Tavon Austin

Rams To Cut Or Trade Tavon Austin

March 1st, 2018 at 11:06am CST by Zachary Links

The Rams will either trade or release wide receiver Tavon Austin before the start of the league year, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Given Austin’s lack of production to date, a release seems more likely.

In 2013, GM Les Snead used the No. 8 overall pick to take Austin, a speedy wide receiver out of West Virginia. The selection was viewed as a reach at the time and his lack of consistent production made it clear to most that the Rams had erred with that pick. After catching 52 passes for 473 yards and five scores in 2015, the Rams inked Austin to a hefty four-year, $42MM extension which, at the time, made him the 12th-highest paid receiver in the NFL. Less than two years later, the Rams are bailing on that deal and probably eating money in order to break free.

Austin, 26, will earn a fully guaranteed $5MM roster bonus this year whether or not he’s on the Rams’ roster. By cutting him before March 16, the team gets to save $3MM against the cap. The good news for L.A. is that Austin’s contract contains offsets, meaning the Rams will save money if and when Austin lands a new contract. However, it’s hard to see Austin earning much more than the league minimum after the year he had in 2017.

The diminutive Austin had just 13 receptions for 47 yards in 2017. He played only 230 snaps in total. By most measures, 2016 was his best season to date as he had 58 catches for 509 yards and three touchdowns.

NFC Notes: Panthers, Rams, 49ers, Cowboys

February 21st, 2018 at 9:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Hedge fund manager and Steelers minority owner David Tepper is a name to watch in the Panthers‘ sale, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (video link). Tepper, based in Miami, reportedly has a net worth of $11.4 billion, so he certainly has the capital to pull off a purchase of the Carolina franchise. A minority owner of the Steelers since 2009, Tepper boasts 5% of the Pittsburgh club. He’s the third candidate to be linked to the Panthers ownership, joining South Carolina businessman Ben Navarro and former UFC owner Frank Fertitta.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

Wideout Tavon Austin is widely expected to be released by the Rams this offseason, and Los Angeles could end up seeing a bit of financial relief if Austin is signed by another club. Austin’s contract contains offsets, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, meaning the Rams will save money if and when Austin lands a new contract. Austin, 26, will earn a fully guaranteed $5MM roster bonus whether he’s on LA’s roster or not, but the Rams will have to pay the 5’8″ pass-catcher another $3MM if he’s still around on March 16. A former first-round pick, Austin managed only 13 receptions for 47 yards in 2017.
Buccaneers cornerback Jude Adjei-Barimah was medically cleared on Tuesday after missing the entire 2017 campaign with a knee injury, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. The 25-year-old Adjei-Barimah appeared in 23 games with Tampa Bay from 2015-16 and averaged 53% playtime on defense. Adjei-Barimiah was also a key contributor on special teams, as he played on roughly a third of the Buccaneers’ ST snaps during those two seasons. He’s now scheduled to become an restricted free agent this offseason, but it’s unclear if Tampa will tender him a contract, per Auman.
Daniel Kilgore‘s new three-year deal with the 49ers is worth nearly $11.78MM and and contains $4.825MM fully guaranteed, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (Twitter link). The 30-year-old Kilgore was a backup or injured for much of the first five years of his career, but he’s started 29 games for the 49ers over the past two seasons. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus ranked Kilgore as just the 23rd-best center in the league in 2017, but San Francisco is clearly higher on him than that finish would indicate.
The Cowboys have hired Ken Amato as a defensive assistant, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Amato, who spent nine years with the Titans as a long snapper, worked with Dallas as a special teams assistant in 2017.

Rams To Keep Tavon Austin

August 11th, 2017 at 1:24pm CST by Zachary Links

In theory, the Rams’ blockbuster trade for Sammy Watkins could have enabled them to flip wide receiver Tavon Austin to another team in a separate trade. Apparently, that’s not in the cards. The Rams are not shopping Austin, multiple sources tell Mike Florio of PFT, and they do not intend to. The belief in L.A. is that they will be better off with as many offensive weapons as possible.

Austin has yet to live up to his status as a former No. 8 overall pick in the draft, but he could thrive as opposing defenses focus their game plans on Watkins. At least, that’s what the Rams are hoping for as he plays out the four-year, $42MM extension inked just before the start of the 2016 season.

In 2016, Austin had 58 catches for 509 yards, averaging out to just 8.8 yards per grab. He has only one season – his rookie campaign – in which he averaged double digits per catch.

The Rams have Watkins, Robert Woods, and Austin as their top three receivers heading into the season. With that trio plus athletic rookie tight end Gerald Everett, Jared Goff will have lots of weapons to work with.

NFC West Rumors: Lacy, Seahawks, Rams

May 15th, 2017 at 1:42pm CST by Zachary Links

There were rumblings earlier this offseason about Eddie Lacy‘s conditioning, but the running back made weight on his first scheduled weigh-in of the offseason, per his agents (on Twitter). By weighing in at 253 pounds (under the 255-pound requirement), the Seahawks running back will earn a $55K bonus on his free agent deal. From here on out, he’ll weigh in every month from now through the end of the calendar year and make $55K by coming in under the max. To cash in on all of these weight-driven incentives, he’ll need to weigh 250 in June, July and August and 245 from September through December.

Lacy reportedly weighed in at 267 pounds during one of his free agent visits and while that hasn’t been confirmed by the player, the Seahawks apparently felt a need to keep him on track throughout the year. Lacy signed with Seattle this offseason on a one-year, $5.5MM deal with $3MM fully guaranteed. If Lacy can keep the extra weight off while moving the chains, he’ll could be in line for a more lucrative deal next spring.

Here’s more out of the NFC West:

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians believes that Blaine Gabbert can get a “fresh start” with the Cardinals, as Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com writes. Gabbert, a former first-round pick, is 9-31 in his NFL career as a starter. Arians argues that a lack of stability has hurt his progress. In six seasons, Gabbert has played for seven head coaches and six different offensive coordinators on two teams. He’ll now try to make things work with a third team after signing with the Cardinals this month.
The Rams want Tavon Austin to play a DeSean Jackson-type role in the new offense, as Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com writes. Austin is facing a critical year as the team can cut him loose next year with just $5MM in dead money. The Rams gave him a fat four-year, $42MM extension just weeks before the start of the 2016 season, but he’ll have to show something to the new staff if he wants to play out that contract.
The 49ers tried to trade into the middle of the first round to select Reuben Foster. Luckily for them, Foster continued to slip and SF managed to get him with a late first round pick acquired during the draft.

NFC Notes: Austin, Redskins, Pack, Panthers

May 6th, 2017 at 4:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tavon Austin will miss the Rams‘ offseason program after undergoing surgery to repair ligament damage in his left wrist, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports. This is an arthroscopic procedure that will shelve the fifth-year player during Los Angeles’ OTAs/minicamp portion of the schedule, but Gonzalez notes Austin is expected to be ready for training camp. The slot receiver will be looking to bounce back from a down year, one that followed the $42MM extension signed last summer. Austin is expected to be a key component of Sean McVay‘s offense as he attempts to revive the league’s worst passing attack.

Here’s the latest from the NFC.

The Redskins are continuing to search for a GM to succeed Scot McCloughan, but team president Bruce Allen isn’t expediting this process. “As far as what we are going to do, it hasn’t changed since March. We are going to be in the process of looking to see what we need to add to our personnel department to enhance the people that are here,” Allen said on a Daniel Snyder-owned radio station (via the team’s website), adding the Redskins plan to take their time while conducting this search. “There is some good quality people out there that’s available that we are talking to.” A report emerged earlier this week indicating Washington submitted a proposal to the NFL to restructure its front office without a GM. Allen denied that rumor, saying “there is no submission to the league on a form or anything like that.”
Redskins exec Doug Williams saw an expanded role during the draft, and Jarrett Bell of USA Today makes a case the former Super Bowl MVP is a logical candidate for Allen to consider. A fourth-year staffer in the Redskins’ front office, Williams has not been interviewed for the job, Bell reports. Allen gave the 61-year-old Williams his first NFL executive job, doing so with the Buccaneers during the 2000s. Even if the Redskins opt to go without a GM, they must interview a minority candidate for the position to comply with the Rooney Rule, per Bell. Williams has served as a senior personnel executive in Washington. The former Redskins quarterback been mentioned as an internal candidate for this job and linked to promotion to another higher-level position with the Redskins. He served as the Bucs’ pro scouting coordinator from 2009-10 and was the Virginia Destroyers’ GM in the now-defunct United Football League following the Tampa Bay stay.
Packers fourth-round pick Vince Biegel suffered a hand injury during rookie minicamp Friday that induced him to return Saturday with a club on the injured hand. However, Biegel said — via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com — he did not break any bones and was wearing the cast-like bandage as a precaution.
The Panthers gave Olympic sprinter Marvin Bracy a tryout at their rookie minicamp, David Newton of ESPN.com notes. A 100-meter Olympian at the Rio Games and former United States 60-meter dash champion, the 23-year-old Bracy spent a year on the Florida State football team as a redshirt before leaving the program to focus on track. The latest in a line of recent Olympic sprinters or jumpers to be given NFL tryouts, joining Jeff Demps and Jeff Henderson in that regard, the 5-foot-9 Bracy has a 9.93-second 100-meter clocking to his credit.

Rams Sign Tavon Austin To Extension

August 27th, 2016 at 6:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

6:10pm: Austin will receive $28.55MM in injury guarantees, and $25.5MM will be due by March of 2017, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. The new years in the deal average out to $10.5MM, per La Canfora. By that measurement, the 25-year-old Austin will be the league’s 12th-highest-paid receiver. While that hierarchy will certainly change by the time Austin’s new years commence, this provides security for a wideout that has yet to record 500 receiving yards in a season, making the agreement unique.

5:17pm: The deal stands to keep Austin in Los Angeles through the 2021 season, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Similar to the Chiefs’ extension for 2013 first-rounder Eric Fisher, the player selected seven spots behind him will see his new contract add four years on top of the two left on his existing rookie pact.

The Rams announced the deal, via Sirius XM Radio (on Twitter).

5:11pm: It’s a four-year, $42MM extension for Austin, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). That agreement comes with $30MM in guarantees, per Schefter, who adds that incentives could elevate this deal to $52MM. The base value of the deal falls in line with those given to wideouts this summer. Allen Hurns, Keenan Allen and Doug Baldwin each signed extensions for four years and between $44-$46MM.

Austin has not delivered a season like the ones his new NFL tax-bracket peers have but serves as his team’s top receiving option and can contribute in more ways than the more traditional targets, thanks to his prowess out of the backfield and in the return game.

5:07pm: One of two players on whom the Rams picked up fifth-year options on this spring, Tavon Austin is expected to sign a contract extension with the team, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter).

The recently relocated franchise will keep its top receiver in Los Angeles for a while. A 2013 first-round pick, Austin recorded career highs in receptions (52), yards from scrimmage (907) and touchdowns (10) last season and saw the Rams trigger his fifth-year option in May. He stood to occupy $12.268MM of the Rams’ 2017 cap as part of that option being exercised. That total represents the seventh-highest among wide receivers for ’17.

The Rams, who also picked up Alec Ogletree‘s ’17 option, expressed desire to extend Austin earlier this year. But that came before picking up that $12MM+ option.

Although a 5-foot-9 gadget-type player, Austin serves as an integral part of the Rams’ offense — one that doesn’t have a traditional No. 1 wideout. Now that Jared Goff is in the fold, the team looks to have secured a key target for the No. 1 overall pick going forward. Austin also rushed for 434 yards last season and contributes heavily as a return specialist.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

WR Notes: Boldin, Bryant, Austin, Patterson

June 1st, 2016 at 7:39pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Anquan Boldin piled up 69 receptions and nearly 800 yards in San Francisco’s anemic passing attack last season and could ostensibly help someone in 2016. The soon-to-be 36-year-old remains a free agent, though, and teams seemingly aren’t beating down the door for his services. When Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com asked a pro scouting director why the potential future Hall of Famer is still without a contract, the personnel man told Breer, “He’s old and can’t run” (Twitter link). Boldin has never been a burner, but he has still managed to rack up over 1,000 catches and 74 touchdowns in 13 seasons. As of earlier this month, the 49ers hadn’t yet ruled out re-signing Boldin – whom PFR’s Dallas Robinson ranks as the second-best offensive free agent on the market. If San Francisco opts against bringing him back, it could have another option in the still-unsigned James Jones. The longtime Packer expressed interest in signing with the Niners earlier today.

The latest on a few other wideouts:

An X-ray on Cowboys star Dez Bryant‘s surgically repaired right foot revealed positive news Wednesday, and he’s now “in the clear” when it comes to being able to participate in football drills, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Foot and ankle issues derailed last season for Bryant, who recorded career worsts across the board and will join quarterback Tony Romo as they look to bounce back this year.
The Rams’ Tavon Austin has just 123 receptions in his three-year career, but head coach Jeff Fisher believes the 5-foot-8, 176-pounder could eclipse the 100-catch mark this season as the go-to option in the club’s Jared Goff-led offense. “We’re going to be able to, if need be, hand it off to Todd (Gurley) and if someone says ‘we’re not going to let you do that,’ then we’re going to spread it around,” Fisher told the Rams’ website, per TurfShowTimes.com (hat tip to Kevin Patra of NFL.com). “And so when it’s all said and done, I think we’ll be able to look back and I think see Tavon maybe double in catches over what he had last year.” After Austin logged 52 grabs in 2015, the Rams elected in May to pick up his fifth-year option for 2017, meaning the 2013 first-rounder could be under their control for at least two more seasons.
Earlier this spring, the Vikings unsurprisingly declined Cordarrelle Patterson‘s fifth-year option for 2017, though his goal is to remain in Minnesota for the long haul. “I’d love to be here. If I don’t, I’ll take my talents somewhere else,” Patterson said Wednesday (Twitter link via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press). Patterson, a first-rounder in 2013, was a disappointment on offense in his first two seasons (78 total catches, five touchdowns). His production fell off a cliff last year, though, as he was barely part of the Vikings’ passing attack and picked up just two targets (both of which ended in receptions) while dressing for all 16 of their regular-season games.

Rams Pick Up Options For Ogletree, Austin

May 2nd, 2016 at 1:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rams have exercised their 2017 options for a pair of former first-round picks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that both linebacker Alec Ogletree and wide receiver Tavon Austin had their fifth-year options picked up.

[RELATED: Fifth-Year Option Decision Tracker]

There was never much doubt that the Rams would exercise their 2017 option on Ogeltree, which is worth $8.369MM. Despite the fact that ankle issues cost him most of the 2015 season, the 24-year-old remains one of the more talented players on Los Angeles’ defense, particularly among non-defensive linemen. In his last full season, Ogletree recorded 111 tackles, two interceptions, 12 passes defended, and four forced fumbles in 2014.

As for Austin, that decision wasn’t quite as simple. The 25-year-old enjoyed his best season in 2015, establishing new career-highs in receptions (52), receiving yards (473), rushing yards (434), and touchdowns (nine). However, as a top-10 pick, Austin will be owed a $12.268MM salary for 2017 now that his option has been exercised. That’s a significant price for a non-traditional wideout who had never topped 500 receiving yards.

We heard back in February that the Rams are interested in getting extensions done with both Ogletree and Austin, so it’s possible that neither player will actually play out the 2017 season on the terms of his current contract. Working out agreements that extend Ogletree’s and Austin’s stays in Los Angeles beyond 2017 could allow the Rams to reduce both players’ cap numbers for ’17.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

West Notes: Rams, Austin, Broncos, Seahawks

April 30th, 2016 at 8:08pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Rams are expected to pick up their 2017 fifth-year option for wide receiver Tavon Austin, but Los Angeles hopes to sign Austin to a long-term extension before the ’17 season rolls around, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (Twitter link). We heard in February that the Rams are intent on extending both Austin and linebacker Alec Ogletree. Bookmark our 2017 Fifth-Year Option tracker.

The draft is still dominating today’s coverage, but life goes on the NFL world. Let’s dive into some more notes from the NFL’s two West divisions…

Like the Rams, the Broncos must decide on a fifth-year option — in Denver’s case, it’s for defensive tackle Sylvester Williams, who would command a $6.757MM salary in 2017. Broncos GM John Elway said he’ll make a decision on Williams on Monday, but called the $6MM+ figure a “pretty big number” (links via Troy Renck of the Denver Post and Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com).
Though the Broncos‘ next offseason focus will obviously be coming to terms on a long-term deal with Von Miller, Elway says the club also wants to work something out with receiver Emmanuel Sanders and linebacker Brandon Marshall, tweets Renck. Both Sanders and Marshall are both entering the final years of their respective contracts, and Sanders, for his part, recently expressed a desire to stay with Denver.
Former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch still hasn’t filed his retirement papers, but Pete Carroll thinks Lynch is committed to remaining retired, according to Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com (Twitter link). “Your guess is as good as mine,” said GM John Schneider when asked about Lynch’s plans (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times).
Both Carroll and Schneider said the Seahawks are working on finding another quarterback, and are still speaking with free agent Tarvaris Jackson, tweets Condotta. For what it’s worth, the Seattle duo made those comments before reportedly agreeing to terms with former TCU QB Trevone Boykin.

NFC Notes: Schwartz, Bears, Love, Bucs, Rams

March 29th, 2016 at 5:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Geoff Schwartz‘s next stop on his free agent tour will be in Detroit, with the Lions hosting the eighth-year lineman, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter).

This will be Schwartz’s second visit with the Lions. He did so in 2012 before signing with the Vikings, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Schwartz will visit the Lions’ facilities on Wednesday, Birkett tweets.

Having already visited the Cardinals and Steelers, Schwartz continues to survey the market for a fifth team. Recently released from the Giants, Schwartz has proven to be an effective performer when healthy. The 29-year-old guard/tackle hasn’t been able to stay on the field the past two years, however, with his stay in New York limited to just 13 games in two seasons.

The Lions don’t have an immediate opening at guard, with Larry Warford and 2015 first-rounder Laken Tomlinson occupying those slots. Of course, the Steelers didn’t have a guard vacancy either. Detroit could use more help at tackle.

Here’s the latest coming out of the NFC.

John Fox acknowledged to media (including Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com) the Bears are in need of a swing lineman and will look to sign one during the latter stages of free agency. Second- and third-year players with limited experience pack the Bears’ tackle depth chart, but Fox clearly seeks someone with more seasoning. Chicago cut Jermon Bushrod in February before he signed with the Dolphins. Khalif Barnes, Jake Long and Nate Chandler are some of the players who could fit here that remain on the market. Dickerson also mentions Will Beatty in this group. Beatty remains in search of a job after the Giants cut the former well-paid left tackle starter along with Schwartz. But Beatty would profile more as a left tackle starter, with the Bears not exactly having an untouchable cog there in Charles Leno.
The Panthers still need a defensive tackle, a safety, and a nickel back, ESPN.com’s David Newton writes. Carolina is still having dialogue with free agent defensive tackle Kyle Love, but the team could also use a high draft pick to solidify the position, Newton notes.
The Buccaneers remain in the mix for kick-return man Kyle Williams, although the Broncos and Jets are also involved in the pursuit, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter) reports. Williams played for new Bucs coach Dirk Koetter at Arizona State. A former 49ers return man whose NFC championship fumbles identify him to most of the football landscape, Williams missed last season with an Achilles injury after signing with the Broncos. A return to Denver would be tricky given the Broncos’ limited cap space and having re-signed receiver/returner Jordan Norwood last week.
Los Angeles will have decisions to make regarding fifth-year options for Tavon Austin and Alec Ogletree soon, and Jeff Fisher told media (including Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com) discussions are underway and the Rams would like to keep the duo around for a long time. Fisher previously acknowledged Ogletree’s option would probably be picked up, but with Austin being a top-10 pick and costing transition tag-type money ($12.27MM), Wagoner writes an extension would be a more prudent approach to retaining Austin than putting the gadget wideout on the Rams’ books for that amount in 2017.

Zach Links contributed to this report

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