Inside Or Outside, Austin Expects Big Year
DallasCowboys.com

Irving, TX., Monday, June 14, 2010. Miles Austin's Pro Bowl numbers, largely in his 12 starts: 81 catches for 1,320 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Project that to a full 16-start season, and his stats are Madden-like: 108 catches for 1,760 yards and 15 TDs.

Not bad for a fourth-year player who entered the season with 18 career catches and didn't become a full-time starter until his single-game franchise record 250 yards against Kansas City in mid-October, when an abbreviated Roy Williams injury opened a one-week spot in the lineup.

Why stop at those 81 catches which, quite frankly, were No. 81-like?

The Cowboys' coaches will do everything possible to put their players in the best playmaking situations. For Austin, that could mean being on the move a little more this year.

Head coach Wade Phillips said Austin has worked in the slot some during the offseason workouts. Case in point: at last weekend's minicamp, he caught a deep seam pass for a would-be touchdown out of a three-receiver set, with Williams and rookie Dez Bryant lined up wide.

Simply put, it's just another look defenses must prepare for.

"I think he's going to be tremendously dangerous in the slot with he and (tight end Jason) Witten kind of both in the slot, one on one side," Phillips said at his press conference last week. "Players like that are hard to cover."

Terrell Owens, the team's last 1,000-yard receiver before Austin, enjoyed the slot in multi-wideout sets for several reasons. There's no sideline to act as a built-in coverage barrier. And a defense's slot cornerback is often weaker in coverage than the starters playing outside (the Cowboys are fortunate Orlando Scandrick is a starting-quality player).

Phillips said the slot could create some favorable matchups for Austin, in part because he's so good at change-of-direction routes.

"He's an outstanding receiver, but he's got the quickness and speed and also the running ability," Phillips said. "The same things that make him good on the outside make him good on the inside."

And as he did last year, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett will try to put opposing defenses in pick-your-poison situations. If teams commit a safety to Austin in the slot or outside, that means Williams, Witten or another pass-catcher like Bryant or Patrick Crayton should be open. Running back Felix Jones also figures to have an expanded role in the passing game.

Tony Romo has no shortage of options.

Austin said moving inside in certain situations could be beneficial, but shrugged off the notion that he'd have to make expansive adjustments.

"You're off the ball, so you can kind of give a guy a little something right before you get to the line of scrimmage," he said. "Outside he might be able to press you but that's all right, too. I did outside a lot last year. It's the same thing to me."

Tuesday would've marked the deadline for Austin to sign his one-year, $3.168 million restricted tender (he signed last Friday). Had he not, the Cowboys would've retained exclusive rights to their Pro Bowler and been allowed to reduce his tender to 110 percent of his 2009 salary ($1.7 million).

That likely never would've happened. But now Austin is officially signed and ready for training camp while both sides discuss a potential long-term deal.

Austin should eventually get all-star level money. Until then, it didn't keep him from participating fully in the voluntary Organized Team Activities before last weekend's mandatory minicamp.

"He's got his eye on the things that really directly allow him to really improve, certainly to the extent that you see him with the attitude that he's got, the work ethic that he's got and the talent that's he got," team owner/general manager Jerry Jones said. "It makes it an easier job for me to think about what we're going to be doing in the future involving him."

Financially and strategically.
 

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