Tavon Austin’s Twitter has fueled speculation about his value to the new Los Angeles Rams coaching staff.
RamsWire posted a cryptic tweet from the Rams’ fifth-year wide receiver:
Once you learn your value, don’t ever drop the price…
— Tavon Austin (@Tayaustin01) February 23, 2017
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RamsWire’s comments on the tweet:
Los Angeles Rams receiver Tavon Austin tweeted about value. It could mean nothing. Or it could be in response to something from the team.Austin had a career high in receptions and yards last season, but they’re hardly numbers that are going to inflate his value: 58 receptions, 509 yards and three touchdowns. His best year with the Rams was 2015 when he had 52 receptions for 473 yards and five touchdowns but added 432 rushing yards with four additional scores. … Let’s be fully clear: there’s absolutely no evidence that the Rams have asked Austin to take a pay cut.
The 2012 Baylor alum who was the No. 8 pick in the NFL Draft in 2013 is scheduled to make $14,977,116 in 2017 (according to Sportrac)—more than any other wide receiver in the league besides Doug Baldwin. Austin makes nearly $3.5 million more than Atlanta’s Julio Jones, more than $5 million more than Green Bay’s Jordy Nelson and more than $10 million more than Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown.
And if that isn’t an indication of Austin’s overvalue, consider this comment from Michael Lombardi of The Ringer:
Did you know he’s their highest-paid player? He’s on the books for $15 million this season! That seems a little high for someone who scored 12 offensive touchdowns in four seasons; last year, he averaged 8.8 yards a catch, which would be fine if he was their backup tight end. I keep hearing that the Rams believe new coach Sean McVay will figure out, finally, how to unleash Austin’s talents in the right offense. That’s the Rams front office scouting outside in — they see the playmaking talent, only no consistently productive scheme can highlight that talent. Like Percy Harvin before him, Austin is an expensive accessory — like wearing a Rolex for show even though you can keep track of time on your phone. He can carry a play, not an offense.
Even if the Rams haven’t asked to rework his contract, Austin has to know that the team will be more hard-pressed to put the talent around him to build a winning franchise. If money is the single most important factor to Austin, then he already has won. If he wants to compete for championships, then his contract is a loser.
And someone should let him know that although the Rams are paying him $15 million, that isn’t necessarily his value.
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