Week 15 continues to prove Rams are wasting money on Austin

Despite receiving 10 carries against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15, Tavon Austin continues to be a waste of money for the Los Angeles Rams when looking at his lack of production.

For some reason, the Los Angeles Rams thought it would be wise last offseason to reward Tavon Austin with a hefty four-year, $42 million extension with the mindset that the former first-round pick was finally developing into the dynamic playmaker the team needed him to be. If only the Rams had waited until after last season to determine whether it would be worth making that kind of investment in Austin when looking at the disappointing numbers he’s put up dating back to last year.

Even though Austin was coming off a career year receiving wise in 2016, a “No. 1 wideout” should never be proud of finishing with 509 receiving yards in 15 games, especially after agreeing to a ridiculous extension like he did. To make this whole situation even more frustrating, Sean McVay seemed to be the one that could finally get the best out of Austin following years of disappointment, only to see him end up being used more in the backfield instead of the passing game.

Don’t think so? Well, here’s fun fact for the football fans still in denial over Austin’s inability to fit in to the offense. With two weeks remaining before the postseason, Austin only has 10 catches for 33 yards, and is coming off his second-straight game in which he failed to earn a single target from Jared Goff. Sure, McVay may have used Austin more in the ground game after he received 10 carries for 44 yards, but also keep in mind a majority of those carries when the game against the Seattle Seahawks was well over since the Rams were blowing their division rivals out of the water that bad.

Unfortunately, Los Angeles found themselves in a tough position when it comes to Austin this year since the team knew they would have to wait at least until next year before a possible release since they would only lose $5 million in dead money. While the 246 rushing yards with a touchdown are better than nothing, this whole situation with Austin is beyond frustrating for the Rams, especially since the wideout can’t even benefit from playing in an effective system run by a genius like McVay.

Next: NFL Power Rankings Week 16: Rams crush Seahawks

On a positive note, at least the rest of the receivers on Los Angeles ranging from Robert Woods to Cooper Kupp have shown a ton of potential working with Goff on offense to help make up for Austin’s lack of impact. Not to mention, the Rams’ offense could end up in even better shape if the organization ends up working a deal out with Sammy Watkins, who is a clear No. 1 wideout, unlike Austin.