor he was using up a roster spot that someone more productive coulda done. I hope its not more of the same.

[HighRoller]

I dunno about this. In my opinion, he was such a non factor he was using up a roster spot that someone more productive coulda done. I hope its not more of the same.

I hear ya and would agree if it wasn't a zero sum contract.

Tavon has this thing about him that seems not to be, or not to be able to, use.

I was, as most all of us, were really excited about this players potential. This new contract wants me to give him a chance. And as others have said, maybe this off season was more important than we realize.

[Call me Roman]

We don't want older WRs. This is a young and rising team. Let McVay develop Reynolds and Thomas. he seems high on them. No retreads.

This.

[Will0120]

Meh.

He’s playing for dead money, so nothing to lose, but when it comes to “deep-threat, big-play” receiver, Tavon Austin ain’t near the answer.

If we are taking gambles on resurrecting careers, I think the Rams have nothing to lose by signing Michael Crabtree to a cap-friendly deal.

I actually hope Snead-McVay have a big deal in mind somewhere. I’m concerned with losing what Sammy Watkins brought to the offense. No, his numbers weren’t great, but they’d get better. And the threat of Watkins was enough to stretch the field and help open things up for Kupp and company underneath.

Wow. Shades of Rams Talk in the golden days of 1999-2001 before it became Ram Stalk.

It’s nice to once again have a contending, talented team to talk about—one that’s a hot destination for free agents.

Wouldn't that be the irony, Talib and Crabtree on the same team lol...?

Now they can literally try to chain snatch each other every day

[/zn/]

I suppose, other than taking up a roster spot, this is the best way to go about it if it essentially cost's the Rams the same to keep him as it would have to cut him. At least he can be used as a bargaining chip for a trade.

He is what he is at this point, a good decoy and he blocks well down field. He can't run routes and that is not going to change, ever. While my heart may skip a beat or two every time he lines up for a punt, I suppose he could be a back up to Cooper if he goes down.

So there is some value considering he costs nothing. Smart move.

He caught 52 passes in 2015. That doesn't make him a pure receiver but it does mean, with all his apparent limitations, that there are things he can do in the passing game. Which we know--we saw it. He also had 5 receiving TDs that year. The reason you would want to have him do those things is because he is a threat to score. He scares the bejeezus out of defenses for that very reason. You use him to set up explosive plays and also the threat of explosive plays. So along with his runs and jet sweeps and gadgets and decoy plays, what you do, ideally anyway, is design plays around what he can do in the passing game. McVay wasnt interested in those things last year but with Watkins gone, now he is (apparently).

The trick is to not think of Tavon as a receiver. He's not a receiver. There are too many things you count on a receiver being able to do that he can't do. As someone else said (forget who, sorry) he's an OW...Offensive Weapon. So if you think of him as a Rams OW, and think of the fact that along with everything else he does yes he can do some things in the passing game, then, he makes more sense as a player. IMO.

...

[dieterbrock]

I dunno about this. In my opinion, he was such a non factor he was using up a roster spot that someone more productive coulda done. I hope its not more of the same.

I disagree. I think he held a lot of value and was able to participate in many ways. Just was crazy what he was paid to do it. Now that he basically costs nothing, I'm excited to have him back.
Although I have to say, his trade value with that contract should be actually tangible at this point

[Elvis]

Also, and i realize this may not be worth that much, Tavon missed all of OTA's and a lot of camp with his wrist surgery. A healthy Tavon should give McVay a lot more options on how to use him this year.

Certainly it's the last possible excuse...

[CanuckRightWinger]

It's nice having a smart transparent guy like McVay running things now, as opposed to Jeff ArseCoverer Fisher eh!

This Tavon Austin caper shows me that McVay is not afraid to admit a mistake....ie. to me McVay is saying that he now realizes that Los Ramos actually had an Offensive Weapon at our disposal last year, and moreover, it was one that he, McVay, neglected to exploit fully.

Contrast that with the year after year farce of keeping Brian OnceADud,AlwaysADud Quick on the Rams roster.....just so Fisher didn't have to admit that he fooked up the 33rd overall pick of the 2012 Draft!

I am not a big Tavon Austin fan.....especially in our punt return game....cannot remember how many times I'd scream at the TV saying "move up and field the ball you mook!!! Don't let it bounce 20 yards down the field and give up all that Field Position knucklehead Austin!!! "
BUT....
If Mike Martz could line up Marshall Faulk in varying formations to create huge mismatches for the opposing DC.....THEN WHY CAN'T McVAY LINE UP THE MUCH SPEEDIER TAVON AUSTIN IN VARYING FORMATIONS TO CREATE SIMILAR, IN-SPACE, MISMATCHES FOR TAVON LightningFast AUSTIN, EH!!??

COSTS VS BENEFITS OF ONE TAVON AUSTIN
--Austin's presence on the roster does not hurt us Salary Cap wise.
--Austin's known repertoire of jet-sweeps, bubble-screens, etc have HISTORICALLY been known to keep opposing Defenses honest and on their toes toward TA.
--With Sean McVay, ALSO MORE COMFORTABLE IN HIS SECOND YEAR, maybe our young Offensive Genius concentrates more on developing some Martzian plays for one of the fastest players in the NFL eh??!!
--Good blocker, non-snivelling team guy, game of football lover.....Los Ramos could do a helluva-lot-worse IN THE CHARACTER//INTANGIBLES DEPARTMENT than Tavon HandledDemotionsWell Austin huh!!

For the above reasons, I like the retention of Tavon Austin by the Rams Braintrust. Looks like a smart move IMHO.

[/zn/]

Also, and i realize this may not be worth that much, Tavon missed all of OTA's and a lot of camp with his wrist surgery. A healthy Tavon should give McVay a lot more options on how to use him this year.

Certainly it's the last possible excuse...

I think having Watkins, combined with the missed time you mention (and Tavon needs time practicing), meant that McV just backshelved a lot of things TA can do.

At this point, realistically, we don't even know if he will make the team.

But there are good reasons to expect that McV will use TA in more ways than he did, and that TA will be better at doing them after a full camp.

Maybe to replace what Watkins did what they will use is a collection of things TA can do, same with Reynolds, same with Thomas, same with Everett.

[HopHead Ram]

Smart move at this point of the offseason. He was going to cost us the money regardless so why not find a way to make it work for both parties.
Let's be honest, TA is never going to be what Fisher and Co envisioned he was going to be when he was drafted. The expectations that came along with that draft position and the head scratching extension vs the production we saw was disappointing to us fans. This new contract will allow TA to "prove it" and allows the coaching staff the breathing room to use TA in the best way possible without the added pressure of having to play a player just because you feel you have to to justify his cost. I just to not want to hear that 100 catch nonsense again, that is not what TA is. Give me around 500 total yards and 5+ TDs and I will be happy.