Tavon Austin eager to get back on field for Los Angeles Rams

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- A lot has happened since the Los Angeles Rams signed wide receiver Tavon Austin to a contract last year. The club suffered through another losing season - this time a 4-12 finish in their first season back in Los Angeles in 21 years - and Austin never quite emerged as a go-to wide receiver. The Rams completely overhauled their wide-receiver position by adding Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp - among others, and Austin suffered a hamstring injury that cost him most of training camp.

Austin returned to practice Monday, and while he won't play Thursday in the preseason finale, he is on target to return for the season opener Sept. 10 at home against the Colts. The hope is Austin emerges as a multi-faceted threat operating in a much better system under new head coach Sean McVay and with better players around him.

The trick is figuring out ways to utilize the 5-foot-8 speedster.

"He's a special player," McVay said Monday, "and we've got to find a way to get him touches and get him involved."

Austin is taking the newcomers - especially Watkins - in stride.

"It's competition," Austin said. "That's how it is. I haven't been here since these coaches got here. I've only had four days in this offense, so I understand. It definitely doesn't mean they don't have plans for me."

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Rams quarterback Jared Goff will sit out the preseason finale against the Packers Thursday. But as he sizes up the revamped wide-receiver and tight-end group he is working with compared to last year, Goff is excited about starting the season with the new supporting cast.

"I think with the stuff we've done, with the additions that we've made, I feel really good about it. I think adding guys like Cooper and Josh Reynolds and (tight end) Gerald Everett and Robert Woods and now Sammy - it's been great working with those guys and getting a chance to get them the ball. Just get the ball to the playmakers' hands and let them work. It's been a lot of fun."

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Rams running back Todd Gurley will be a spectator when the Rams conclude the preseason against the Packers Thursday. But his usage this summer is markedly different compared to the bubble wrap former head coach Jeff Fisher put him in last year. Unlike last year, Gurley has been more involved in practice and preseason games.

"I feel good," Gurley said. Coach has been doing a great job, (strength and conditioning coach) Ted (Rath) and (director of sports performance) Reggie (Scott), just the whole staff. We've been doing a great job communicating with them and they've been doing a great job of just helping us out. The days we do work, we want to make sure that we're out there getting work in and not half-assing it or anything because you don't want a coach to be looking out for you and you're up here jogging around and not going hard. So, just the main focus is just making sure we're all on the same page."