Getty Dallas Cowboys WR Tavon Austin
Jerry Jones has never been one to shy a way from building hype around specific players, and it seems that’s going to stand true for offseason acquisition Tavon Austin. While Austin’s exact role in the Dallas Cowboys offense ahead of the team’s Week 1 opener against the Carolina Panthers is unknown, Jones may have given a bit away.
As Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News revealed, Jones told 105.3 The Fan earlier this week that Austin will “literally hit the ground running.”
Jerry Jones on @1053thefan talking about the immediate impact he’s expecting from Tavon Austin: “He’ll literally hit the ground running. And that’s big. We trust the things we got him doing. He’s had an outstanding camp.”
There have been plenty of rumblings this offseason about the Cowboys’ plan to utilize Austin, who never hit his stride with the Los Angeles Rams. Over five seasons, Austin topped the 500-yard receiving mark just once (509 yards in 2016), but flashed plenty of upside as a returner.
Most importantly, the former No. 8 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft also was solid as a runner, which is almost certainly what Jones is getting at with his comments. Over 75 games, Austin rushed for 1,238 yards and nine touchdowns. His best season came in 2015 when he tallied 434 rushiing yards and four touchdowns.
It seems the Cowboys may opt to use Austin as an option to spell Ezekiel Elliott in some form or fashion. Exactly how much work the wideout will receive in the backfield during Week 1 remains to be seen, but it’ll be worth monitoring, especially for fantasy football owners.