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GreatRamNTheSky
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LMU93
Austin has made his living for 4 years getting quick throws and trying to make something happen. For example, he has caught 43% (77) of his passes behind the line of scrimmage. 81% have been less than 10 yards downfield. And only 18 of his catches in 4 years have come when the Rams are in 2 or 3 TE formations.
We know (A) McVay wants to throw downfield and (B ) two TEs are probably going to be on the field 70% of the time. So can Tavon adapt- while also having better hands and running good routes downfield? I hope so. It's a tall order for a player like him though.
It will be a more varied offense under McVay and anyone who saw Tavon in college knows he can go downfield and catch the ball. ONLY FISHER DIDN'T KNOW THIS or his OCs.
Grits
Actually they did throw to Tavon downfield. They always have. Back when ESPN splits use to show attempts, not just receptions, you could even track the number of times they threw it to him deep (which I am counting for this discussion as 21 or more yards for deep throws). (Right now all ESPN splits can give you is receptions, not attempts, which is just not as useful).
The issue is how good he is at it. He does have some limitations...maybe he can break through those, maybe not, though I personally think he can't. It's not just size but you never see Tavon fight for the ball, catch anything outside a narrow radius, adjust to the ball in flight in any kind of advanced way, or show sophisticated route running techniques that tilt defenders and create separation on a regular basis. Etc. All that appears to me to be outside his normal skill package, though again maybe he can improve aspects of it. He can do a certain percentage of what he needs to do but I have seen a guy with a very definite ceiling when it comes to being a pure receiver.
Now can he do the DeSean Jackson role where he routinely threatens downfield? I personally doubt it. I think he needs to be given a variety of different kinds of plays that use him according to his real ceiling as a combined yardage guy who can do different things as a receiver and runner (and even decoy). Maybe he will surprise me and take a big leap forward when it comes to all that, but it hasn't happened yet.
And this is not a complaint about Tavon. I never thought he was a pure receiver type. I never had any expectation that he would be. I like how they used him in 2015 to do a variety of things within his combined yardage weapon role. Maybe McVay wants that, maybe not; maybe McVay is saying to himself, if I can't use him as a DeSean West then I can't use him.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/06/2017 04:58AM by zn.
