Tavons Anonymous

[KMA]

My name is George...And I'm drafting Tavon Austin with the 1.01!!! Didn't create this thread to debate my sanity in taking him 1.01. Just thought I would hear some arguments as to why his landing spot would significantly impact his output. The way I see it, anyone desperate enough to move up to get him, or draft him early, isn't doing so to simply use him as a "traditional" slot receiver. Guys drafted early in the first round have plays drawn up for them. They are expected to deliver often and early. Even if he lands on a team like the Jets, how concerned should you be that he won't get touches and receptions? How can you select a guy so early only to have him get lost in obscurity? Surely teams selecting him would realize they need to get the ball in his hands. I'm not expecting Calvin Johnson nuumbers but I can easily see him paying dividends regardless of where he lands. At the very least he should have opportunities. Some situations of course are better than others but none (I believe) are so dire that you would avoid taking him at 1.01 if you really liked him. Right? Am I alone in this thinking? Mark Ingram comes to mind when I think about this question but I don't believe Ingram is nearly as dynamic as Austin. Tavon doesn't need wide open lanes to garner 100 BIG ONES! Just someone capable of pitching him the rock. Surely they can manage that EVEN in NY right?

[Jimmy Graham Cracker]

Surely they can manage that EVEN in NY right?

No. And if he goes there, I will not draft him.

[voiceofunreason]

Surely they can manage that EVEN in NY right?

No. And if he goes there, I will not draft him.

Cosell just mocked him to Arizona. Doesn't get any grosser than that.

I'm starting to buy into Austin in PPR. We'll see where he goes though.

[Rustyram78]

seeing that there are no rooks tabbed to be STUDS, I think if you have the 1.01, you can't be faulted by addressing team need and/or personal preference. So if you have a gut feeling about Tavon that you don't have about Gio, Lacy, Patterson or Hopkins, I can't see anyone knocking you for taking Austin...... Unless you trade down to the 1.02 or 1.03 if ou are pretty sure nobody will take Austin there...... But I suppose that by Friday night, we should have clearer picture of where people might be inclined to take some of these rooks....

[Jfever]

I don't currently own a 1.01 as in that league I traded it away for Pierce and the 1.07 and a 4th. In a different league though, I'm hoping the owner of the 1.01 takes Lacy as I have the 1.02 and would Love to snag Austin there. I would not be scared off by Austin's landing spot personally. I'm sure there are better spots than others but agree with you Georg013 that whomever drafts him early will have a plan to get him involved early and often. In leagues that award special teams yardage points and tds I can easly see Austin put up top 20 wr numbers as a rookie. I look at the average play of Ponder along with Harvin's ability to make plays after passes thrown to him near the line of scrimage as an example. I'm not saying that Austin will replicate Harvin's production although I am saying that there are similarities in that part of their playmaking ability. Austin is electric with the ball in his hands and it simply doesnt take even an average qb to get him (Austin)the ball at or near the line of scrimage. Couple that with 20-30 rushes to the tune of 125-200 yds and a td or two and I think we have the makings of a lower risk player (production wise) than most seem to think he is.

[ManuManu]

I don't currently own a 1.01 as in that league I traded it away for Pierce and the 1.07 and a 4th.

Really? What am I missing on Pierce? He looked decent, but when is he actually gonna get a starting job to himself? Seems like a massive overpay to me.

[Jfever]

Prob a case of an overreactive Rice owner. I have a pretty decent team (1st in sig) and also was ok with a slight overpay as I fairly confident I can still get good quality at the 1.07. Plus, it was a new owner to the league as he took over an abandoned team and I didn't mind building a bridge.

[hamburglar]

I have the 1.1 in ONE league and 1.2 in another-- neither in sig and depending on where austin lands i'll consider him there as I'm not yet in love with any of the RBs-- all that being said we really need to see where everyone lands-- I may fall in love with a RB all over again.

But yeah Tavon is in play for me at the moment with the 1.1

[RonW15]

Tavon would be my 1.1 right now.... big time PPR guy.... I would consider Lacy and Franklin too

[ericanadian]

I'm pretty hurting for running backs, so I would probably end up going that direction, but Austin is my top ranked player.

[MR ROURKE]

The way I see it, anyone desperate enough to move up to get him, or draft him early, isn't doing so to simply use him as a "traditional" slot receiver. Guys drafted early in the first round have plays drawn up for them. They are expected to deliver often and early.

Of course he wouldn't just be a slot WR, much of his appeal has to do with return abilities. Other WR's have been drafted high for their return ability higher than Austin will likely be drafted.

Desmond Howard was drafted 4th overall.
Tedd Ginn drafted was drafted 9th overall.

Being drafted high as a player with kick return ability does not necessarily equal what I think you are claiming. A player with return ability can be drafted high with major issues or questions about their ability to be an NFL WR... just because teams think they migh tbe able to get something out of them as a WR. Being drafted high could just mean that he's a slot WR that teams think can also offer great play making ability in the return game.

[joeday]

I have 1.1 in the rebuild in my signature. Its a 2QB league and I am not strong there, but I see no point forcing a QB at 1.1...I have been looking at Austin since I need a WR2/3 type with upside. But if he goes to the NYJ, I may rethink that. Cards wouldnt work for me either since I have Floyd. Would love to see him go to the Bills, Dolphins, Chargers, Panthers, Rams

[Igwebuike 4 Prez]

The legend of Tavon has grown to the point that I don't know if he can ever live up to the fantasy hype. I think he has just as much chance to become Desmond Howard as Percy Harvin.

If I'm sitting on 1.01 and I believe in him, there isn't any one situation that makes him more or less of a no-brainer pick. Clearly, he's probably going off the board in the first 15-20 picks of the NFL Draft. That alone should be enough to take comfort in him at 1.01. Any team drafting him that high intends to make him a centerpiece of the offense. Landing spot/situation should not matter at 1.01. You're supposed to be taking what you deem the best rookie, period.

[joeday]

The legend of Tavon has grown to the point that I don't know if he can ever live up to the fantasy hype. I think he has just as much chance to become Desmond Howard as Percy Harvin.

If I'm sitting on 1.01 and I believe in him, there isn't any one situation that makes him more or less of a no-brainer pick. Clearly, he's probably going off the board in the first 15-20 picks of the NFL Draft. That alone should be enough to take comfort in him at 1.01. Any team drafting him that high intends to make him a centerpiece of the offense. Landing spot/situation should not matter at 1.01. You're supposed to be taking what you deem the best rookie, period.

I am all about talent above situation...for 31 teams...lol

[kmbryant09]

I have the 1.1 and 1.2, and will absolutely be taking Austin with one of those picks. There's not too many situations that he can end up in that would cause me to downgrade him significantly.

The Jets? Granted their QB play sucks, but should only improve this year into next. At least they have no other weapons on offense and should be playing from behind much of the season.

Here's the way I look at it - If he's drafted in the first 15 picks, he's probably going to an average or below-average offense (Carolina, Minnesota, St. Louis, NYJ, etc). But none of those teams would take a 5'8 WR in the first 15 picks of the NFL draft if they didn't have massive plans with the playmaker. As the OP stated, coordinators need to gameplan to put the ball in Austin's hands 10-12 times per game, ala Harvin/Cobb. 6-8 passes, 3-4 runs, a couple returns. And if Austin goes to any of those sub-par teams, he instantly becomes the best playmaker on their respective offense (except AP in Minny).

The other option is that he slips to the bottom half of the first round. In that case, he'd likely face more competition for targets/touches, but also benefit from being in a better offense with an elite QB (New Orleans, SF, NE, etc.). Either way, he should be put in a position to succeed.

My ideal situation would be for San Fran to trade up to get him. I think he would work wonders as a slot WR/return man - and could be absolutely lethal getting 5-7 rushes per game out of that pistol offense. And Jim Harbaugh seems to know what he's doing when it comes to offenses. But I'd be more than happy if he ended up in a place like Carolina, New Orleans, Buffalo, or Minnesota.