Tavon Austin Remains Unsigned as Training Camp Nears
The 2020 NFL season is just around the corner and training camp is less than a couple weeks away from beginning, but former West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin remains a free agent.
After spending the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Rams, Austin was traded to the Dallas Cowboys where he's virtually been a non-factor. In two seasons with the Cowboys, Austin has only accounted for 21 receptions for 317 yards and three touchdowns. The main problem is that both the Rams and Cowboys have struggled to figure out exactly how to use Austin. The Rams drafted him to be a No. 1 wide receiver and despite how talented he is, he's not a No. 1 guy in the NFL. He plays better in space and is more of a No. 3 receiver with the ceiling of a No. 2 receiver, if used correctly. Putting Austin in Dallas was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole - he just didn't fit their offensively philosophy whatsoever. In fact, they created the WEB-back position specifically for him and still hardly used him in their offensive game plans.
According to Mike Fisher of Cowboy Maven, Austin's days in Dallas appear to be numbered.
"A bunch of these shelf guys...guys on the third and fourth shelf of free agency know they're going to have to wait until after the draft. So, I guess I wouldn't close the books entirely on him, but the cupboard seems pretty full here now," Fisher told Mountaineer Maven earlier this offseason.
So now that Austin is unlikely to return to the Cowboys, what happens next? Will he be signed before the 2020 season? With everything surrounding the coronavirus, many teams may be hesitant to pursue a veteran receiver who hasn't really proven much in the league, at least to this point of his career. Teams are being extremely cautious about their money during the pandemic, well except for the Chiefs that is. I wouldn't be all that shocked to see Austin enter the 2020 season as a free agent. At this point, it's becoming a very realistic possibility.
Do you believe Tavon Austin will end up on an NFL roster prior to the start of the 2020 season? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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