Tavon Austin (1 Viewer)

[Bob Magaw]

Raymond Barry had a 4-catch day that included TDs of 58, 62, and 70 yards, but I don't know where his fourth catch was (i.e. whether those were three consecutive touches or not). No long TDs the week before or after, though.

Quadry Ismael had TD receptions of 54, 59, and 76 yards in a single quarter. Don't know if they were consecutive touches, though (he had 6 receptions on the day). Had a 47-yard TD the next week, so he falls 3 yards short of your "four in two games" mark.

Sayers did indeed have 4 TDs of 50+ yards in two games during his rookie season. Jim Brown was the only other player I could find to achieve the "4 50+ yard TDs in two games" feat, with TD runs of 83, 80, 71, and 62 yards in back-to-back games. As I mentioned, though, Moss and Ismael both came within a yard or three of joining those three on the list.

thanks for the historical/statistical research...

i thought of another possible rookie WR landmark...

how often has a WR had a 3 TD (one of which was a ST score) and 2 TD game in their rookie season...

guessing it isn't too common even for RBs, but even more rare for WRs?

Going to be much harder to do a comprehensive search on that one (I'd basically need to manually check every rookie with 5+ combined offensive and special teams TDs), but I can tell you right off the bat that the 3-TD/2-TD split isn't going to be at all uncommon, although adding the unique qualifier that one of the TDs in the 3-TD day has to be a special teams TD will narrow the field. I kind of feel like then we're just adding arbitrary specificity for the sake of adding specificity, though.

no, doesn't have to be a ST TD, just pointing out one of his was...

maybe it is common for WRs to have a three and two TD game as rookies, I would have thought not as common as rookie RBs...

not important if there isn't a quick way to use the stat search engine...

 

[Adam Harstad]

Raymond Barry had a 4-catch day that included TDs of 58, 62, and 70 yards, but I don't know where his fourth catch was (i.e. whether those were three consecutive touches or not). No long TDs the week before or after, though.

Quadry Ismael had TD receptions of 54, 59, and 76 yards in a single quarter. Don't know if they were consecutive touches, though (he had 6 receptions on the day). Had a 47-yard TD the next week, so he falls 3 yards short of your "four in two games" mark.

Sayers did indeed have 4 TDs of 50+ yards in two games during his rookie season. Jim Brown was the only other player I could find to achieve the "4 50+ yard TDs in two games" feat, with TD runs of 83, 80, 71, and 62 yards in back-to-back games. As I mentioned, though, Moss and Ismael both came within a yard or three of joining those three on the list.

thanks for the historical/statistical research...

i thought of another possible rookie WR landmark...

how often has a WR had a 3 TD (one of which was a ST score) and 2 TD game in their rookie season...

guessing it isn't too common even for RBs, but even more rare for WRs?

Going to be much harder to do a comprehensive search on that one (I'd basically need to manually check every rookie with 5+ combined offensive and special teams TDs), but I can tell you right off the bat that the 3-TD/2-TD split isn't going to be at all uncommon, although adding the unique qualifier that one of the TDs in the 3-TD day has to be a special teams TD will narrow the field. I kind of feel like then we're just adding arbitrary specificity for the sake of adding specificity, though.

no, doesn't have to be a ST TD, just pointing out one of his was...

maybe it is common for WRs to have a three and two TD game as rookies, I would have thought not as common as rookie RBs...

not important if there isn't a quick way to use the stat search engine...

Without the special teams TD requirement, that's a much easier query to run. Since 1995, the following rookie WRs have had at least one game with 3 TDs and a second game with 2+ TDs:

Randy Moss (two 3 TD games + two 2 TD games)

Eddie Kennison (one 3 TD game + two 2 TD games. Both 2-TD games included a special teams score.)

I believe Dez Bryant, Torrey Smith, Marvin Harrison, and Sylvester Morris are the only other rookie WRs with a 3 TD game since 1995. Dez's 3-TD game included a special teams score (punt return TD). Sylvester Morris' 3-TD game represented the only 3 TDs he scored for his entire career. I was rooting for Marc Boerigter to make the list, but alas, he had a trio of 2-TD games, but could never reach the end zone for that third touchdown.

You're right that the feat is much more common among RBs. Peterson, Doug Martin, Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee (technically his second season after getting drafted, but it's considered his rookie year), Edgerrin James, Alfred Morris, LaDainian Tomlinson, Mike Anderson, Edgerrin James, and these are just the ones I checked off the top of my head before I got bored. Perhaps the most interesting name on the RB list would be Jahvid Best, who managed to accomplish the 3 TD / 2 TD feat in his first two NFL games.

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

Tavon Austin is the fourth player since 1960 with a 60-plus yard rushing TD, receiving TD and punt return TD in the same season.

Gale Sayers, Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, and DeSean Jackson are the only others to do it. Austin also has four touchdowns of 50-plus yards in a two-game span, joining Sayers and Jim Brown as the only players to ever do that. "(Things are) definitely slowing down," Austin said. The statistical ceiling is high here, but the floor is as low as it gets as well. Austin has a total of just seven offensive touches in the last three games. If he's not breaking these unsustainable monster plays, he's going to absolutely bury fantasy owners in the box score.


Source: ESPN.com

 

[Bob Magaw]

i think the last rookie to win this award was patrick peterson in november of 2011... also, he may be the rams only rookie to win any of the month awards, period (not sure when it was instituted, maybe after eric dickerson, for instance?)...

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000288733/article/nick-foles-big-ben-lead-nfl-players-of-the-month

NFC Special Teams Player of the Month: St. Louis Rams kick returner Tavon Austin, who scored four touchdowns -- one punt return (98 yards), two receiving (81 and 57) and one rushing (65). Austin averaged 75.3 yards per touchdown, the highest by a rookie in one calendar month in NFL history.

* i liked this excerpt, from the espn article faust linked immediately above...

"Against Chicago and Indianapolis, Austin touched the ball a total of 13 times for 443 yards and four touchdowns including receptions, rushes and punt and kick returns. For those keeping score at home, that's an average of 34.07 yards per touch."

 

[Bob Magaw]

another first in NFL history for austin (lots of ways to parse the same information, but it is interesting to see the kind of company he is in... or where he stands alone, in some respects)...

http://www.101sports.com/2013/11/26/stalters-game-notebook-rams-bears/

"Austin became the first player in NFL history with a 95-yard plus punt return touchdown, an 80-yard plus reception for a touchdown and a 65-yard rushing touchdown in the same season. He may have had issues with drops in the first half of the year, but we’re watching a player grow in front of us. His confidence is starting to reach the same peak it was at West Virginia, and as soon as Schottenheimer designs more ways to get him in open space, Austin will become the weapon that everyone imagined he would back in April."

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

I love it: "he's in a league with Gale Sayers, Ray Berry, White Shoes Johnson, DeSean Jackson, and Randy Moss.... but don't start him."

78% owned, 32% started in CBS, incredible.

 

[Adam Harstad]

another first in NFL history for austin (lots of ways to parse the same information, but it is interesting to see the kind of company he is in... or where he stands alone, in some respects)...

http://www.101sports.com/2013/11/26/stalters-game-notebook-rams-bears/

"Austin became the first player in NFL history with a 95-yard plus punt return touchdown, an 80-yard plus reception for a touchdown and a 65-yard rushing touchdown in the same season. He may have had issues with drops in the first half of the year, but we’re watching a player grow in front of us. His confidence is starting to reach the same peak it was at West Virginia, and as soon as Schottenheimer designs more ways to get him in open space, Austin will become the weapon that everyone imagined he would back in April."

I hate any statistic with endpoints that arbitrary. If you manipulate the endpoints enough, you can eventually narrow the field down strictly to whichever player you want to feature. For instance, Lance Moore and Marques Colston are the only WRs with 50 catches, 6 TDs, 10 yards per receptions, and a 60% catch rate in each of last 3 years. We don't take the time to appreciate how special Lance Moore's career has really been! Either that or I cleverly set the cutoffs to rule out players like Wes Welker (9.9 yards per reception once), Calvin Johnson (only 5 TDs in 2012), Vincent Jackson (sub-60% catch rate), Roddy White (catch rate), Dez/Demaryius/Julio/Green (3-year window), etc. until there was no one left except for the guy I wanted (Moore) and another receiver good enough to lend the comparison credibility (Colston).

When I see someone say that Player X is the only guy in history with a 95-yard punt return, 80-yard reception, and 65-yard run, all that tells me is that player X must have had a punt return of juuuuuuuust barely more than 95 yards, a reception of juuuuuust barely more than 80 yards, and a run of juuuuuust barely more than 65 yards.

All of Tavon's exploits are certainly unique, and it's not hard to portray them as such, but that doesn't automatically make him special.

 

[Adam Harstad]

I love it: "he's in a league with Gale Sayers, Ray Berry, White Shoes Johnson, DeSean Jackson, and Randy Moss.... but don't start him."

78% owned, 32% started in CBS, incredible.

With four receptions since week 9, he's also in a league with Jerrell Jernigan, James Hanna, Jerome Felton, Chris Hogan, and Eric Lorig. The long TDs are awesome. The complete and total lack of touches is not.

 

[Bob Magaw]

another first in NFL history for austin (lots of ways to parse the same information, but it is interesting to see the kind of company he is in... or where he stands alone, in some respects)...

http://www.101sports.com/2013/11/26/stalters-game-notebook-rams-bears/

"Austin became the first player in NFL history with a 95-yard plus punt return touchdown, an 80-yard plus reception for a touchdown and a 65-yard rushing touchdown in the same season. He may have had issues with drops in the first half of the year, but we’re watching a player grow in front of us. His confidence is starting to reach the same peak it was at West Virginia, and as soon as Schottenheimer designs more ways to get him in open space, Austin will become the weapon that everyone imagined he would back in April."

I hate any statistic with endpoints that arbitrary. If you manipulate the endpoints enough, you can eventually narrow the field down strictly to whichever player you want to feature. For instance, Lance Moore and Marques Colston are the only WRs with 50 catches, 6 TDs, 10 yards per receptions, and a 60% catch rate in each of last 3 years. We don't take the time to appreciate how special Lance Moore's career has really been! Either that or I cleverly set the cutoffs to rule out players like Wes Welker (9.9 yards per reception once), Calvin Johnson (only 5 TDs in 2012), Vincent Jackson (sub-60% catch rate), Roddy White (catch rate), Dez/Demaryius/Julio/Green (3-year window), etc. until there was no one left except for the guy I wanted (Moore) and another receiver good enough to lend the comparison credibility (Colston).

When I see someone say that Player X is the only guy in history with a 95-yard punt return, 80-yard reception, and 65-yard run, all that tells me is that player X must have had a punt return of juuuuuuuust barely more than 95 yards, a reception of juuuuuust barely more than 80 yards, and a run of juuuuuust barely more than 65 yards.

All of Tavon's exploits are certainly unique, and it's not hard to portray them as such, but that doesn't automatically make him special.

i think the 95+ yard return TD weeds out a lot of players, and that was the flukiest parameter... he will probably never have another one that long for the rest of his career... a possible non-trivial implication of when looking at some of these numbers is, the long receiving and rushing TDs are less flukey (say more reproducible by austin and others)... but still somewhat unusual together, even considered apart from the return score... having an 80 yard receiving TD and 65 yard rushing TD speaks to his versatility... having scores in the receiving and rushing categories entails either a RB or WR having both kinds of scores... as a result, while the cases of the RBs getting a 65 yard rushing TD and the WRs getting an 80 yard receiving TD are routine, less so the cases of either a RB with an 80 yard receiving TD or a WR with a 65 yard rushing TD... austin has that kind of versatility... i see him breaking more long plays in the pass and run game... he is only pacing for about 11 rushes this season... cobb got an uptick his second year... harvin is much bigger and stronger, he set the record for WR rushes a few years ago, i think? would like to see what austin could do with 20-30 rushing opportunities (i realize that is rare for a WR)...

the lack of touches aren't good for redraft... long term, i'm hopeful his eighth overall pedigree will as soon as later this year or next year command an increase in targets...

another thing i liked about him is that he seems to have come along at a good time for a player of his stature and with his skill set and game (he is a space weapon), intersecting with a time and age (epoch) in the NFL which find the passing game rules trending in a direction favorable to those traits and attributes... DBs over the years are systematically having increasing amounts of physicality stripped away from them... they can't mug WRs downfield like mel blount could... that could enable austin to run free through secondaries more, in a way in which he can better leverage his combination of speed, quickness and elusiveness...

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

another first in NFL history for austin (lots of ways to parse the same information, but it is interesting to see the kind of company he is in... or where he stands alone, in some respects)...

http://www.101sports.com/2013/11/26/stalters-game-notebook-rams-bears/

"Austin became the first player in NFL history with a 95-yard plus punt return touchdown, an 80-yard plus reception for a touchdown and a 65-yard rushing touchdown in the same season. He may have had issues with drops in the first half of the year, but we’re watching a player grow in front of us. His confidence is starting to reach the same peak it was at West Virginia, and as soon as Schottenheimer designs more ways to get him in open space, Austin will become the weapon that everyone imagined he would back in April."

I hate any statistic with endpoints that arbitrary. If you manipulate the endpoints enough, you can eventually narrow the field down strictly to whichever player you want to feature. For instance, Lance Moore and Marques Colston are the only WRs with 50 catches, 6 TDs, 10 yards per receptions, and a 60% catch rate in each of last 3 years. We don't take the time to appreciate how special Lance Moore's career has really been! Either that or I cleverly set the cutoffs to rule out players like Wes Welker (9.9 yards per reception once), Calvin Johnson (only 5 TDs in 2012), Vincent Jackson (sub-60% catch rate), Roddy White (catch rate), Dez/Demaryius/Julio/Green (3-year window), etc. until there was no one left except for the guy I wanted (Moore) and another receiver good enough to lend the comparison credibility (Colston).

When I see someone say that Player X is the only guy in history with a 95-yard punt return, 80-yard reception, and 65-yard run, all that tells me is that player X must have had a punt return of juuuuuuuust barely more than 95 yards, a reception of juuuuuust barely more than 80 yards, and a run of juuuuuust barely more than 65 yards.

All of Tavon's exploits are certainly unique, and it's not hard to portray them as such, but that doesn't automatically make him special.

Well I don't know about all that other stuff but you just made me feel a whole lot better about the Saints receiving corps.

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

Coach Jeff Fisher says Tavon Austin (ankle) is day-to-day.

Austin got his ankle pinned underneath him at the end of a 56-yard run on an end-around Sunday against the Cardinals. He attempted to return to field a punt but headed back to the sideline after the play to ice up his ankle. The No. 8 overall pick never returned, though he appears to have avoided a serious injury. Austin isn't worth owning in re-draft leagues for the playoffs.


Source: Jim Thomas on Twitter

 

[Routilla]

Anyone else following his ankle injury? I was hoping to get cheap points from him this week in a probable blowout loss to N.O.

 

[buddhacwru]

He's out this week.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

He's out this week.

Another bump for the Saints DST.

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, it "doesn't sound" like Tavon Austin (ankle) will play Sunday versus Tampa Bay.
Austin didn't practice all week, and it's quite rare for rookies to play when they've gotten in zero reps. Look for Austin Pettis to fill in at slot receiver, with Chris Givens, Stedman Bailey, and Brian Quick rotating outside.

Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

Tavon Austin said he intends to "put on a couple more pounds" this offseason.

It's a non-story as a lack of strength wasn't Austin's biggest issue as a rookie. His problem was making big plays in small spaces as he tumbled down the receiving depth chart en route to just 40 catches for 418 yards and four touchdowns. Austin also ranked just 16th in yards per punt return (8.5). We're far from writing him off as he has truly unique open-field ability, but the early returns were not promising.

Jan 1 - 12:12 PM

Source: ESPN.com

Tavon Austin's 40 catches led the Rams' receiver corps this season.

It was the fewest by the Rams' leading receiver since 1986. TE Jared Cook led the team with 51 grabs. Austin's receiver-corps leading number speaks to the troubles the Rams had at receiver despite investing four draft picks in the position over the past two years. The return of Sam Bradford will obviously help in 2014, but unless Austin or Brian Quick steps up, the Rams will likely again have one of the league's worst groups of wideouts.

Jan 2 - 9:38 PM

Source: St Louis Post-Dispatch

 

[cstu]

Rotoworld:

Tavon Austin said he intends to "put on a couple more pounds" this offseason.

It's a non-story as a lack of strength wasn't Austin's biggest issue as a rookie. His problem was making big plays in small spaces as he tumbled down the receiving depth chart en route to just 40 catches for 418 yards and four touchdowns. Austin also ranked just 16th in yards per punt return (8.5). We're far from writing him off as he has truly unique open-field ability, but the early returns were not promising.

Jan 1 - 12:12 PM

Source: ESPN.com

I'd love to see a 185 lb. Tavon.

 

[cstu]

It's interesting to see the difference in value between Patterson (~#15WR) and Austin (~#30WR) when they had nearly identical rookie years in every way.

Like everyone else I prefer Patterson due to his size, but I believe they are closer than people think.

 

[False Start]

It's interesting to see the difference in value between Patterson (~#15WR) and Austin (~#30WR) when they had nearly identical rookie years in every way.

Like everyone else I prefer Patterson due to his size, but I believe they are closer than people think.

Yeah, I see a lot of people writing him off for some reason. It's mind boggling really. I said in another thread he is one of the most underrated fantasy values out there at the price he is going. I too like Patterson just a bit more, but not by much.

 

[Two Deep]

In my opinion Bailey is a more complete wide receiver and we will see that in 2014.

 

[False Start]

In my opinion Bailey is a more complete wide receiver and we will see that in 2014.

I like Bailey, stinks they play the same spot but they are they same type of player it's just Austin is more electric and has more game breaking ability.

 

[Bob Magaw]

I expect Bailey and Austin to be on the field together a lot (like at West Virginia). Both can play inside or outside. When the OC was more creative in his use of Austin later in the season (IND and CHI), he flashed his potential. If he is used more like Cobb (seemingly the intention trading up into the top 10 for him) he still has a lot of upside.

 

[False Start]

I expect Bailey and Austin to be on the field together a lot (like at West Virginia). Both can play inside or outside. When the OC was more creative in his use of Austin later in the season (IND and CHI), he flashed his potential. If he is used more like Cobb (seemingly the intention trading up into the top 10 for him) he still has a lot of upside.

Good point, I dont see why they cant be on the field a lot. If they draft Watkins and have Austin, Bailey and Cook to handle other passing duties, that all of a sudden turns from a mess into something.

 

[Adam Harstad]

It's interesting to see the difference in value between Patterson (~#15WR) and Austin (~#30WR) when they had nearly identical rookie years in every way.

Like everyone else I prefer Patterson due to his size, but I believe they are closer than people think.

They had identical rookie stats, but they did take a different path to that point. Neither was ready to play the first 8 weeks, but St. Louis threw Austin on the field and let him take his lumps, while Minnesota kept Patterson on the sidelines and made him watch. As a result, Austin's efficiency metrics sucked- a lot of crummy targets over the first half of the season, not a lot of production to show for it. End of year results were pretty comparable, though.

Add Hunter to that list, too. Been saying it until I'm blue in the face, but all three guys had the exact same year. Took forever to get integrated into the offense properly, completely invisible for the first half of the season, then popped off maybe a half-dozen plays each that make you stop and say "there are maybe a handful of receivers in the NFL right now capable of making that play. Maybe."

All finished the year with thoroughly underwhelming counting stats, major question marks about their ability to do the daily necessities required of an NFL receiver, and ridiculous untapped potential.

 

[cstu]

What it comes down to me with Tavon is one thing - the eyeball test. I can't imagine how a team wouldn't be able to find a way for him to be successful. Not only does he have the best moves I've seen on a football field since Barry, he also never drops a pass. Other than him being too small getting injured it's hard to imagine him not being an impact player.

 

[Bob Magaw]

What it comes down to me with Tavon is one thing - the eyeball test. I can't imagine how a team wouldn't be able to find a way for him to be successful. Not only does he have the best moves I've seen on a football field since Barry, he also never drops a pass. Other than him being too small getting injured it's hard to imagine him not being an impact player.

He did have some drops last year. That said, I agree with everything else.

 

[cstu]

What it comes down to me with Tavon is one thing - the eyeball test. I can't imagine how a team wouldn't be able to find a way for him to be successful. Not only does he have the best moves I've seen on a football field since Barry, he also never drops a pass. Other than him being too small getting injured it's hard to imagine him not being an impact player.

He did have some drops last year. That said, I agree with everything else.

I should have prefaced that with 'in college' - at least I never saw him drop one and I watched every tape I could find of him.

 

[False Start]

It's interesting to see the difference in value between Patterson (~#15WR) and Austin (~#30WR) when they had nearly identical rookie years in every way.

Like everyone else I prefer Patterson due to his size, but I believe they are closer than people think.

They had identical rookie stats, but they did take a different path to that point. Neither was ready to play the first 8 weeks, but St. Louis threw Austin on the field and let him take his lumps, while Minnesota kept Patterson on the sidelines and made him watch. As a result, Austin's efficiency metrics sucked- a lot of crummy targets over the first half of the season, not a lot of production to show for it. End of year results were pretty comparable, though.

Add Hunter to that list, too. Been saying it until I'm blue in the face, but all three guys had the exact same year. Took forever to get integrated into the offense properly, completely invisible for the first half of the season, then popped off maybe a half-dozen plays each that make you stop and say "there are maybe a handful of receivers in the NFL right now capable of making that play. Maybe."

All finished the year with thoroughly underwhelming counting stats, major question marks about their ability to do the daily necessities required of an NFL receiver, and ridiculous untapped potential.

They both played every game in the first 8 weeks and seemed ready to play as Austin started off the season with 6 catches in each of the first three games. Patterson caught passes in every game this year. He only had three games of 5 catches or more and that came weeks 13-15 and played all 16 games. They just gave him some carries after week 13. Austin missed the last 3 games of the year and had 4 games of 5 catches or more. Bradford went down after a few weeks so that hurt Austins development. While Cassel strangely help Pattersons production.

So NO, the paths are the same and you are absolutely incorrect if you say otherwise.

 

[Adam Harstad]

It's interesting to see the difference in value between Patterson (~#15WR) and Austin (~#30WR) when they had nearly identical rookie years in every way.

Like everyone else I prefer Patterson due to his size, but I believe they are closer than people think.

They had identical rookie stats, but they did take a different path to that point. Neither was ready to play the first 8 weeks, but St. Louis threw Austin on the field and let him take his lumps, while Minnesota kept Patterson on the sidelines and made him watch. As a result, Austin's efficiency metrics sucked- a lot of crummy targets over the first half of the season, not a lot of production to show for it. End of year results were pretty comparable, though.

Add Hunter to that list, too. Been saying it until I'm blue in the face, but all three guys had the exact same year. Took forever to get integrated into the offense properly, completely invisible for the first half of the season, then popped off maybe a half-dozen plays each that make you stop and say "there are maybe a handful of receivers in the NFL right now capable of making that play. Maybe."

All finished the year with thoroughly underwhelming counting stats, major question marks about their ability to do the daily necessities required of an NFL receiver, and ridiculous untapped potential.

They both played every game in the first 8 weeks and seemed ready to play as Austin started off the season with 6 catches in each of the first three games. Patterson caught passes in every game this year. He only had three games of 5 catches or more and that came weeks 13-15 and played all 16 games. They just gave him some carries after week 13. Austin missed the last 3 games of the year and had 4 games of 5 catches or more. Bradford went down after a few weeks so that hurt Austins development. While Cassel strangely help Pattersons production.

So NO, the paths are the same and you are absolutely incorrect if you say otherwise.

Tavon Austin played more offensive snaps in his first three games (153) than Cordarrelle Patterson played in his first NINE (150). He also had 29 plays called for him (targets + rushes) in the first three weeks, compared to 28 for Patterson in the first nine weeks. In other words, St. Louis dumped Austin into the fire and expected him to be an immediate savior, while Minnesota brought Patterson along extremely slowly, calling just three plays for him a week over the first half of the season.

After that slow start for Patterson, Minnesota ratcheted up his usage, playing him in over 50% of the snaps in each of their remaining games and naming him a starter in five of their final seven (after giving him no starts in their first nine). On the other hand, after Tavon Austin struggled early, St. Louis began phasing him out of the offensive gameplan. After giving him 45, 58, and 50 snaps in the first three games, that dropped to 42 in game four, 23 in game five, and 4 (FOUR) in game six. And Austin's play richly warranted the demotion- he caught a ton of passes, but St. Louis averaged just 4.2 yards per attempt on throws directed at Austin. I'd call that total "putrid", but it'd be an insult to putrescence. That's like "throwing to Michael Turner" bad. After that, St. Louis kept Austin's snaps low up through his breakout game against Indy (~25 snaps per game over that stretch), then started bringing him back into the offense until he got hurt (38 snaps per game over his final three, despite St. Louis running a below-average number of offensive snaps total).

So, looking at the usage data, we see two dramatically different stories. Patterson's usage tells the story of a guy who couldn't even get on the field until he started to show flashes around midseason. Austin's usage tells the story of a guy who was used extensively right out the gate, struggled mightily, and saw his workload reduced until he started to show flashes around midseason. Or, in other words, pretty much exactly what I said in the first place- neither was ready to play over the first 8 weeks, but St. Louis threw Austin on the field and let him take his lumps while Minnesota kept Patterson on the sidelines until he was ready.

 

[cstu]

I don't think there's any need to debate whether Austin was ready week 1 - he wasn't, at least not to the level expected of him. No harm in that - many great receivers take time to adjust to the NFL.

 

[ShaHBucks]

What it comes down to me with Tavon is one thing - the eyeball test. I can't imagine how a team wouldn't be able to find a way for him to be successful. Not only does he have the best moves I've seen on a football field since Barry, he also never drops a pass. Other than him being too small getting injured it's hard to imagine him not being an impact player.

He did have some drops last year. That said, I agree with everything else.

I should have prefaced that with 'in college' - at least I never saw him drop one and I watched every tape I could find of him.

His hands are flimsy.

 

[False Start]

What it comes down to me with Tavon is one thing - the eyeball test. I can't imagine how a team wouldn't be able to find a way for him to be successful. Not only does he have the best moves I've seen on a football field since Barry, he also never drops a pass. Other than him being too small getting injured it's hard to imagine him not being an impact player.

He did have some drops last year. That said, I agree with everything else.

I should have prefaced that with 'in college' - at least I never saw him drop one and I watched every tape I could find of him.

His hands are flimsy.

Riveting analysis.

 

[Faust]

Jeff Fisher expecting big things from Tavon AustinBy Kevin Patra

Around the League writer

St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher dismissed the idea that the team would use the No. 2 overall draft pick on wide receiver Sammy Watkins -- considered by many as the draft's best offensive weapon.

That notion conjured some skepticism from Rams fans who don't see a game-changing player among the stable of receivers currently at Sam Bradford's disposal.

Fisher, however, expects Tavon Austin -- who the Rams traded up to get last season -- to take a step forward in 2014.

"We're not disappointed in what his production was last year at all," Fisher said last week at the NFL Annual Meeting, per ESPN.com. "One of the things that was misleading was he had two or three returns called back -- one against Dallas -- and then he got hurt.

"I think another year in the program, in the offense, OTAs, training camp, you'll see more production. I think we'll do a better job of using him now that we know what he's capable of doing. Kind of looking forward to see him improve from Year One to Year Two.''

Austin had 40 receptions for 418 yards and four touchdown catches. The rookie also carried the ball nine times for 151 yards, including an electric 65-yard touchdown run and added a punt return for a touchdown.

Austin was far from a go-to receiver during his uneven rookie campaign, which ended after a Week 14 ankle injury.

Still, Austin's 40 catches in 13 games led the wideout group -- fewest by a Rams leading wide receiver since 1986, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Some of Austin's struggles were exacerbated because Kellen Clemens started nine games. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer also took heat for a lack of creativity in how he utilized Austin. Fisher, however, believes those struggles are in the the playmaker's rearview mirror.

The latest "Around The League Podcast" reviews potential landing spots for DeSean Jackson and declares this week's winners and losers.

 

[Two Deep]

Jeff Fisher expecting big things from Tavon Austin

By Kevin Patra

Around the League writer

St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher dismissed the idea that the team would use the No. 2 overall draft pick on wide receiver Sammy Watkins -- considered by many as the draft's best offensive weapon.

That notion conjured some skepticism from Rams fans who don't see a game-changing player among the stable of receivers currently at Sam Bradford's disposal.

Fisher, however, expects Tavon Austin -- who the Rams traded up to get last season -- to take a step forward in 2014.

"We're not disappointed in what his production was last year at all," Fisher said last week at the NFL Annual Meeting, per ESPN.com. "One of the things that was misleading was he had two or three returns called back -- one against Dallas -- and then he got hurt.

"I think another year in the program, in the offense, OTAs, training camp, you'll see more production. I think we'll do a better job of using him now that we know what he's capable of doing. Kind of looking forward to see him improve from Year One to Year Two.''

Austin had 40 receptions for 418 yards and four touchdown catches. The rookie also carried the ball nine times for 151 yards, including an electric 65-yard touchdown run and added a punt return for a touchdown.

Austin was far from a go-to receiver during his uneven rookie campaign, which ended after a Week 14 ankle injury.

Still, Austin's 40 catches in 13 games led the wideout group -- fewest by a Rams leading wide receiver since 1986, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Some of Austin's struggles were exacerbated because Kellen Clemens started nine games. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer also took heat for a lack of creativity in how he utilized Austin. Fisher, however, believes those struggles are in the the playmaker's rearview mirror.

The latest "Around The League Podcast" reviews potential landing spots for DeSean Jackson and declares this week's winners and losers.

For an elusive speed receiver he sure had a low yards per catch average..Reminds me of Dexter McCluster.

 

[False Start]

Jeff Fisher expecting big things from Tavon Austin

By Kevin Patra

Around the League writer

St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher dismissed the idea that the team would use the No. 2 overall draft pick on wide receiver Sammy Watkins -- considered by many as the draft's best offensive weapon.

That notion conjured some skepticism from Rams fans who don't see a game-changing player among the stable of receivers currently at Sam Bradford's disposal.

Fisher, however, expects Tavon Austin -- who the Rams traded up to get last season -- to take a step forward in 2014.

"We're not disappointed in what his production was last year at all," Fisher said last week at the NFL Annual Meeting, per ESPN.com. "One of the things that was misleading was he had two or three returns called back -- one against Dallas -- and then he got hurt.

"I think another year in the program, in the offense, OTAs, training camp, you'll see more production. I think we'll do a better job of using him now that we know what he's capable of doing. Kind of looking forward to see him improve from Year One to Year Two.''

Austin had 40 receptions for 418 yards and four touchdown catches. The rookie also carried the ball nine times for 151 yards, including an electric 65-yard touchdown run and added a punt return for a touchdown.

Austin was far from a go-to receiver during his uneven rookie campaign, which ended after a Week 14 ankle injury.

Still, Austin's 40 catches in 13 games led the wideout group -- fewest by a Rams leading wide receiver since 1986, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Some of Austin's struggles were exacerbated because Kellen Clemens started nine games. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer also took heat for a lack of creativity in how he utilized Austin. Fisher, however, believes those struggles are in the the playmaker's rearview mirror.

The latest "Around The League Podcast" reviews potential landing spots for DeSean Jackson and declares this week's winners and losers.

For an elusive speed receiver he sure had a low yards per catch average..Reminds me of Dexter McCluster.

Looks like he is not liked by Rotoworld. It was his rookie season and his stats are not far off from Pattersons, they will utilize him more, clearly as Fisher seems to like him. I love how they wait until the last line to mention that a better QB might help. What, you mean Clemons was not a star QB and did not help in molding a young talented player? Get out of here.

Coach Jeff Fisher said he expects the Rams to do a better job of using Tavon Austin "now that we know what he's capable of."

Austin was a disappointment as the No. 8 overall pick, posting a 40-418-4 line while playing on just 50.5 percent of his possible offensive snaps. The Rams must do a better job of getting him in space. "I think another year in the program, in the offense, OTAs, training camp, you’ll see more production," Fisher said. Getting Sam Bradford back healthy will help, but Austin too often failed to make big plays in small spaces last season.

Source: ESPN.com
Mar 31 - 10:24 AM

 

[Faust]

Why Tavon Austin is a value pickBy Larry Hartstein | CBSSports.com

Tavon Austin's Fantasy owners spent last season groaning. Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer couldn't figure out how to get this electric talent the ball in space. We saw a ton of bubble screens, with multiple defenders swarming Austin as soon as he caught it.

Rookie receivers often disappoint; Austin proved the rule. He was taken on average as the 32nd WR and finished 54th in standard leagues. His four receiving touchdowns came in two big games.

With his stock in the tank -- Austin is going mid-9th round in early drafts as the No. 42 WR and just went early-9th in our most recent CBSSports.com mock --- Austin has become a value pick.

1. Austin played a mere 434 offensive snaps last season (six games with 30 or fewer) as the Rams wrestled with how to use him. He missed three games with an ankle injury. Look for at least 650 snaps if he stays healthy.

Austin was more productive, on a per-snap basis, than one might think. He tied for 18th in Fantasy Points Per Snap, averaging 0.18 along with Andre Johnson, Wes Welker, Vincent Jackson and T.Y. Hilton, per Pro Football Focus.

"I think another year in the program, in the offense, OTAs, training camp, you'll see more production," coach Jeff Fisher told ESPN.com. "I think we'll do a better job of using him now that we know what he's capable of doing. Kind of looking forward to see him improve from year one to year two."

2. The Rams passed on Sammy Watkins and did not draft a receiver. Wideout Stedman Bailey, who came on at the end of last season, is suspended four games. Chris Givens, Austin Pettis and Jared Cook are Austin's biggest competition for targets. St. Louis signed Kenny Britt, but he's Kenny Britt.

The Rams drafted Austin No. 8 overall and the pressure is on them to justify that pick.

3. Austin played just seven games with Sam Bradford, then got stuck with Kellen Clemens. A healthy Bradford will pay dividends for the entire offense.

4. Austin produced four rushing or receiving plays of 50-plus yards in his last four games, so perhaps the Rams were figuring out how to use him when he got hurt.

Dave Richard ranks Austin 38th and Jamey Eisenberg has him 42nd among receivers. Unless your league counts return yardage, you don't want Austin as one of your top three WRs. But with his huge upside he's a WR4 worth gambling on.

 

[FF Ninja]

That article is a little flippant about Britt. They do realize that Britt is a Fisher guy, right? He drafted him and he watched him put up some big games.

Personally, don't see Austin as a value pick around his current ADP of WR40. He's a huge risk/reward pick, but not a value pick. A value pick would be Greg Jennings who is WR53 but will likely finish at least as a low end WR3 (finished WR39 last year in that mess).

A) The Rams ranked 27th in pass attempts last year

B) Sam Bradford is still their QB

C) Nobody stands out in his competition for targets, but then again, neither does he

D) I don't care about his points per snap. Gimmick players are typically the focus of gimmick plays when they come in. Players who play every down are in there blocking on running downs. Points per snap is only meaningful when comparing every down players to every down players, and even then, not a very important metric.

E) As he says in the end, if no return yardage points, you don't want him as one of your top 3. Well, he's WR40 so he's at the very top price range for a WR4, thus contradicting the whole premise of the article. Austin is not a value pick at the moment.

 

[Khy]

That article is a little flippant about Britt. They do realize that Britt is a Fisher guy, right? He drafted him and he watched him put up some big games.

Personally, don't see Austin as a value pick around his current ADP of WR40. He's a huge risk/reward pick, but not a value pick. A value pick would be Greg Jennings who is WR53 but will likely finish at least as a low end WR3 (finished WR39 last year in that mess).

A) The Rams ranked 27th in pass attempts last year

B) Sam Bradford is still their QB

C) Nobody stands out in his competition for targets, but then again, neither does he

D) I don't care about his points per snap. Gimmick players are typically the focus of gimmick plays when they come in. Players who play every down are in there blocking on running downs. Points per snap is only meaningful when comparing every down players to every down players, and even then, not a very important metric.

E) As he says in the end, if no return yardage points, you don't want him as one of your top 3. Well, he's WR40 so he's at the very top price range for a WR4, thus contradicting the whole premise of the article. Austin is not a value pick at the moment.

I stand by what I said last year at some point... probably in this thread. I LOVE Tavon Austin as a player and think he will eventually be succesful. It won't be this year though. For one reason and none of them are what you mentioned in this post.

Brian Schottenheimer has to be literally one of the WORST offensive coordinators this league has seen in ages. I mean, the guy literally goes to places with promising offensive talent and destroys it all, seemingly on purpose. He's a horribly uncreative bafoon who shouldn't be the offensive coordinator of anything let alone an NFL team. I think I could do a better job. The worst thing to happens to the Rams was him not landing the head coaching job in Jacksonville last year. Honestly, if not for a few good verteran signings along the way (Jones, Tomlinson, Favre) the Jets never even get above top 25 in overall offense during his stay.

When Schittenheimer leaves, it'll be a better situation. Hopefully though, Tavon hasn't imploded in on himself at that point. You don't take a guy with the #8 overall pick and then have him sitting on the bench behind guys that are all just, well... guys. Only Brian Schottenheimer could come up with a scheme like that.

 

[FF Ninja]

Yeah, I didn't even think about him coming over. I agree. So that's another strike against Austin in my book, but I think all those points I made are also still applicable.

 

[TheFanatic]

Jeff Fisher expecting big things from Tavon Austin

By Kevin Patra

Around the League writer

St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher dismissed the idea that the team would use the No. 2 overall draft pick on wide receiver Sammy Watkins -- considered by many as the draft's best offensive weapon.

That notion conjured some skepticism from Rams fans who don't see a game-changing player among the stable of receivers currently at Sam Bradford's disposal.

Fisher, however, expects Tavon Austin -- who the Rams traded up to get last season -- to take a step forward in 2014.

"We're not disappointed in what his production was last year at all," Fisher said last week at the NFL Annual Meeting, per ESPN.com. "One of the things that was misleading was he had two or three returns called back -- one against Dallas -- and then he got hurt.

"I think another year in the program, in the offense, OTAs, training camp, you'll see more production. I think we'll do a better job of using him now that we know what he's capable of doing. Kind of looking forward to see him improve from Year One to Year Two.''

Austin had 40 receptions for 418 yards and four touchdown catches. The rookie also carried the ball nine times for 151 yards, including an electric 65-yard touchdown run and added a punt return for a touchdown.

Austin was far from a go-to receiver during his uneven rookie campaign, which ended after a Week 14 ankle injury.

Still, Austin's 40 catches in 13 games led the wideout group -- fewest by a Rams leading wide receiver since 1986, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Some of Austin's struggles were exacerbated because Kellen Clemens started nine games. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer also took heat for a lack of creativity in how he utilized Austin. Fisher, however, believes those struggles are in the the playmaker's rearview mirror.

The latest "Around The League Podcast" reviews potential landing spots for DeSean Jackson and declares this week's winners and losers.

For an elusive speed receiver he sure had a low yards per catch average..Reminds me of Dexter McCluster.

So you didn't see a single play of his I guess?

Because that Austin had a nice little stretch there that showed he is much better than McCluster:

Austin is the first player in NFL history to have a 95+ yard punt return TD, 80+ yard TD catch and 65+ yard TD run in a single season.

Link to the article and some actual highlights where the guy was finally used properly.

Running three yard button hooks gets no YAC no matter how fast a guy is. There were games where he only caught two balls for 6 yards (three yard button hooks) where he caught the ball standing still and got mauled by a LB. Do you put that on the player or maybe the play calling? Maybe watch a few plays before making a ridiculous comment like that.

 

[elguapo07]

I would like to see him get more carries. His feet are so quick and he can avoid contact. He only had 9 carries last year and I'd utilize him more out of the backfield. Not saying you run him between the tackles but get this kid in space with the ball in his hands and he'll do damage.

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

Tavon Austin - WR - Rams

Tavon Austin admitted his rookie year was a "pretty big adjustment for me at first."



Austin's 2013 was a borderline disaster, as he dropped six passes in the first five games, had his playing time slashed drastically and ended up averaging just 10.5 yards per catch. He struggled to make plays in small spaces, a mandatory skill for 5-foot-8 slot receivers. We're not giving up on such an explosive player after one season, but it's hard to buy the Rams' claims that things are slowing down now for Austin and he'll be settled in. On a team striving to run the ball and let their defense win games, Austin is a boom-or-bust WR4/5.

Source: St Louis Post-Dispatch

Jun 11 - 11:35 AM

 

[Bob Magaw]

Austin averaged about 5 yards per reception in four of his first five games, and about 18 yards in his last four games.

 

[cstu]

(Rotoworld)OC Brian Schottenheimer said he'll be moving Tavon Austin around to "a lot of different spots" this season.

Analysis: "You'll see us hand him the ball, do some different things," Schotty said. "He's playing so much faster just because he knows what we're doing. He has the system down cold."

Austin never found a real role as a rookie thanks to dropped passes and an inability to shake loose in small spaces. We wouldn't rule out the light flipping on in Year 2, but last year's tape was so horrifying that we're skeptical. Schottenheimer failed to scheme Austin successfully last year.

(Article Link)

 

[Sabertooth]

I love when a coach says "We are going to do some different things." Mike Sherman used to say this all the time "We were able to do some things out there today conceptually that were positive." WTF does that even mean?

 

[Adam Harstad]

I love when a coach says "We are going to do some different things." Mike Sherman used to say this all the time "We were able to do some things out there today conceptually that were positive." WTF does that even mean?

In the case of Brian Schottenheimer, I'm betting it means "we sucked last year and I know I'll get savaged if I admit I'm just going to keep trying to shove that square peg into that same round hole".

 

[cloppbeast]

I love when a coach says "We are going to do some different things." Mike Sherman used to say this all the time "We were able to do some things out there today conceptually that were positive." WTF does that even mean?

In the case of Brian Schottenheimer, I'm betting it means "we sucked last year and I know I'll get savaged if I admit I'm just going to keep trying to shove that square peg into that same round hole".

Sounds like lip service. I wouldn't count on him to alter his pursuit of fitting the square peg in the round hole. Tigers don't change their spots.

 

[Slapdash]

I don't know how Schottenheimer is employed.

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

OC Brian Schottenheimer said he'll be moving Tavon Austin around to "a lot of different spots" this season.

"You'll see us hand him the ball, do some different things," Schotty said. "He's playing so much faster just because he knows what we're doing. He has the system down cold." Austin never found a real role as a rookie thanks to dropped passes and an inability to shake loose in small spaces. We wouldn't rule out the light flipping on in Year 2, but last year's tape was so horrifying that we're skeptical. Schottenheimer failed to scheme Austin successfully last year.

Source: St Louis Post-Dispatch

Jun 23 - 8:59 AM

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I love when a coach says "We are going to do some different things." Mike Sherman used to say this all the time "We were able to do some things out there today conceptually that were positive." WTF does that even mean?

In the case of Brian Schottenheimer, I'm betting it means "we sucked last year and I know I'll get savaged if I admit I'm just going to keep trying to shove that square peg into that same round hole".

Sounds like lip service. I wouldn't count on him to alter his pursuit of fitting the square peg in the round hole. Tigers don't change their spots.

However, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him beat around the bush.