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Slaton May Not Be in the Big Picture for 2010

ChampionTexan said:
So is a discectomy always a cervical discectomy or are there other types? If there is, do we know that Slaton's discectomy was of that variety? (cause I can't find a source in the Chron, or the other board referring to it as a "cervical" discectomy), and if not all discectomies are created equal, what are the best and worst in terms of likelihood of recovering enough to resume an NFL career?

Answers dangit - I want answers, and I want them now!
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BIG TORO said:
You can have one trough out the spine but cervical is more critical.
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"Cervical" only describes the anatomic location within the length of the spine. "Cervical" refers to the neck region as opposed to the thoracic (chest level) or lumbar (abdominal level) regions.

Obviously, the cervical vertebrae have greater range of motion, and are smaller, thinner, flimsier and less supported than their lower counterparts. This makes them easier to injure, more difficult to stabilize, more likely to effect range of motion limitation, and arguably easier to reinjure.


hs2fig1-BB.jpg
 
I agree that given the teams past experience with RBs we will go after a older RB in FA like L. T.(5'10" 221lbs.). ESPN insider under rumors has the Texans as interested in Thomas Jones(5'10" 212lbs.). My opinion, we should sign a back in FA and go after a rookie in 2nd round.
Ryan Mathews - Fresno State 5'11.5" 220lbs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8glIiHp5JoE
Jonathan Dwyer - Ga. Tech 6'0" 235lbs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq9Yme2gczU
or 3rd round
Joe McKnight - USC 6'0" 180lbs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPLZagWioUU
Anthony Dixon - Mississippi State 6'1" 245lbs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R07yQOIMCUM&feature=fvst
 
I can't get the idea out of my head that this is more or less "career ending" and that just breaks my heart to think about. I certainly hope that's just my classic negativity kicking in and admit that it isn't based on anything other than an enormous fear of neck/spinal injuries. I think if the Texans have a single working brain cell among them though they'll make no plans that depend on Slaton at this point. If he comes back and plays at a high level excellent. Consider it "gravy".

I don't however care for any of the retreads that are likely to be available Ladanian Tomlinson is done. There's not a doubt in my mind about that. When people suggest the Texans sign him my first thought is "What? You didn't get enough Ahman Green?" Thomas Jones is on the downside as well. The Texans should have pursued him back when he was on his way out the door in Phoenix. Getting him now is nothing more than overpaying for a band-aid. I hope we're done making stupid deals for used up or short-timer running backs.

It's day one rookie RB time my friends.
 
Thomas Jones is a freaking machine. I would not mind getting him for a 2 year deal he could really do a lot of "positive" damage. Chester Taylor is a beast as well but I doubt the vikes let him go after AP is screwing up.

Didnt that fan flick off Thomas Jones bad when he was here last year?

Lendale White is younger and the safer decision. I think he will jump on the oppurtunity to become a starter.

I really feel like if we do not get a back like Slaton though this team is going to suffer. Those screens did a lot of damage. C.J. Spiller is really the only guy I could see taking over that role. Maybe Dexter McCluster, Toby Gerhart is all power and I do not think he will provide exactly what we need. In this draft we need to take atleast 2 lineman. We cannot move the ball no matter how powerful the back is if the lineman get no push.
 
ChampionTexan said:
From McClain's article on 2/2 (just to have a source):



LINK
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After Charles Spencer, I don't trust any coach talking about this kind of injury. I won't believe it until i can poke my finger in the wound. So maybe we can catch Reggie or LT on the Free agent rebound ? I'm also wondering what the Steelers are going to do with Limas Sweed ? He has to be getting close to fish or cut bait time.
 
TEXANS84 said:
No thank you. Too many failed attempts with Titans castoffs, IE- Chris Brown, Robaire Smith
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You mean you don't want "Pass me another Biscuit" White ? so maybe their back is up against the wall that Blount and his immaturity is no longer out of the realm of possibility ? There are plenty of RBs on the board. Scouts will have to do a good job is all. So does this mean Slaton was a third down back ? And all of the worrying I did about the guy getting too many touches was justified ? Or was it a case of could of happened to anyone ?
 
threetoedpete said:
After Charles Spencer, I don't trust any coach talking about this kind of injury. I won't believe it until i can poke my finger in the wound. So maybe we can catch Reggie or LT on the Free agent rebound ? I'm also wondering what the Steelers are going to do with Limas Sweed ? He has to be getting close to fish or cut bait time.
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Limas Sweed the wide receiver?
 
theanswer000 said:
Limas Sweed the wide receiver?
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Yep. Probably get him pretty cheap.

Kevin Walter is dangling.....and we got former folks in Washington who know exactly how good he is. I'm not saying we'll lose him to Washington. But the fact is Jacoby Jones is ready. And they are not going to pay two guys #2 receiver wages. If KW comes in at budget, they'll sign him. If he doesn't they'll take the compensation. Can't protect them all. I also feel like Martinez played well enough on special teams he deserves his shot this summer.

What does RSN mean ?

http://www.nfl.com/players/search?category=name&filter=Limas+Sweed&playerType=current
 
HOU-TEX said:
I hope he gets himself better too. As much as he may not want to hear it, he needs to get right before even thinking about playing football.
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Agreed. I was thinking that in retrospect, the fumbles might have been a blessing in disguise for him as they kept him off the field for a while.

Good luck Slaton, get well! :)
 
How would LT do with a FB? I noticed his numbers went down when he didn't have Lorenzo Neal. Leach would be good for him. Even with declining numbers he was averaging 900 yards a season which is better than what we got out of our guys this year.

I think Foster will be good but I believe he's good depth.
 
Super Mario said:
I posted a mock a few days ago with us taking Blount and Stefon Johnson in the draft. Might not be so crazy if Slaton isnt ready.

http://www.texanstalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1358492&postcount=1
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I've been big on getting Lendale White in FA because I want a bigger back. If we can't get him I want Blount. I posted a thread after I saw him play against Oregon St.

The one thing we need is a guy who can sustain drives for us and we need to be able to do that on the ground. Matt Schaub is going to be able to pick up 1st downs on 1st and 2nd down. It's when the game goes on and is on the line and we have to pick up 3rd and 5 or less. A bigger back helps us do that. Blount and White have kind of the same mold IMO.
 
Ole Miss Texan said:
I feel bad for him, hope he recovers, period. Not just for the 2010 season but for NFL football in general.

Chester Taylor or Peyton Hillis. CJ Spiller or Toby Gerhart. Taylor/Hillis, Foster and Gerhart would be a great 3 RB committee.
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I like Gerhart too, but I think we are in the minority here.


:coffee:
 
wagonhed said:
I just looked at a couple different sites for info on this procedure and they make it seem pretty minor. They also list 4-6 weeks as the recovery period.

http://www.mayfieldclinic.com/PE-ACDF.htm
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From this piece, you seem to be taking away a very skewed interpretation of this type of injury/surgery. If uncomplicated, the “recovery period” of 6 to 8 weeks refers to “return to work” for the average person..........desk job, etc. Physical limitations, due to symptoms of pain, numbness and weakness are common at this point. If you notice, the link describes a 4-6 month bone graft healing process. This is the minimal time that is given prior to chancing activities which may expose the neck to even minor trauma, let alone football-like trauma. As I originally posted, there is no guarantee of neurological presurgical deficits reversal or the time frame if there is such reversal. Usually by 2 years postoperatively, you will know the full extent of recovery one way or the other. Neck rehab for violent football-like trauma can be a lengthy process, return to pre-injury level performance (if ever achieved) even longer. And, unfortunately, there is always the looming specter of re-injury. Hopefully, Slaton will be able to return to make real contribution to his team. But if he does, it may not be in 2010. Meanwhile, as many have stated, it would be wise for the Texans to pursue some running back "insurance."
 
El Tejano said:
I've been big on getting Lendale White in FA because I want a bigger back. If we can't get him I want Blount. I posted a thread after I saw him play against Oregon St.

The one thing we need is a guy who can sustain drives for us and we need to be able to do that on the ground. Matt Schaub is going to be able to pick up 1st downs on 1st and 2nd down. It's when the game goes on and is on the line and we have to pick up 3rd and 5 or less. A bigger back helps us do that. Blount and White have kind of the same mold IMO.
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There are a couple of guys off the radar....and I don't know we're even looking at them....BUT Lonyae Miller of Fresno State and Joseph of TCU are both good looking prospects. Point being....they can be trained to be one cut and go guys. and after four years of this....you should know we're looking for Terrel Davis. I highly doubt they take one of the top two or three running backs.

OK Cloak is this a simple procedure or is the sky falling ? Last time I came across anything like this was with a High school team mate, who was stopped stone cold from playing again. And then several years later, we heard he had beat out everyone on Stephen F. Austin's roster for starting Tail back. Where upon our old school HC, Ron Krammer, got on the phone and once again stopped the guy stone cold dead. I always interpreted this to mean if Dipple got hit once again in the neck region he would basically be a vegetable for the rest of his life. 'Course this was forty years ago.
 
We are going to end up being the Spinal Tap of the NFL.
They had 13 drummers that had issues and we ill have running backs with issues ( Dominick , Slaton) might as well throw in Boselli even though he wasnt an r/b.:specnatz:
 
Texans34Life said:
Why not give Arian Foster another shot? I think he would be fine as our RB until Slaton gets healthy.
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We need more than one back. And we need to have depth at running back. We need real competition in training camp at this position.

Arian Foster will get his shot. But we can't afford him turning into another Chris Taylor. And we can't afford to be caught with our pants on the ground if Slaton turns into another Domanick Davis.
 
The Pencil Neck said:
We need more than one back. And we need to have depth at running back. We need real competition in training camp at this position.

Arian Foster will get his shot. But we can't afford him turning into another Chris Taylor. And we can't afford to be caught with our pants on the ground if Slaton turns into another Domanick Davis.
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I'm hoping that Gary Kubiak remembers how bad his first year here was because he took the wait and see approach with Domanik Davis - Williams. I hope he really starts to look back and say "Okay,I've made this mistake once and will not do that again."

We have to approach it in a way that we are moving on and if Slaton starts to show he can play again, that will be a great thing.
 
If Kubiak had any plans other than going into this offseason as if Slaton wasnt here then he should of been fired. RB is the only real weakness this team has.

DT needs depth I wouldnt call it a weakness. Interior OL is deeper than most will admit. Myers, Caldwell, White, Studdard and a healthy Breisel along with 1quality FA pickup is as good as it will get this year. Even the Safety position could be upgraded but is servicable. Barber, Wilson and Ferguson arent the worst safeties in the world.

At RB we have 1 second year player (Foster) that may or may not be a good RB. Who else do we have that we can depend on if they have to play significant minutes? Brown??? NO!!!!! We have NO ONE!!! Getting a RB in here that is dependable is something that cant just be done in FA or the draft. We will be drafting a quality RB AND bringing in a FA if we are smart.
 
Texans_Chick said:
Even if Slaton were totally healthy, I think the plans are for drafting running back.
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I tend to agree with Cloak & Dagger that Slaton's neck injury may be more lengthy of a recovery than some expect even if it allows a return to NFL. Will Smith know by Draft if Slaton will return? Does he draft the back he would have if Slaton was healthy and another to replace Steve if only for a half season or so? We have no fast backs. Moats looks good one play then gets stopped the next with 3.9avg. I like Foster's 3 games but do we ink him in as the starter? I am still going with Gerhart in round two and moved CHris Brown into 6th for now.
 
mussop said:
If Kubiak had any plans other than going into this offseason as if Slaton wasnt here then he should of been fired. RB is the only real weakness this team has.

DT needs depth I wouldnt call it a weakness. Interior OL is deeper than most will admit. Myers, Caldwell, White, Studdard and a healthy Breisel along with 1quality FA pickup is as good as it will get this year. Even the Safety position could be upgraded but is servicable. Barber, Wilson and Ferguson arent the worst safeties in the world.

At RB we have 1 second year player (Foster) that may or may not be a good RB. Who else do we have that we can depend on if they have to play significant minutes? Brown??? NO!!!!! We have NO ONE!!! Getting a RB in here that is dependable is something that cant just be done in FA or the draft. We will be drafting a quality RB AND bringing in a FA if we are smart.
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Good post.
 
mussop said:
DT needs depth I wouldnt call it a weakness. Interior OL is deeper than most will admit. Myers, Caldwell, White, Studdard and a healthy Breisel along with 1quality FA pickup is as good as it will get this year. Even the Safety position could be upgraded but is servicable. Barber, Wilson and Ferguson arent the worst safeties in the world.
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typo? pollard?
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
On the other MB, John McClain has reported that Slaton evidently underwent a cervical discectomy (removal of a herniated/ruptured disc). Following the disc removal, a bone graft is placed in the resulting space (as a spacer), in order that the peripheral nerves coming out of this space are no longer compressed. Just to get back to safely participating in any contact activities, at least a 4-6 month graft healing (stabilizing) period must be allowed. That’s just part of the challenge for return. Numbness, pain and weakness (due to nerve damage from the previous nerve compression) may take months and months, easily a year or more in some cases, to resolve.........if they are ever to resolve. What is important here is that the prognosis for nerve regeneration is directly related to the length of time the nerve is allowed to be significantly traumatized before a decompression procedure is performed. The greater the length of time, the greater the risk of irreversible nerve damage. It appears that Slaton was having problems early on in the 2009 season and continued to play until the end of the season........a significant time frame to surgery. My main concern would be when can he be expected to be adequately rehabbed to perform to “adequate” level. And will he ever regain full reversal of his neurological deficits so important to top performance. 2010 may not be the year to depend on a Slaton “return.”
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You might want to read this link posted today: Will Steve Slaton Be In The Picture in 2010?

I find it amusing that McClain was given credit for my entire post which was meant to be "informational" to our MB. The only detail revealed by McClain was that noted in the 1st line of my post (bolded). I guess that makes me a McClain "Ghost Writer." :spin:
 
I think LT is basically the same athlete as Slaton, but with more mileage. 5'10", quick acceleration, fast on the edge, and good hands. I noticed the LT/Slaton similarities in Slaton's first preseason game in 2008. He'd be excellent in our system, assuming the line executes.

CloakNNNdagger said:
You might want to read this link posted today: Will Steve Slaton Be In The Picture in 2010?

I find it amusing that McClain was given credit for my entire post which was meant to be "informational" to our MB. The only detail revealed by McClain was that noted in the 1st line of my post (bolded). I guess that makes me a McClain "Ghost Writer." :spin:
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Does McClain read these boards?

After the bone graft is fully healed, wouldn't the neural pathways get progressively better each week? I know it depends on the extent of the nerve trauma, but going by how Slaton feels (unreliably subjective, I know), it doesn't seem too severe. Since he's young, I'd be willing to bet one week's pay that he fully recovers by the middle-to-end of the 2010 season.

What worries me is that he's missing a disc, which could lead to further shock-related injury. I'd be scared to be an RB in the NFL playing with two fused cervical vertebrae. I'd have nightmares of helmet-to-helmets and face mask torquing.
 
Brisco_County said:
I think LT is basically the same athlete as Slaton, but with more mileage. 5'10", quick acceleration, fast on the edge, and good hands. I noticed the LT/Slaton similarities in Slaton's first preseason game in 2008. He'd be excellent in our system, assuming the line executes.



Does McClain read these boards?

After the bone graft is fully healed, wouldn't the neural pathways get progressively better each week? I know it depends on the extent of the nerve trauma, but going by how Slaton feels (unreliably subjective, I know), it doesn't seem too severe. Since he's young, I'd be willing to bet one week's pay that he fully recovers by the middle-to-end of the 2010 season.

What worries me is that he's missing a disc, which could lead to further shock-related injury. I'd be scared to be an RB in the NFL playing with two fused cervical vertebrae. I'd have nightmares of helmet-to-helmets and face mask torquing.
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In cases like this, you tend to worry more about not the success of the surgical anatomic correction as much as if, how much and when will the neurological deficits resolve. Nerve deficits can be very slow to regenerate. And the longer the time from injury/nerve compression to time of surgery, the more unpredictable these endpoints become. Think of parking your car on your garden hose causing it to be compressed. If the car is moved after a few hours or days, it is unlikely to cause permanent deformity of the hose. However, if the car is left parked on the hose for several months, the hose may never regain its original shape after the car is finally removed. Evidently, whether because of Slaton hiding his symptoms OR the coaches encouraging him to play through his injury, there was a significant lag to decision for surgery. And, of course, there is also that uncertainty of reinjury.
 
mussop said:
If ..........edited for band width.
At RB we have 1 second year player (Foster) that may or may not be a good RB. Who else do we have that we can depend on if they have to play significant minutes? Brown??? NO!!!!! We have NO ONE!!! Getting a RB in here that is dependable is something that cant just be done in FA or the draft. We will be drafting a quality RB AND bringing in a FA if we are smart.
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How high you draft them doesn't necessarily automatically mean you get a sure fire can't miss or even a better player. I mean unless Reggie takes a severe pay cut , he might be a free agent option. After three years you should trust our scouts & Smith. They'll find someone.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
In cases like this, you tend to worry more about not the success of the surgical anatomic correction as much as if, how much and when will the neurological deficits resolve. Nerve deficits can be very slow to regenerate. And the longer the time from injury/nerve compression to time of surgery, the more unpredictable these endpoints become. Think of parking your car on your garden hose causing it to be compressed. If the car is moved after a few hours or days, it is unlikely to cause permanent deformity of the hose. However, if the car is left parked on the hose for several months, the hose may never regain its original shape after the car is finally removed. Evidently, whether because of Slaton hiding his symptoms OR the coaches encouraging him to play through his injury, there was a significant lag to decision for surgery. And, of course, there is also that uncertainty of reinjury.
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What is the chance of re-injury/paralysis?

Regardless RB just went way up on the priority list

There is a need to get atleast 2 RB's including one that would be a feature RB either through the draft/FA or both.
 
Regardless of what happens I just feel so bad for Slaton. The man was a player. I hope he heals up and is normal again.
 
Best wishes and hope he is able to have a normal life. Even if that does not include being a footbal player.
 
threetoedpete said:
How high you draft them doesn't necessarily automatically mean you get a sure fire can't miss or even a better player. I mean unless Reggie takes a severe pay cut , he might be a free agent option. After three years you should trust our scouts & Smith. They'll find someone.
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Worst case, we can pull from the Denver stable. There's Selvin Young, Johnny Torraine, etc.
 
steelbtexan said:
What is the chance of re-injury/paralysis?

Regardless RB just went way up on the priority list

There is a need to get atleast 2 RB's including one that would be a feature RB either through the draft/FA or both.
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I can't answer that as it may relate to a football player. Many don't make it back to find out. What I can tell you is that half will have some element of degeneration of disc space above and/or below the repaired level. Worsening of these areas can be expected in well over half due to the stresses now being transfered to the "good" levels. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for new areas to degenerated within a few years. Reoperation for cervical discectomy/fusion at one point in time for one reason or another is around 10%, and operation for new level degeneration 10-15." Most of the athlete recommendations to return to sports activities relate to sports such as tennis, weight lifting, golf, maybe basketball. Violent contact sports such as football and rugby don't present much data since, evidently, there are not enough numbers that return.............not only due to fear of reinjury, but also due to continued pain and/or numbness, or failure of return of strength to original level of competition (not unusual).
 
Slaton is doing a live chat right now and says:Steve Slaton (12:33:56 PM): The surgery went well. The best possible outcome from surgery happened. Now I am stronger than I was before the surgery. I will be full speed by training camp.
 
Beka - Houston, TX, US: Steve, Do you think your nerve injury was somehow linked to your fumbling problem? Also, how do you plan on fixing your fumbling problem? Have any coaches or players given you advice for fixing the problem? Thanks for answering my question #1 Texans fan no matter what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Steve Slaton (12:40:42 PM): As a man, I don't want to say that my injury caused the fumbling problem. But facts show that my right side has been weaker than my left side. With this surgery, I feel 100 percent. I know this problem will be solved. I've watched tape on Tiki Barber and the way he held the ball. It worked for him. So I know it will work for me.
 
Big Toro - Sugar land, TX, US: There are many fans who like you and look up to you as a hero, but they also want a hero Running Back who will help take the Texans to the playoffs, do you feel like you have what it takes, that fire inside to be that running back?

Steve Slaton (1:04:42 PM): Yeah, I feel like I have what it takes. On every level of football, I've succeeded - from high school to college to the NFL. I love being the guy who touches the ball when the game is on the line.
 
Stephanie Stradley - Houston, TX, US: With the news that you had neck surgery, fans are obviously very concerned about how you are doing. What is the specific name of the procedure you had, and what did the doctor tell you about your return to playing and for contact? For those who are looking at surgical treatment for their own nerve issues, who was your doctor?

Steve Slaton (12:47:28 PM): It was called cervical fusion. It's probably one of the most simple neck surgeries that you can have. I went to one of the top specialists in this field. He told me other players in the league have had the same surgery. So I just need to take time for it to fully heal. It's going to take about three months.
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Sounds to me like some posters here need to back off the "Slaton is finished" stuff.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why everyone has completely jumped off his bandwagon. Steve Slaton is a very good running back who is a legitimate threat to house it every time he touches the football.
 
Your right I was one of those and I might be eating crow, it seems Slaton might be back with a Vengeance! Mods need to place "update" on the headline of this thread
 
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