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Tavon Austin

Rams Notes: T. Johnson, Ogletree, Zuerlein

March 23rd, 2016 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

It’s been an eventful day for the Rams, who were announced as the subject of this year’s installment of HBO’s Hard Knocks series, and are also believed to be the favorites to “host” a regular-season game in China in 2018. Head coach Jeff Fisher spoke this morning at the NFC coaches’ breakfast about several topics related to his roster as well, and we’ll round up the highlights right here, courtesy of Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com:

  • The Rams hope to lock up cornerback Trumaine Johnson to a long-term deal in the near future, per Fisher (Twitter link). The team has until July 15 to work out a multiyear extension with Johnson, who has already signed his franchise tender.
  • At the other cornerback spot, Fisher anticipates Coty Sensabaugh will compete with E.J. Gaines “and/or a draft choice” for the starting job. The head coach added that the Rams were “a lot closer” to re-signing Janoris Jenkins than people think (Twitter links). Jenkins ultimately signed a five-year deal with the Giants worth $12.5MM annually.
  • The Rams will have to make decisions on the 2017 options for linebacker Alec Ogletree and wide receiver Tavon Austin this spring, and Fisher said it’s virtually a lock that Ogletree’s fifth-year option will be exercised. He added that the team would like to keep both players for the long term (Twitter link).
  • Greg Zuerlein remains a free agent, and while Fisher said there’s mutual interest in a new deal between the two sides, he also stressed that there will be real competition at the kicker spot (Twitter link).
  • Fisher evaded a question about his own contract situation — a report earlier this month indicated he and the Rams were discussing a new deal, but he said today that he’s “not concerned about it” (Twitter link).

Rams Want To Extend Alec Ogletree, Tavon Austin

February 28th, 2016 at 2:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Flush with nearly $60MM in cap space heading into the 2016 league year, the Rams will seek to extend one exciting young player on each side of the ball, as Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News reports (Twitter link) that the club is likely to open negotiations later this offseason on long-term deals for linebacker Alec Ogletree and receiver Tavon Austin.Alec Ogletree (Vertical)

[RELATED: Rams leaning towards using franchise tag on CB Trumaine Johnson]

This isn’t the first report to indicate that an Ogletree extension could be forthcoming, as Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported earlier this month that the Rams would meet with Ogletree’s representatives at the combine. General manager Les Snead has also indicated that coming to an agreement with Ogletree would be a priority this offseason.

The 24-year-old Ogletree had an injury-plagued season in 2015, as he played in only four games before being placed on injured reserve/designated to return after undergoing ankle surgery. Due to the designation, he wasn’t eligible to return to game action until Week 16, and due to either his condition or the inconsequential nature of the Rams’ final two contests, Ogletree never got back on the field. A career weakside linebacker, Ogletree is expected to move to the middle in 2016 to replace James Laurinaitis, especially if Los Angeles is able to re-sign Mark Barron to play the WILL.

Austin, like Ogletree a member of the Rams’ 2013 draft class, had a breakout campaign in 2015, posting career highs in starts, receptions, yards, and touchdowns, and was also a factor in the ground game, rushing for more than 400 yards and scoring 4 times. Austin, who will turn 25 next month, also averaged 7.8 yards per punt return and brought one back for a touchdown. Former offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti, for all his faults, helped Austin to the best season of his career, and it’s open question as to whether new play-caller Rob Boras can continue to aid Austin’s development.Tavon Austin (Vertical)

The Rams can control Ogletree and Austin through the 2017 season via the fifth-year option — given that the club is intent on extending both players, exercising the options should be a foregone conclusion. Because he as a top-10 selection, Austin would be entitled to the value of the 2017 wide receiver transition tag value, which should be worth around $13MM. Ogletree’s salary would be a bit more complicated, as it would be determined by the average of the third through 25th top salaries among linebackers.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Rams, Hardy, Lions

November 21st, 2015 at 10:18am CST by Ben Levine

Rams wideout Tavon Austin will be returning to his hometown of Baltimore to take on the Ravens this weekend. The former West Virginia University standout is happy playing in St. Louis, but he did tell Joe Lyons of STLToday.com that the Ravens did check up on him during the 2013 draft.

“They were definitely staying in touch,’’ the receiver said. “I had a great meeting with them. The GM (Ozzie Newsome) is an awesome guy. I thought they were going to pull the trigger, but Coach Fisher did. I’m proud he did and I’m happy to be a Ram.’’

Let’s check out some other assorted notes from around the NFC…

  • The Cowboys have shown that they’re willing to deal with all of Greg Hardy‘s on and off the field issues, leading Jon Machota of DallasNews.com to predict that the defensive end will play in Dallas next season. The 27-year-old appears to like the organization, and the writer believes Hardy would willingly return, assuming Dallas offers him close to what he wants.
  • Following news that Lions interim general manager Sheldon White would be a candidate for the full-time gig, the executive acknowledged that his team needs to win if he wants to keep the job. “Obviously if we don’t then, I won’t be a candidate,” White told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “But if we win these games and we find ways to get better and improve our roster, maybe I will be.”
  • New Lions president Rod Wood is confident that his team isn’t far away from contention, and with that mindset, Birkett believes quarterback Matthew Stafford could be sticking around. However, Wood did acknowledge that the decision would be up to the general manager. “I’m going to leave that to the general manager, but they’re great players,” Wood said, adding, “Matthew is my quarterback on my fantasy team if that means anything.”

Extra Points: Ravens, Cutler, Gase

November 19th, 2015 at 9:48pm CST by Zachary Links

Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome was among NFL execs who were targeting Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin in the 2013 draft, as Mike Preston of The Baltimore Sun writes.

“They definitely brought me in on a visit,” Austin said. “I met with the GM, a great guy. He had a plan for me, that they were going to draft me. They had a plan for me, for my whereabouts when I was in Baltimore and things like that. He’s a great guy, but coach ‘Fish’ pulled the trigger on me. That’s the guy I’m rolling with now.”

The Ravens never got the opportunity to take the explosive wide receiver, who was drafted No. 8 overall by St. Louis. Drafting at No. 32, the Ravens would go on to select Florida safety Matt Elam instead.

More from around the NFL:

  • Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is playing quite well as of late. In fact, he’s playing so well that it might just cost him his offensive coordinator, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes. Bears OC Adam Gase was a hot name last offseason and his work with Cutler figures to keep his stock high again this time around. After starting the season 0-3, Cutler has led Chicago to a 4-2 record over the past six games.
  • Now that the league is going to allow teams to deal compensatory picks, Nick Korte of Over The Cap wonders what kind of impact that could have going forward. Korte runs down a handful of ways that teams have been gaming the system in order to acquire more compensatory picks and wonders if the league will crack down on that now that those assets hold even more value.
  • Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa told reporters, including Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, that he is turning over a new leaf following his four-game suspension. Enunwa was suspended earlier this year for his role in a domestic violence situation.

Sunday Roundup: NFL In LA, Austin, Martin

May 31st, 2015 at 1:02pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s have a look at a few links from around the league, which include a few Twitter mailbags:

  • As San Diego tries to keep the Chargers from moving to Los Angeles, it is becoming increasingly clear that the team has all the leverage, writes David Garrick of the San Diego Union-Tribune. As Garrick writes, the city has to make a new stadium deal sweet enough to make the Chargers want to stay, but not too sweet, because then it would be rejected at the polls. It is a tightrope that will be exceedingly difficult to walk.
  • Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com takes a look at how the explosive Tavon Austin will fit in the Rams‘ run-heavy offense, and he also notes that Brian Quick should be ready to suit up for Week 1.
  • Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com believes the Bears‘ overhaul of their defense is a two-year project, and the team will need another offseason to complement its core of players like Pernell McPhee and Kyle Fuller.
  • John Keim of ESPN.com is surprised that Washington did not do more to address its thin tight end position in the offseason, but at this point, the team will simply have to hope Jordan Reed stays healthy or that someone like Chase Dixon or Je’Ron Hamm develops.
  • Doug Martin recently moved from California to Tampa Bay even though the Buccaneers opted not to pick up the option on the fifth year of his rookie contract. But now that Tampa Bay is truly home for Martin, Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune writes that the injury-plagued back will have every incentive to earn a new deal with the club.
  • Mike Wells of ESPN.com believes it is unlikely that the Colts will add another player to compete for the right tackle spot. Jack Mewhort and Joe Reitz are getting the majority of the snaps there at the moment, but newly-acquired Todd Herremans can play right tackle if necessary and Indianapolis remains optimistic that Gosder Cherilus can make a healthy return.

More Injury Updates: Monday

September 15th, 2014 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

We passed along one round of Monday injury updates earlier today, and since then we’ve learned that the Bears will be placing Charles Tillman on their injured reserve list with a season-ending triceps injury. There are still plenty of items to round up this afternoon though, so let’s dive right in….

  • Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis sustained a high ankle sprain yesterday and is expected to miss six to eight weeks of action, the team announced today (Twitter link). That recovery timeline could make Lewis a candidate for the injured reserve list with the designation to return.
  • Jamaal Charles also appears to have suffered a high ankle sprain, though Chiefs head coach Andy Reid indicated today that it “doesn’t look to be a real severe one,” according to B.J. Kissel of KCChiefs.com (via Twitter). The timetable for Charles’ return isn’t yet clear, but it looks like Knile Davis will probably get the nod for Kansas City in Week 3.
  • Per Aditi Kinkhabwala of the NFL Network (Twitter link), Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said today that it’s too early to predict a return date for Robert Griffin III, but Gruden expects the signal-caller to return this season and says he isn’t an IR candidate.
  • Rams wideout Tavon Austin has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL and is expected to miss a couple weeks, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
  • Dolphins guard Shelley Smith will also be sidelined for two to four weeks due to a grade two knee sprain, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).

Major Injuries: Week 2

September 14th, 2014 at 10:31pm CST by Rory Parks

Here at Pro Football Rumors, we tend to stay away from injury news and report instead on issues concerning player movement, transactions, etc. However, when there is a major injury to a star player, the potential roster impacts of such an injury are readily apparent. As such, we will update this post with those injuries from Week 2 that could significantly alter a team’s personnel decisions going forward.

  • Chiefs‘ star players Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry were both ruled out of today’s 24-17 loss to the Broncos (via Twitter). Head coach Andy Reid said both players had suffered ankle injuries, reports Field Yates of ESPN (via Twitter). Charles will have an MRI tomorrow to test the seriousness of his injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
  • Earlier, we saw that Bengals‘ receiver A.J. Green went down with a toe injury. Green said after the game that his toe is not broken and that he hopes to play next week, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). Pro Football Talk reports that a league source believes Green should Dr. Anderson in Charlotte to rule out a Lisfranc injury (via Twitter).
  • Chargers‘ running back Ryan Mathews suffered a sprained MCL in the team’s impressive 30-21 victory over the Seahawks, reports Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego. He will undergo further tests to see the extent of the injury.
  • The Rams‘ versatile playmaker Tavon Austin exited today’s 19-17 win over the Buccaneers with a knee injury, reports Nick Wagoner of ESPN (via Twitter). The extend of the injury is unknown, and Austin will have more tests tomorrow.
  • Buccaneers‘ defensive tackle Gerald McCoy was also injured in that game, reportedly breaking his hand, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). It has yet to be determined whether or not McCoy will be able to play through the injury.
  • Bears‘ star cornerback Charles Tillman left the Sunday Night Football game with a triceps injury, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune notes that it was a right biceps injury just like this one that forced Tillman to miss a huge chunk of the 2013 campaign (via Twitter).
  • Giants‘ cornerback Walter Thurmond suffered what is thought to be a strained pectoral muscle in the team’s 25-14 loss to the Cardinals, reports Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Post (via Twitter). He will receive an MRI tomorrow to confirm.
  • Another key piece to the Giants‘ defense, Jon Beason, suffered a toe injury, according to Vacchiano (via Twitter). Vacchiano notes that the team is worried considering a toe injury on the same foot caused him to miss nearly the entire offseason.

Earlier Updates

  • Dolphins RB Knowshon Moreno has suffered a dislocated elbow and is expected to miss four to eight weeks, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
  • We learned earlier today that Griffin suffered a dislocated ankle and could miss the remainder of the season, depending on the severity of the injury.
  • Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III suffered an injury to his left ankle, and Washington receiver DeSean Jackson injured his shoulder in today’s game against the Jaguars. The team announced (Twitter links) that neither player will return to the game.
  • Meanwhile, Bengals receiver A.J. Green suffered a toe injury in today’s game against the Falcons and will not return, tweets Coley Harvey of ESPN.com.

 

NFC Notes: Austin, Wilson, Conte

July 21st, 2014 at 8:07pm CST by Matt Feminis

Tavon Austin did not provide the degree of immediate impact the Rams were hoping for when they chose him eighth overall last year. In an AP story, Austin was bluntly honest about why he didn’t play as fast as he’s capable: he struggled with the complexities of his first NFL playbook. “I didn’t really know what was going on,” Austin said. “Everything looked like Spanish and sounded like Spanish to me.”

Here’s some NFC links:

Draft Notes: Texans, Bills, Rams, Watkins

March 28th, 2014 at 5:53pm CST by Peter Sowards

Buried deep below speculation on how Michael Vick will be utilized by the Jets, Bleacher Report’s Dan Pompei reports that the Texans are working hard to trade the No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. According to Pompei’s sources, the Bills, who own the No. 9 selection, might be a possible trade partner, and that the team could potentially select a quarterback. That would be two first-round quarterbacks in two drafts after selecting former Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel with the 16th overall pick a year ago. John McClain of the Houston Chronicle refuted the report, saying (via Twitter) there’s “no way” the Texans trade back to No. 9.

More draft notes from a busy Friday around the league…

  • After selecting a wide receiver with a top-10 selection in last year’s draft (West Virginia’s Tavon Austin No. 8 overall), it sounds as if the Rams will forgo making it two years straight, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Despite the gamebreaking ability of Clemson standout Sammy Watkins, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said he’s expecting improvements from Austin and Stedman Bailey, and added that he is pleased with Austin Pettis‘ performance in a backup role. St. Louis has the No. 2 overall pick.
  • Lions general manager Martin Mayhew, slated to pick No. 10 overall in the upcoming draft, said there aren’t 10 elite players in the draft pool, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Detroit currently has eight selections, including two compensatory picks in the fourth round.
  • University of Pittsburgh defensive lineman Aaron Donald, who was unblockable at the Senior Bowl, told ESPN reporter Michael Rothstein that he has visits set up with the Rams and Cowboys, and that he has already visited the Steelers (via Twitter).
  • Georgia State wide receiver Albert Wilson has an official visit scheduled with the 49ers, reports DraftInsider.net’s Tony Pauline (via Twitter).
  • A quarterback’s stock whose rising is Southern Methodist University’s Garrett Gilbert, who completed 88 of 89 passes at his pro day, according to NFL.com draft analyst Gil Brandt. Gilbert, who was not invited to the scouting combine, could wind up being drafted as high as the third round now after the performance (Twitter links).