Miles Austin

With Josh Gordon suspended for the 2014 season, someone has to catch passes from Johnny Manziel. Austin – if he can stay healthy – might be that guy. The 29-year old Austin has the size (6-2, 215) and once had the speed to get downfield. But hamstring problems have slowed him in recent seasons, and he’s missed 11 games since 2011. Essentially, anyone in the Browns receiving corps could have a significant role, with Austin and Andrew Hawkins the top candidates.

It's safe to say Austin is no longer the No. 1 receiver in Dallas. After a major breakout in 2009, Austin's been slowed by hamstring and ankle injuries and has since been supplanted by the faster, younger and more physical Dez Bryant. Still, Austin saw 119 targets last year and averaged 14.3 yards per catch. At 6-2, 210 and with good downfield speed, Austin's capable of making occasional downfield plays when healthy – he had only 13 catches of 20-plus last year, but he was rarely at 100 percent. After agreeing to restructure his contract, Austin will return as the team's No. 2 receiver, and he's reportedly changed his offseason workouts to strengthen his hamstrings. But with Bryant and Jason Witten around and the team taking Gavin Escobar and Terrance Williams in the second and third rounds, respectively, Austin's role is more likely to shrink than grow.

Injuries to both hamstrings derailed Austin’s season, and now his breakout in 2009 (when he and Tony Romo were last healthy together) is fading further into history. But before Austin went down in Week 2, he had 14 catches for 233 yards and four touchdowns, so he essentially picked up where he left off early in 2010 (when Romo was healthy), and Austin had more than 140 yards in three of the season’s first four games. At 6-2, 210, Austin’s big, strong and fast, and he’s tough to bring down after the catch. The presence of Dez Bryant and Jason Witten probably limit Austin’s target upside, but the Austin/Romo combination is efficient enough to produce big numbers without being top-10 in volume. Austin’s healthy at press time and with the departure of Laurent Robinson, there are no other established receivers besides Bryant on the roster.

After a monster 2009, Austin looked like the top receiver in the league when he posted receiving totals of 146, 142 and 166 yards in Games 1, 2 and 4, respectively. But Tony Romo got hurt in Game 6, and Austin never developed the same kind of rapport with backup Jon Kitna. Nonetheless, Austin finished the year with 1,041 yards and seven scores, with strong per-play numbers (15.1 YPC, 8.8 YPT, both 5th). At 6-2, 207, Austin's got good size and excellent deep speed. Austin's quickness and size make him a tough cover in the red zone, and the Cowboys targeted him 13 times inside the 10 (tied for 2nd) as a result. Austin had just two catches of 40-plus, but that should change when the strong-armed Romo – who buys time in the pocket and looks downfield on broken plays – returns. The one wild card for Austin's 2011 is the emergence of last year's star rookie Dez Bryant. Austin is likely to be Romo's first read, but the Cowboys will not ignore the 6-2, 220-pound playmaker across from him, and it remains to be seen how the Cowboys will distribute targets in the red zone between those two and also Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten.

For the last three quarters of 2009, Austin was the NFL’s best fantasy receiver. In those 12 games (once the Cowboys started looking his way), Austin had 76 catches for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns. Prorated over a full 16 games, that comes out to 101 catches, 1,638 yards and 15 touchdowns. Austin was also one of the league’s most efficient receivers — his 10.6 yards per target put him second only to Sidney Rice among those with 100 targets, and his 16.3 yards per catch put him third behind only DeSean Jackson and Greg Jennings. At 6-2, 207 (he dropped eight pounds after working out this offseason), and with excellent speed and athleticism, Austin is the full package — capable of blowing by defenders or breaking tackles in the open field. With Tony Romo’s ability to buy time, and his nice touch on the deep ball, Austin should continue to do damage down the field — his eight catches of 40-plus were third in the league, and he managed that in 12 games. While Austin has enough size to excel around the goal line, he only saw eight targets inside the 10 (teammate Roy Williams saw 10). While Austin has clearly surpassed Williams as Romo’s first look, Williams was very efficient from in close, hauling in six of those targets for scores — so Austin might not see as many easy ones as Reggie Wayne, Randy Moss or Larry Fitzgerald. Moreover, the Cowboys drafted the 6-2, 220-pound Dez Bryant in the first round, another big, prototype red-zone receiver. Nonetheless, Austin’s breakout was fully supported by his efficiency stats and underlying skills, the Cowboys offense returns largely intact, and he enters the year as the team’s undisputed top wideout for the first time in his career.

A sprained MCL limited Austin to 12 games last year and also nagged him even when he suited up. Still, of Austin’s 23 targets, five went for 20-plus, two went for more than 40 yards and three went for touchdowns. All told, Austin averaged 21 yards per catch and more than 12 yards per target – though in a woefully small sample. At 6-2, 215, Austin’s got excellent size, and the speed to get deep. His route running needs work, but he’s a good athlete and adjusts well to the ball in the air. Austin should have a chance to compete with Patrick Crayton for a starting wideout job opposite Roy Williams, and even if Crayton were to prevail in camp, Williams has a history of missing time due to injury.

Depth WR could get opportunities if Terry Glenn doesn't return.

Depth WR and special teams player.