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Are the Dallas Cowboys Tavon Austin’s NFL redemption?

By Gillia Baattai

SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 17: Wide receiver Tavon Austin #11 of the Los Angeles Rams rushes against the Seattle Seahawks during the fourth quarter of the game at CenturyLink Field on December 17, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr /Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 17: Wide receiver Tavon Austin #11 of the Los Angeles Rams rushes against the Seattle Seahawks during the fourth quarter of the game at CenturyLink Field on December 17, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr /Getty Images) /
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Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images
Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images /

Austin had a wrist injury going into camp and was not fully healthy until just before the season began. By that time, McVay had overhauled the teams skill position group and had already carved out roles for them in the offense.

And when Austin was fully ready to be reintegrated into the system, it was too late. The team targeted him far less than any other time in his career and only used him for short passes or special packages.

His former general manager Les Snead, as well as McVay both, echoed this in the press they did as Tavon was moving on to Dallas. McVay said this in an article for the RamsWire,

"I think the world of Tavon, not only as a player but as a person,” McVay said this week. “I think unfortunately with his situation, he was never really able to get healthy and it was hard to truly get him on there and get him the opportunities that he probably deserved. That’s something I wish I did a better job with.” …"

When new leadership enters a football team, they look to bring in ‘their guys’ and that goes from the coaching staff to the personnel. Every player from the past regime is deemed expendable.

Even though Tavon could help the team, bending over backward to integrate him in the regular season would not make any sense for a staff that has nothing invested in him.

With a new contract coming up soon and an already potent offense, it made sense for the team to get whatever they could for him around the draft.

While these statements from McVay and Snead reassure us that Austin can still play, it is the tale of another in-between NFL player who’s best years came on teams after his first, that give us hope Austin can be very effective. His name is Reggie Bush.

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