I keep hearing the Az Hakim comparison in regards to Tavon. They are not at all the same player, period.
Tavon is quick and shifty, but he has to use those talents to compensate for the fact that he is not big enough to play in the NFL. It takes him more steps and more moves to get open because he ahs to be wide. ass. open. on any play to warrant throwing the ball to him. His lack of physical stature does not allow the QB to throw him jump balls or allow the QB to trust that Tavon will bring the ball down. If Austin isn't 3-4 steps behind a defender or clear in the open field, it takes a perfect pass in a tiny window for him to be effective with it.
That is why Tavon lines up as a tailback so much: Davis cannot throw the ball into the tight windows and thread the ball past players to get it to him, so their only option (according to Schotty) is to strictly hand the ball off to him in the backfield.
Az Hakim, while small by NFL standards, is still 3 inches taller than Austin is, and most importantly he had Warner, a real QB, who could throw the ball in tight windows for completions. Also, because of the incredible WR talent on those Rams teams, Hakim could run gadget plays, and because CBs and Safeties HAD to respect the Rams WRs on the outside, you couldn't dedicate your best players to defend him. Often times it was the dime back who would be tasked with defending Hakim's trickery: Austin simply does not have that.
Finally, and this may be the most important facet of all: Hakim was a fourth round pick, whereas Austin was the 8th player taken overall in his draft class. If Austin puts up Hakim's career numbers (9 pro seasons, 316 receptions, 4,191 yards receiving, 28 receiving touchdowns) he would still go down as a colossal, monumental gaffe simply from the standpoint of the relative value of the picks surrendered to get him. Let's face it, at this point, we have no reason to believe Austin's body will allow him to play 9 seasons (especially running the ball off tackle 5 times a game/ 80+ attempts per year), and all of this, coupled with subpar QB play, coupled with Schottenheimer's seeming inability to use him "properly" (whatever the hell that means. NFL wide receivers should carry NFL wide receiver expectations) points to a career path that falls dramatically below Hakim's career output.