The St. Louis Rams could give new wide receiver Tavon Austin some plays where he lines up in the backfield, according to the Post-Dispatch's Jim Thomas.
NFL Draft 2013: Tavon Austin expects backfield snaps for Rams
The lightning quick wide receiver will be moved all over the field by the Rams, who will try to maximize his effectiveness.
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Austin was on a conference call with St. Louis media, and said that the coaching staff told him they were going to move him all over the field:
"They showed me all the positions that I did when I played for Coach (Dana) Holgorsen," Austin said, referring to the West Virginia head coach. "They’re going to use me in the backfield. Coach Fisher talked to me about special teams, and I’m definitely a slot receiver. So, they definitely have a plan for me."
The explosive Austin is at his best when he gets the ball in space, and he was moved all over the field to great effect in college at West Virginia. He had back to back 100+ reception seasons in 2011-2012, and caught 20 touchdown passes over that time. He also had 76 carries this past season, and averaged an absurd 8.9 yards per carry while rushing for 643 yards and three touchdowns for the Mountaineers.
The Rams have the offensive skill players to run an effective version of the spread, which would seem to go away from the philosophies of head coach Jeff Fisher and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. However, with Austin, Stedman Bailey, Brian Quick, and Jared Cook all in the fold, spreading the ball out is probably the smart thing to do.
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