I haven't written about Tavon in a while as I promised, but I'll follow up with you. Then, I'll again stop writing about him.
I absolutely agree: they are doing what they can with an over-priced asset until the contract drops off. And, I think that EVERYONE agrees that Tavon has some value. Where we disagree is how much.
I think everyone is also in agreement that T A is not a WR. I've seen numerous posters who defend T A agree on this.
So, if T A is not a WR, then what is his role? Well, his best role in the past and now is as sort of wingback rushing the football on jet sweeps and the like. In the FIsher era, that approach often gave us our only real rushing threat. And I think we will all stipulate that his history in that role commands a certain degree of respect from opposing DCs.
This has been the basis for numerous posts the last few weeks lauding T A for continuing to have an important role in our offense. People have said, "Hey--look at how the threat of the jet sweep helped free up T G for rushing." Again, I'll stipulate that this is a factor.
So the question is, how much is all of this worth? It's a question for the salary cap, but far more, it's a question of the scope of T A's role in the offense.
All along, 43, you've asked a central question: how are there enough plays and opportunities for T A to do much when you have T G, Sammy, Woods, Kupp, and all the others? It's always been my sense of the key question. And I've never seen anyone make any real case for how T A could actually play a large role.
Now, think for a moment about the oft-repeated claim, "He's important as a decoy." That's a pretty lame argument, IMO. A decoy is not in itself a great deal of value. It's a negative presence, a bluff. And, it is dependent for its force on actual performance. To maintain the force of a decoy, it must sometimes come up with the real goods. And, it must continue to be perceived as a greater threat than alternatives.
Which raises the question of the status of the decoy going forward. Personally, I see T A's value steadily decreasing. And that's a very good thing.
After all, we have some other threats now. Real threats which are capable of doing damage far more often than T A ever has. The whole point of T A in Fisher's era was compensatory. We did not have much of a traditional running game and we had virtually nothing in downfield passing. Tavon was a gadget that could be used to generate some offense from a sort of side door, just as under manned HS or college programs use spreads and gadget guys to compensate for the big programs' power and talent. But with Gurley and Sammy and Woods and Kupp and Goff, we can play the game straight up. We can pass block and throw downfield to legit WRs. We can rush the football with a stud RB and balance the run and pass in killer combinations. We don't NEED the gadget guy.
Some of Tavon's defenders may say, hey, we are running well precisely BECAUSE he is there as a decoy. And he is being used that way on some plays. But I personally do not believe that we are incapable of opening holes for Todd without Tavon as a decoy. We all know that good offenses whipsaw defenses between run and pass in highly effective ways without a gadget guy threatening a jet sweep. I am completely convinced that McVay can run an offense without the gadget. Indeed, he is doing it right now much of the time.
Every time you use Tavon as a decoy, you surrender a spot on the field that could be filled by Woods or Kupp or Reynolds or Everett. All of those guys are legit downfield threats. Tavon, as all have agreed is NOT a threat as a downfield WR. I do not understand how anyone could value Tavon as a decoy or jet sweep guy over those others except for once in a while. Or how anyone could have any concern about how we might suffer if he is gone. I personally do not get that.
I think Tavon has had some marginal value as a transitional figure as McVay has established more consistently legitimate threats. I think his value will erode as their potency becomes increasingly evident. I don't believe he is worth his contract or that he will be retained next year.
In the meantime ... yeah, he's a Ram and a tough little guy. McVay will find some value in using him now and then. But increasingly he will not be the decoy--rather, the roles will be reversed and he will have space to make plays because more legitimate threats are the decoys.
