So no one thinks Slaton will be back

[TwoTrill]

I see alot of people giving up on him
but i think he can bounce back next year

[redwhiteANDblue]

I thought he wasn't coming back next year due to his injury. Anyways we need him just as much as we need OD. He fits our passing offense perfectly with his ability to make a plays off screen passes.

[m5kwatts]

I won't believe anything about Slaton's health until he or the team says it... all this speculation is irresponsible

[DerekLee1]

I expect him to be back, but as a 3rd down back as he was drafted for. He'll compete with Foster and a rookie for the 2-down guy.

[edo783]

Will he be back......... probably. Will he be effective ........ Maybe. Will he be physically reliable.......... Most likely not. As much as I would LOVE for him to come back full steam and be solidly reliable, I would be deeply upset if we don't proceed as though he will be of little to no use. So, do we need to take a RB in the 1st .......? I think Steve has pretty much pointed out that it isn't necessary. There is zero guarantee that the RB taken in the 1st will be any more physically reliable than a RB taken in the 3-4th rounds. He could be hurt on the 1st play and never play agin. While he might have more PERCEIVED talent, Steve is sort of the poster child for saying that isn't always true. I personally kind of like Dwyer, but is he the right guy..... Danged if I know, and the idea of a 1st round RB scares the heck out of me given the cost of acquiring one and their VERY short shelf life. O-line guards or a CB, I would be much more comfortable with. Not that they would necessarily be higher value players for the teams record/betterment, they tend to have much longer playing careers, so the money would have a much better chance of being well spent.

[Texans_Chick]

He thinks he will be back.

It would be handy to have him given he was one of the top three receiving options for Schaub in 2008.

I think that they have to plan as though he will not be playing, but that if he is back it is like a lagniappe.

I'm not sure whether his status will effect the type of back the Texans draft. Whether they go for an every down sort of back, or are tempted to take a quality third down back because they don't think Slaton comes back.

[DiehardChris]

I think he'll come back, and I think he'll be effective.

The problem is, we can't take the chance and ASSUME he's going to return to form. I feel like we need to look at our RB situation as if Steve's best-case scenario is that he's a complimentary back/third-down specialist. It's not that I don't think he can be THE guy - it's just that we can't just sit and hope that he can be. If he ends up being SS of '08, it would be a good problem to have if the new rookie or FA is also good enough to be THE guy.

[Texans_Chick]

Originally Posted by DiehardChris

I think he'll come back, and I think he'll be effective.

The problem is, we can't take the chance and ASSUME he's going to return to form. I feel like we need to look at our RB situation as if Steve's best-case scenario is that he's a complimentary back/third-down specialist. It's not that I don't think he can be THE guy - it's just that we can't just sit and hope that he can be. If he ends up being SS of '08, it would be a good problem to have if the new rookie or FA is also good enough to be THE guy.

I'm pretty sure that they won't be assuming anything. That was one of the major themes that Kubiak discussed after the 2006 season--that they can never assume that a player will be coming back right after injury.

I think they are still searching for their solid basic every down back that won't limit them in short yardage situations.

[redwhiteANDblue]

If we do get a back I think it will be a power back. A RB that can take time off the clock when we really need to and move piles. Our offense was working wonders. There's no need to put a huge focus on the running game. I can insure you we won't draft a RB in the first round and that's certain.

[m5kwatts]

Originally Posted by Texans_Chick

I'm pretty sure that they won't be assuming anything. That was one of the major themes that Kubiak discussed after the 2006 season--that they can never assume that a player will be coming back right after injury.

I think they are still searching for their solid basic every down back that won't limit them in short yardage situations.

Originally Posted by redwhiteANDblue

If we do get a back I think it will be a power back. A RB that can take time off the clock when we really need to and move piles. Our offense was working wonders. There's no need to put a huge focus on the running game. I can insure you we won't draft a RB in the first round and that's certain.

Agreed on both accounts. Its also worth noting that McNair highlighted RB as a major focus in the offseason (which I think is significant given that he writes the checks). 1st round, I really doubt it. 2nd round or later, definitely. I also think we'll sign a less-heralded under-the-radar back in free agency IF the price is right.

Personally IMO I think they're approaching this offseason as if the only back on the roster is Foster. Slaton's a bonus healthy or not.

[Corrosion]

I just hope that if / when he comes back he can HOLD ON TO THE DAMN BALL

[m5kwatts]

Originally Posted by Corrosion

I just hope that if / when he comes back he can HOLD ON TO THE DAMN BALL

Ditto for all our current/future backs... lets hope that fumblitus was just a one year plague on this unit

[barrett]

Originally Posted by m5kwatts

all this speculation is irresponsible

Damn dude. That's what I like to hear. Rep.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by edo783

a 1st round RB scares the heck out of me given the cost of acquiring one and their VERY short shelf life. O-line guards or a CB, I would be much more comfortable with. Not that they would necessarily be higher value players for the teams record/betterment, they tend to have much longer playing careers, so the money would have a much better chance of being well spent.

My standard thought process agrees with this line of thinking but I can't help but think that the next 5 to 7 years are pretty important for this franchise and if we can get a back that is hugely effective for the next 4 - 5 then it not really a bad value. So long as the price isn't crippling (which at 19 or 20 it's not likely to be).

Then again, an interior linemen who opens up better holes for the next 8 - 12 years for the RB's we already have is certainly more logical.

I guess I don't know either.

[m5kwatts]

Originally Posted by barrett

My standard thought process agrees with this line of thinking but I can't help but think that the next 5 to 7 years are pretty important for this franchise and if we can get a back that is hugely effective for the next 4 - 5 then it not really a bad value. So long as the price isn't crippling (which at 19 or 20 it's not likely to be).

Then again, an interior linemen who opens up better holes for the next 8 - 12 years for the RB's we already have is certainly more logical.

I guess I don't know either.

You just mimicked a conversation thats probably taken place every day over at Reliant since January. If only we could be flies on the wall....

[Texecutioner]

Originally Posted by TwoTrill

I see alot of people giving up on him
but i think he can bounce back next year

I think it's more about people wanting more depth than anything. IN the NFL you can never have enough backs. If a team lost 10 RB's in one season it wouldn't even be a surprise. YOu just never know.

And with the way Slaton played last season and ran through the line, well there wasn't a whole lot to be confident about as far as that goes. Then he got hurt as well, so there is no other choice but to keep the RB position a high priority. It should have been a very high one last season, but it wasn't unfortunately and we suffered because of that. A lot of people still have a lot of confidence in Slaton. I know that I do, but we need more guys than that.

[HOU-TEX]

Originally Posted by DiehardChris

I think he'll come back, and I think he'll be effective.

The problem is, we can't take the chance and ASSUME he's going to return to form. I feel like we need to look at our RB situation as if Steve's best-case scenario is that he's a complimentary back/third-down specialist. It's not that I don't think he can be THE guy - it's just that we can't just sit and hope that he can be. If he ends up being SS of '08, it would be a good problem to have if the new rookie or FA is also good enough to be THE guy.

I agree 100%. I mentioned something last week about not counting him out until a reliable team source says otherwise. McWheezer is NOT that reliable source.

BTW, I thought there was an unwritten rule about using large pictures for signatures. We didn't want to become one of those boards where signatures fill an entire thread. Correct me if I'm wrong

[BullNation4Life]

Not coming back? Who heard that? Everything I have heard and read was the procedure was a success and it would take 3 months for him to be back on the field, so he would probably miss some of OTAs. I also heard that his fumbling could have been a direct result in this pinched nerve, due to numbness in his left arm, and that this procedure he went through should bring back the feeling he was missing.

I have no doubt he will be back and feeling 100% before kickoff in September....

Oh and these were reports from Kubiak himself so take it for what it is worth...

[silvrhand]

Originally Posted by m5kwatts

Ditto for all our current/future backs... lets hope that fumblitus was just a one year plague on this unit

Hate to bring this up but he fumbled a lot in college too, this isn't something new for him. Combine this with an injury and I think that you are just going to have to find a RB, and if you can find a stud in the draft that IMHO is what we need, with some good solid OL picks as well.

Or go trade for a good backup, I wouldn't mind picking up the Glen Coffee from the 49ers as well.. if we aren't going to spend a draft pick go out and get someone.

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by BullNation4Life

Not coming back? Who heard that? Everything I have heard and read was the procedure was a success and it would take 3 months for him to be back on the field, so he would probably miss some of OTAs. I also heard that his fumbling could have been a direct result in this pinched nerve, due to numbness in his left arm, and that this procedure he went through should bring back the feeling he was missing.

I have no doubt he will be back and feeling 100% before kickoff in September....

Oh and these were reports from Kubiak himself so take it for what it is worth...

We have a medical professional who's a regular on the board. And according to the description of the procedure performed, a 3 month recovery would be extremely unlikely. IIRC, a 6 month recovery is more expected and that's to just get back to a point where someone can perform normal day-to-day actions, not running around and take a pounding.

Considering our history with injuries, most of us are taking the cynical approach.

Also, Slaton had his fumbling problems prior to the time when the injury supposedly took place. So blaming Slaton's fumblitis on the injury doesn't work unless he suffered this injury much earlier than reported. And if he did suffer this injury that early, then his recovery is even less sure because he would have taken a ton more damage.