Tavon Austin .... Wow!

[BriansRams]

Now that the years have passed, what's your opinion?
We picked Tavon in the first round some years back.

Would you consider him a bust? Or an average 11th player chosen in the draft? (wasn't he picked 11th?)

Me? I'm going with bust.
He did some exciting plays for us. But a bust for the first round. Had we taken him in the 5th round, yeah, I'd be ok with that.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Total bust. He was a bust before he even hit the field imo.

 

[Merlin]

He's a shitter. Type of guy that just wants to collect his check and go home. Nothing wrong with that, unless you have a team full of them and you want to actually win something at this level.

 

[Rambitious1]

Poster child for complete and utter bust.

 

[Loyal]

Total Bust. I remember that former Rams personnel guy, Tony Softli was a contributor to 101ESPN's draft coverage before the draft, but he thought Cordarelle Patterson was a better pick. The guy was big and athletic and very raw. At least I have seen Patterson contribute in the NFL this year. I think we forget as to how bad the Rams were at picking WR's in the draft and in FA.

 

[Angry Ram]

Nah. He was fine, contributed as much and was really good on STs. I'll never forget that Colts game. He had backups throwing him the ball the majority of his time to boot.

 

[thirteen28]

Bust due to underachievement.

He had his moments and had lots of athleticism, but never developed into a consistent WR.

He was the typical Fisher offensive draft pick of taking an athlete over a player ... sort of the anti-Kupp.

Had we taken him in the 5th round, yeah, I'd be ok with that.

This hits the nail on the head. The type of career he had is commensurate with a 5th round pick who has great athleticism but is lacking in skills and never really develops them. A WR taken in the first round where Tavon was taken should be a consistent WR and solid starter, if not perennial Pro Bowler.

 

[Pupped]

5500 career yards and 29 TDs.

Not worth his pick, not a bust.

 

[HellRam]

Think he had one year combined a 1,000 scrimmage yards (rushing, recieving).

Not a bust but not a home run either. The trade is what made the pick really not worth it.

 

[HE WITH HORNS]

He scored 10 TDs for us one year. As far as his rookie deal, he was a bit disappointing, but not terrible. The bad mistake was giving him a big 2nd contract. He's still in the league too, so it's not like he can't play.

 

[Billy Baroo]

He was the 8th pick and Rams traded up from 16th to get him:
Bills got a 1 (16), 2 (46), 3 (78), 7 (222); Rams get Tavon Austin at 8 and Bills' 3 (71).
So yeah, a bust.

 

[RamFan503]

Meh. Maybe a bust but still playing in the league. That puts him as not a bust to me. And honestly, if our ST was anything but atrocious at the time, he would have had some pretty amazing return yardage with us.

 

[dang]

Not a bust as an NFL player but definitely over drafted. Should have been a mid 2nd pick at best.

 

[Classic Rams]

Not a bust. Just didn't live up to his potential and wasn't worthy of the 8th round pick. Saw his career best vs Colts in a bar. Game of his life. Many TD's called back that we all saw. He was never a consistent WR. But it was fun seeing him take the jet sweeps for TDs. Busts don't do what he did. Everyone also was saying the Rams didn't know how to use him, esp Fisher and Shatti. McVay ran some decent gadget plays with him then figured he had much better WRs so let him go. Maybe he was me not we.

 

[OC--LeftCoast]

Certainly did not live up to expectations

But poster child for bust?

The fact he’s still in the league since 2013 pretty much disqualifies the “total bust” narrative

Oh and off the top of my head I loved Keenan Allen in that draft, would have been happy with Hopkins, did not like the TA pick anymore than I disagreed with the Tutu pick

 

[jjab360]

He's a shitter. Type of guy that just wants to collect his check and go home. Nothing wrong with that, unless you have a team full of them and you want to actually win something at this level.

I wouldn't say that. I think he wanted to be special, I just don't think he had the football IQ or skill set to overcome his physical shortcomings.

 

[ArkyRamsFan]

Think he had one year combined a 1,000 scrimmage yards (rushing, recieving).

Not a bust but not a home run either. The trade is what made the pick really not worth it.

No, what made the pick not really worth it is that we passed on DeAndre Hopkins who was just sitting there for the taking.

~ArkyRamsFan~

 

[OldSchool]

Over drafted but not a bust.

 

[badnews]

Expectations are a bitch.

He didn't draft himself in the top 10.

If Tavon Austin had been selected in the 3rd, where he should have been as a tiny but very shifty guy without really any of the other NFL WR skills (hands, routes, understanding concepts, etc) - then he would be a success story, a 3rd rounder who has hung around, started lots of games, nearly 30 career TDs...

He's not a bust. Even the top 10 has guys who just never do shit (Jason Smith) .... that's not Austin.

He didn't live up to OUR expectations, but I bet his mama is plenty proud of her sons professional football career.

 

[Merlin]

I wouldn't say that. I think he wanted to be special, I just don't think he had the football IQ or skill set to overcome his physical shortcomings.

No way. At least I'm not buying that. He was blessed with quickness and should have developed into a fine route runner by now if it meant enough to him. But he still can't run a good route.