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Slaton looks to impress in mini-camp

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Veteran
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-texans-slaton&prov=ap&type=lgns


Slaton making first impression

By CHRIS DUNCAN, AP Sports Writer 1 hour, 17 minutes ago

HOUSTON-Steve Slaton fumbled a pitch on one play and got his helmet knocked off on another during the second day of Houston Texans minicamp on Saturday. Later, he dodged three would-be tacklers and sprinted down the field.

The former West Virginia star, drafted by the Texans in the third round, is getting plenty of snaps to show coach Gary Kubiak what he can do. Now if he can only memorize the complicated playbook.

“I’m just trying to learn the system, trying to get the plays down so that I can make an impact right now,” said Slaton, the 89th overall pick. “The pass plays and the pass protections, that’s where my biggest trouble is coming from.”

The 5-foot-9, 197-pound Slaton rushed for 3,923 yards for the Mountaineers and is third in career rushing in the Big East. But that means nothing to the Texans, who have six running backs on the minicamp roster.

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i can't wait to see slaton play this season... he's the most explosive RB to ever don a texans uni, folks.
 
Running backs coach Chick Harris said Slaton has made "typical rookie mistakes" in the first two days of minicamp. And he has ways of helping Slaton hold on to the ball.

"I can cure that," he said. "I've done it with guys before. You just bang 'em and bang 'em and bang 'em until they understand the importance of keeping the ball in your hands."
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Harris said Slaton has already shown plenty of raw talent.

"He's going to be fine," Harris said. "He's got good speed on the outside, he's got the explosiveness. He has the skills, no question about it. This guy has been much too successful to not be good enough."
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http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcon...fl/stories/051108dnsponfltexans1.29024ec.html
 
I know some folks are disappointed we let Mendenhall go, but adding Slaton and Brown, getting a healthy Taylor and Green back will give us some great competition at RB. Hopefully, no one gets hurt and its a fight to the finish for the top 3 spots.
 
Rookies do rookie things in their first mini-camp. I'm not worried. Yet.

Let's see what he's doing by the 2nd or 3rd preseason game after he gets some real-time hits on himself and how he responds to those hits. Then we'll have a better idea of what to expect.
 
I'm not worried one bit. Hell, Owen Daniels should be in there learning how to hold onto the pigskin too. :pirate:
 
Texan in Japan said:
I know some folks are disappointed we let Mendenhall go, but adding Slaton and Brown, getting a healthy Taylor and Green back will give us some great competition at RB. Hopefully, no one gets hurt and its a fight to the finish for the top 3 spots.
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This is true. Something we forget about at times (especially me), is that when Green stays healthy, he's a very good RB. If only he could stay healthy all the time. I expect to see big things from Taylor this year, but I sure would've liked to have seen us get Kevin Smith in the draft. Damn you Detroit!

I'm also extremely excited that the coaches believe Brown can start at LT on day one. Wow! Can we start the season now?!?
 
I'm not concerned about a fumble in mini-camp. So long as he gets his plays down and doesn't make a habit of turning the ball over, he has all of the qualities one would look for in a RB (minus size). This guy was a monster in college and, should it translate, will be a back to be feared in the NFL.
 
adam said:
I'm not concerned about a fumble in mini-camp. So long as he gets his plays down and doesn't make a habit of turning the ball over, he has all of the qualities one would look for in a RB (minus size). This guy was a monster in college and, should it translate, will be a back to be feared in the NFL.
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He fumbled the ball a few times. Not just merely a fumble.

Running back Steve Slaton demonstrated his distinct ball-carrying style, holding it high near his shoulders. He flashed great quickness and edge speed on several runs, but also fumbled the ball a few times in the five mini-camp practices.
Kubiak was asked whether Slaton’s manner of holding the ball was a concern.
“No, he carries the ball correctly,” Kubiak said. “He’s got the pressure points and stuff. He’s small in stature, and a lot of the contact with him is around the ball, whereas some guys it’s around the legs.
“It’s been a rude awakening for him these last few days. We’re constantly trying to strip the ball. But I have confidence in him that he’ll try to protect the ball. I thought he did some very good things this weekend.”
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http://www.houstontexans.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=4316

I just don't want any misconceptions about what has and hasn't been done. He's fumbled the ball more than once and that's a fact.

Now what I do like is that Kubiak believes that he carries the ball correctly. Now what I'm interpreting from Kubiak's statements is that Slaton may be prone to fumbling as a result of his size, not technique. That right there worries me. His fumblitits may not be coachable. Size does matter in the NFL.
 
NitroHonda said:
Now what I'm interpreting from Kubiak's statements is that Slaton may be prone to fumbling as a result of his size, not technique. That right there worries me. His fumblitits may not be coachable. Size does matter in the NFL.
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(1) Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders hardly ever fumbled.
(2) The Texans are making a concerted effort this offseason toward creating turnovers. That's become their mission.

Slaton will be fine. The fact that he's fumbling now is a good thing. He'll learn how to avoid it when it counts.
 
I wouldn't be too worried now. He still has almost three months (until the preseason) to work on it. HT.com has like no video footage of Slaton though. They just show the players stretching and the coaches talking/interviewing.
 
NitroHonda said:
He fumbled the ball a few times. Not just merely a fumble.


http://www.houstontexans.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=4316

I just don't want any misconceptions about what has and hasn't been done. He's fumbled the ball more than once and that's a fact.

Now what I do like is that Kubiak believes that he carries the ball correctly. Now what I'm interpreting from Kubiak's statements is that Slaton may be prone to fumbling as a result of his size, not technique. That right there worries me. His fumblitits may not be coachable. Size does matter in the NFL.
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True Mike, but they are not even hitting yet. The kid is not much different in stature from some of the best RB's in history.

Barry Sanders 5'9" 201 lbs
Walter Payton 5'10" 200 lbs
Tiki Barber 5'10" 205 lbs
Terrell Davis 5'10 210 lbs
Emmitt Smith 5'9" 216 lbs

I would say his fumbles probably are coming from nerves on the first days more than anything else. I read he runs with the ball high and tight like Tiki did once Tiki solved his fumbling problem.

Let's get the pads on and see what the kid does.

I am trying to find his fumbles in college, but it says 0..I don't think that is right.
 
Texaninlild said:
I am trying to find his fumbles in college, but it says 0..I don't think that is right.
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He actually fumbled quite a bit in college. I don't have the exact figure, but I know that a big part of the reason he fell out of favor between his sophomore and junior year was because of the fumbling....
 
GuerillaBlack said:
That's not what I heard. I heard the fumbling at stopped once he became a sophomore on into his junior season.
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"A consensus All-American and unanimous All-Big East Conference choice as a sophomore, Slaton put together a record-breaking 2006 campaign, despite being forced to carry the ball exclusively in his left hand most of the season due to a right wrist injury that would require surgery. His 1,744 yards on the ground and 2,104 all-purpose yards set school season marks, as he ranked fourth in the nation in rushing (134.5 ypg) and second in all-purpose yardage (161.85 ypg).

The wrist injury saw Slaton fumble the ball seven times on 248 carries, but he produced 16 touchdowns on the ground and 114 points. He also ranked third on the team with 27 catches for 360 yards (13.3 avg) and two scores. His 27 grabs were the third-best season total by a Mountaineers running back in a season.

Primed for a banner junior campaign with his wrist fully healed, Slaton ran into several roadblocks in 2007. He tried to get too fancy carrying the ball, spending more time dancing in the backfield than attacking the rush lanes. With frosh sensation Noel Devine now vying for backfield time, fumble issues caused the coaching staff to lose faith in its junior runner in crucial situations, as he saw his chances to carry the ball slowly get reduced each game. "

http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/steve-slaton?id=945
 
Texaninlild said:
True Mike, but they are not even hitting yet. The kid is not much different in stature from some of the best RB's in history.

Barry Sanders 5'9" 201 lbs
Walter Payton 5'10" 200 lbs
Tiki Barber 5'10" 205 lbs
Terrell Davis 5'10 210 lbs
Emmitt Smith 5'9" 216 lbs

I would say his fumbles probably are coming from nerves on the first days more than anything else. I read he runs with the ball high and tight like Tiki did once Tiki solved his fumbling problem.

Let's get the pads on and see what the kid does.

I am trying to find his fumbles in college, but it says 0..I don't think that is right.
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Oh I'm not necessarily questioning his size. I'm just saying that's how I interpreted the statement by Kubiak because he says that Slaton has the technique correct.

One thing... you're bringing up hall of famers. Steve Slaton hasn't even cracked the 200 lb mark and that makes him on the small side of every one of those guys and they're already SMALL. It's just a concern and something that I'll be watching very very closely. He's five pounds smaller than the best one on that list in Barry Sanders but just how many Barry Sanders are there? Times are also different. Back in the day, you could just flash your way through the field but nowadays that's become far more difficult to do. Play Walter Payton in today's game and I think we'd see a significant change in his numbers but that's just me.

I didn't realize Payton was only 5'10. I really thought he was a giant. He sure did play like a giant.

Then back at West Virginia, Steve Slaton had several fumbles. Can anyone find the number? I know for a fact that he fumbled the ball on two consecutive snaps against Louisville a year or two ago.

I'm rooting so hard for Steve Slaton. I really am. I want him to be a hall of famer for the Houston Texans.

:fans:
 
NitroHonda said:
Oh I'm not necessarily questioning his size. I'm just saying that's how I interpreted the statement by Kubiak because he says that Slaton has the technique correct.

One thing... you're bringing up hall of famers. Steve Slaton hasn't even cracked the 200 lb mark and that makes him on the small side of every one of those guys and they're already SMALL. It's just a concern and something that I'll be watching very very closely. He's five pounds smaller than the best one on that list in Barry Sanders but just how many Barry Sanders are there? Times are also different. Back in the day, you could just flash your way through the field but nowadays that's become far more difficult to do. Play Walter Payton in today's game and I think we'd see a significant change in his numbers but that's just me.

I didn't realize Payton was only 5'10. I really thought he was a giant. He sure did play like a giant.

Then back at West Virginia, Steve Slaton had several fumbles. Can anyone find the number? I know for a fact that he fumbled the ball on two consecutive snaps against Louisville a year or two ago.

I'm rooting so hard for Steve Slaton. I really am. I want him to be a hall of famer for the Houston Texans.

:fans:
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I think he had 7 fumbles on 248 carries??...someone want to compare that with some of the other top backs drafted
 
He was also forced to carry the ball exclusively in one arm because of injury to the other. He may have fumble issues and he may not. What most people see as fumble issues are over exagerations anyway... See Cook..(Im not saying 7 isnt bad)
 
What happens in practice and what happens on the field are mutually exclusive.

Im not gonna give myself any grey hairs about his fumbling until I see it happen when it matters.
 
NitroHonda said:
That right there worries me. His fumblitits may not be coachable. Size does matter in the NFL.
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every "fumblitits" can be coachable......while Slaton is "undersized" he isn't a midget (he's actually comparable to MANY of the backs that have had success in this DENVER SYSTEM....those guys were "coachable") and he certainly is "coachable". People are simply overreacting about a rookie putting the ball on the ground. The guy is literally a few hours into his NFL career and hopefully our young promising defense took the writing on their pants seriously.

Almost every back in their first camp fumbles......then the coach jumps on their *** and hopefully they straighten it out. The fact that Kubiak and Harris don't seem too worried about this is why I'm not worried about this. Bump this page when we're going through preseason......if Slaton is constantly laying the ball on the ground, then I'll be worried, until then.....rookie jitters.

I mean from what I hear alot of rookies were "wide eyed" during this mini-camp....it is literally a "eye opening" experience. It's the first time in these guys lives, that they aren't the best athletes on the football field, I'm sure every one of them got their lunch ate......it's how they respond, that's what matters.
 
I think it was Megan Manfull that wrote that he looked nerviose out there and may have been trying to hard. One thing is for sure though, if he shows that he puts the ball on the ground to often in TC and pre-season, he won't be playing for Kubes no mater how well he runs.
 
All is moot if he can't run the pass pro. Other than fumbling, pass protection is a priority for Kubiak. I definitely hope he's able to catch up because we need an outside threat like him in a bad way.

:fans:
 
HOU-TEX said:
All is moot if he can't run the pass pro. Other than fumbling, pass protection is a priority for Kubiak. I definitely hope he's able to catch up because we need an outside threat like him in a bad way.

:fans:
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That's why he isn't expected to be a "every down back" and is only expected to be a situational/3rd down back this season. Hopefully he can grow into a bigger role as his career rolls on.
 
Carr Bombed said:
That's why he isn't expected to be a "every down back" and is only expected to be a situational/3rd down back this season. Hopefully he can grow into a bigger role as his career rolls on.
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I understand that, but 3rd down's usually include the passing game. Per the article Slaton struggled with both the pass pro and running pass plays. If he's unable to pick these up it's doubtful he'd see much of the field in any situations.

Having said that, this is only for discussion sake. It's way too early to condemn a player for anything at this point. I have little doubt he'll be just fine and I'm stoked to have him here for the price we paid.

:fans:
 
HOU-TEX said:
I understand that, but 3rd down's usually include the passing game.
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Yeah they do, but I think the third down situations that they're planning on using Slaton for is to send Slaton out of the backfield as a receiver against LBs or when he'll just be a change of pace runner.........I don't see Slaton being on the field much at all in a "pass protection" role.
 
"I mean listen, we're sitting here talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, but we're talking about practice. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it's my last but we're talking about practice man. How silly is that? ... Now I know that I'm supposed to lead by example and all that but I'm not shoving that aside like it don't mean anything. I know it's important, I honestly do but we're talking about practice. We're talking about practice man. We're talking about practice. We're talking about practice. We're not talking about the game. We're talking about practice."

AI
 
Carr Bombed said:
Yeah they do, but I think the third down situations that they're planning on using Slaton for is to send Slaton out of the backfield as a receiver against LBs or when he'll just be a change of pace runner.........I don't see Slaton being on the field much at all in a "pass protection" role.
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Give him this season, and Slaton will be our #1, or #2 back.
 
hookinreds said:
"I mean listen, we're sitting here talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, but we're talking about practice. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it's my last but we're talking about practice man. How silly is that? ... Now I know that I'm supposed to lead by example and all that but I'm not shoving that aside like it don't mean anything. I know it's important, I honestly do but we're talking about practice. We're talking about practice man. We're talking about practice. We're talking about practice. We're not talking about the game. We're talking about practice."

AI
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Well said.

A few thoughts:

1. It is early
2. Practice IS important to Kubiak as far as trust goes. What he sees as preparing like a pro prepares.
3. It is early
4. Really early
5. It's my belief that sometimes bad things are actually good things. That sometimes a rough start is a good thing because young players learn from making mistakes. In general, learning is about screwing up. You can be told not to do something but screwing up really makes an impression. Think of your worst screwups, sports or otherwise. It's the difference between intellectually knowing something and knowing something in your heart.
6. It is really early.
 
Texans_Chick said:
1. It is early
2. Practice IS important to Kubiak as far as trust goes. What he sees as preparing like a pro prepares.
3. It is early
4. Really early
5. It's my belief that sometimes bad things are actually good things. That sometimes a rough start is a good thing because young players learn from making mistakes. In general, learning is about screwing up. You can be told not to do something but screwing up really makes an impression. Think of your worst screwups, sports or otherwise. It's the difference between intellectually knowing something and knowing something in your heart.
6. It is really early.
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Darius Walker = Poster boy for your quote, including points 1,2,3,4,5, and 6.
 
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