Tavon Austin's rookie season with the St. Louis Rams will be remembered as one long tease.
The speedy wide receiver had moments of pure electricity, most notably a 310-yard, three-TD explosion against the Indianapolis Colts. But there were also large stretches where Austin was virtually invisible.
Austin told reporters on Wednesday that his grasp of the Rams' playbook played a role in his choppy debut.
"I didn't really know what was going on," Austin said, according to The Associated Press. "Everything looked like Spanish and sounded like Spanish to me."
Luckily for Austin, the Rams enter the 2014 season with the same offensive coordinator (Brian Schottenheimer) and only moderate tweaks to the scheme from a season ago. Schottenheimer said last month that Austin "has the system down cold" and will be moved to different spots on the field in an attempt to get him the ball in space.
"I understand the plays, the depth, the routes, the splits and everything," Austin said. "I just feel good that I can make some plays. Definitely, the game's slowed down for me."
It's easy to forget now, but Austin was the buzzy name in the run-up to the 2013 draft. The Rams traded up to the eighth overall pick to ensure Austin didn't go off the board to the New York Jets at No. 9.
Now comes the time for Austin to show he was worth the trouble. Actually knowing what he's doing on the field feels like a nice start.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" shines a light on the most unpredictable teams entering the 2014 season.
