During his five seasons with the Rams, Tavon Austin was mostly a disappointment: Although he made the occasional big play as a runner, receiver or returner, he never really put it all together to be a complete player. Can that change in Dallas?
It can according to Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who says Austin is showing he can handle everything thrown at him in Dallas. Prescott said all of his receivers are starting to get it, but when asked which of the Cowboys’ new receivers has done the best job of getting involved in the offense, Prescott said it was Austin.
“I’d say Tavon for the simple fact, in the other place he was, I didn’t know he was as good of a receiver as he was and could run routes as well as he does, and catch the ball every single time,” Prescott said, via the Star-Telegram. “For me, from that standpoint, he’s not just a gadget, gadget guy. You don’t have to run him on speed sweeps and all that steps opens up the offense and you can use him there as well. He’s a guy you can put out there, inside, outside and trust he’s going to get open.”
For his NFL career, Austin has averaged just 8.7 yards per catch, far less than a player with his speed ought to be averaging if he’s as good a route runner as Prescott suggests. The Rams’ offense never did get the most out of Austin’s talents. Prescott seems to think the Cowboys’ offense can.