Ram’s head coach Jeff Fisher has future plans for Tavon Austin. Last season Austin dazzled the league with his ability to outrun opponents with his speed and his vision when he was returning the ball. Austin had 40 receptions for 418 yards, 9 carries for 151 yards, and a kick return. Even though 40 catches in 14 games was the fewest catches in Rams history, Austin still showed signs of progression.
Fisher said that Austin’s statistics in 2013 were reasonable, but does expect to see a lot more from the wide out with another training camp and extra reps behind him.
“We’re not disappointed in what his production was last year at all,” Fisher said last week at the NFL Annual Meeting, per ESPN.com. “One of the things that was misleading was he had two or three returns called back — one against Dallas — and then he got hurt. “I think another year in the program, in the offense, OTAs, training camp, you’ll see more production. I think we’ll do a better job of using him now that we know what he’s capable of doing. Kind of looking forward to see him improve from Year One to Year Two.”
Entering the offseason, the 5-8, 176-pounder wants to bulk up a little. “I want to put on a couple more pounds, definitely not lose some speed,” Austin told the team’s website.
Austin will have a lot more opportunities to be in the line-up more this season. If he can be consistent he could be one of the elite wide receivers in the near future. Quarterback Sam Bradford says it has been “fun” to watch Austin after the catch. “He’s made some people look silly out here,” Bradford said.”
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