Back before the Sean McVay era with the Los Angeles Rams, the team made a big decision on wide receiver Tavon Austin. It was one that seemingly made the statement that they believed Austin was poised to be a clear-cut go-to option in their offense for the foreseeable future, and it's cost them quite a bit of money. Back before the 2016 NFL season, the Rams gave Austin a four-year, $42 million contract extension, with $30 million in guarantees.

Before that season, Austin had never topped 475 receiving yards in any single year but was coming off a 2015 campaign in which he totaled 907 combined rushing and receiving yards while scoring nine offensive touchdowns. The upside at least seemed to be there, but unfortunately, he hasn't lived up to the hype since that point.

In 2016, Austin tallied a career-high in receiving yards of 509 with 58 receptions on 107 targets. Then, the Rams massive changes began in 2017, and Austin had just 13 receptions for 47 yards last season, while the team's offense thrived around him.

This is why it's not the slightest bit surprising that NFL Network's Mike Garofolo reported on Thursday that the Rams will either trade or release Austin before the start of the league year.

Rams will either trade or release WR Tavon Austin before the start of the league year, source says. He’s due $8m, so his time with the team is done. — Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 1, 2018

It's a big decision, largely due to the fact that it's not an easy out for the Rams, but it is a way for them to simply admit the mistake with this contract and move on.

Austin has unquestionable playmaking skills, but he's not a No. 1 wideout, and he should draw a solid market in free agency. If the Rams have to release Austin, it'll cost them $5 million in dead money, while freeing up just $3 million in cap savings, per Over The Cap.

That's obviously not ideal, but with multiple young names and faces in the mix at wide receiver, Austin simply won't be able to carve out much of a role for himself in 2018.