Last year’s rookie class of wide receivers was as good or better than any the league has seen, but the first receiver taken in the 2013 draft hasn’t had the same kind of success.
Tavon Austin has 71 catches for 660 yards through his first two seasons with the Rams, but the team doesn’t think Austin’s been wholly responsible for his low production. Sam Bradford’s torn ACLs have left the Rams with backup quarterbacks for most of Austin’s time, something the team feels has stifled their creativity on offense as a whole.
Nick Foles is in town now and Austin told Don Banks of SI.com that he thinks they’ll “make some plays” this year. Coach Jeff Fisher believes Foles’s height (he’s 6'5") will help Austin tap into what the team hasn’t been able to access thus far.
“This has nothing to do with Tavon,” Fisher said. “It’s not a reflection on what he’s done. Tavon has done everything he possibly can. He’s in great shape, and he’s highly talented and a passionate teammate. This has been more about the circumstances of our situation. This potentially could be a breakout year for him. Because he’s got the potential to win outside and inside.”
General Manager Les Snead agrees with Fisher and compares Austin to a thoroughbred “ready to break” from the gates. The Rams offense needs that kind of threat and Austin needs to make that break to prove his quiet first two years have been a result of circumstances.