Are the Dallas Cowboys Tavon Austin’s NFL redemption?
The Dallas Cowboys hope to get speed and explosion out of recent acquisition Tavon Austin. Will this be the fit that allows both player and team to shine?
The Dallas Cowboys offense lacked creativity and explosiveness in 2017. By landing web back Tavon Austin, they hope that they’ve found a guy who can do both. If Austin was a newly drafted first round pick, they hype would be at an all-time high.
Unfortunately, his performance so far in the league has not inspired too much more than blind optimism. But even though there is more to be desired from Austin’s first tenure with an NFL team, his current NFL situation might be the perfect one for him to rebound. Here’s how.
Austin was selected eighth overall in the 2013 NFL draft by the then St. Louis Rams. In his rookie season, Austin was a solid contributor and ended the year with 1,247 total yards from scrimmage and six total touchdowns. In 2014, his overall offensive production declined, but he was named a Pro-Bowl special teamer for the NFC with an 11.2 yard return average.
Austin’s 2015 season was the best of his career. Austin was one of football’s premier playmakers and ended the season with 52 receptions for 473 yards and five receiving touchdowns. Austin also added 52 carries for 434 yards and four touchdowns.
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By adding a special teams touchdown, Austin became the first player since running back Gale Sayers to have five receiving, four rushing, and one punt return touchdown in a season since 1965.
That 2015 season should serve as a blueprint on the best way to deploy Austin. With an even split on rushing and receiving duties along with his usual special teams work, Austin has the ability to really impact and change the pace of a game.
In 2016 however, the Jeff Fisher-led Los Angeles Rams and their “middle school” offense was amongst the leagues worst run and worst performing. Austin, as well as the whole offense, slipped and a new regime was hired. These are where the Tavon misconceptions begin.
Going into 2017, the Rams hired head coach Sean McVay to run the offense. His new and creative offensive scheming was designed to make the team one of the best offenses in football, and indeed it was. But if McVay was so good, why didn’t Austin play a bigger role?