Post by elp525 on May 27, 2009 14:23:43 GMT -5
By JEROME SOLOMON
Houston Chronicle
May 26, 2009, 10:50PM
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Steve Slaton’s 2008 season wasn’t just nice. It was very nice.
So nice that it is understandable to look at his production and project greatness for the Texans’ second-year tailback.
Slaton, who led the AFC in yards from scrimmage as a rookie, should only get better, right?
The NFL history book has pages and pages of players who were supposed to get better; supposed to be great. They are listed in the one-year wonders section.
“That’s what I’m trying to prevent,” Slaton said. “(Sophomore slumps) happened to a lot of people and didn’t happen to a lot of people. I’m just trying to be one of those people that it didn’t happen to.”
How much better can Slaton be?
“He’s a young guy, and God bless him, he did a wonderful job last year, but he has a lot more to do,” Texans running backs coach Chick Harris said. “It’s a matter of being a better football player each day he comes on the football field, and trying to improve everything he does, not make any of the mistakes he made last year, and show that he has matured and he knows a lot more about our offense.
“He has a lot of work to do.”
Sky’s the limit
Harris, an NFL assistant coach for almost 30 years, isn’t into projections.
But for most of us, it’s hard not to look at Slaton’s 1,282 rushing yards and 377 receiving yards and think of how much more production the Texans can expect from the third-round draft pick in Year 2.
“He had a great year, a great rookie year,” head coach Gary Kubiak said. “Is he going to become a great player in this league? Is he going to be a Pro Bowl guy?”
One would think so, but remember Mike Anderson, who had a rookie season quite similar to Slaton’s at Denver in 2000 in Kubiak’s offense? Anderson never again came close to the 1,487 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns he had that year.
Or how about Olandis Gary, who posted nearly 1,200 yards in only 12 games as a rookie with Denver in 1999? He suffered a knee injury and was never again a factor.
Slaton should be the man for the Texans for years to come, but you never know.
“Everything has to fall in place for you to be better (statistically) than you were last year,” Harris said. “The only thing we can do is come out and practice and take it to the next level each time. I have to do a great job of coaching, and Steve has to do a great job of practicing and learning.”
Early indications are that Slaton is going to do that. He looks more comfortable working with the No. 1 offense in the Texans OTAs than he did a year ago, when he was squeezed in for a snap here or there.
He went from projected part-timer to workhorse; from a would-be third-down, change-of-pace guy to one of the most important players on the offense.
Slaton didn’t get 20 carries in a game until the 11th game of the season. From that point on, he reached to 20-carry mark in all but one game. (In that one he had 18, matching his high in the first 10 games.)
As Slaton goes ...
It’s no coincidence that the Texans went 5-1 down the stretch and were 5-0 in games in which Slaton had 20 rushing attempts.
Slaton might have been better than the numbers indicate. He made the Texans’ offense dangerous. He tied for third in the league in runs of 20 or more yards (13) and was tops in 40-plus-yard carries (five).
His quickness to the hole and ability to make the first guy miss made the line look good even when they didn’t make plays. Offensive linemen loved that.
As with most rookies, Slaton had to adjust to the extensive playbook and challenging pass protections of the pro game. Texans coaches say he has shown improvement.
He is bigger these days too, packing on 10 pounds or so to 215, to better deal with the NFL grind.
Late last season, he was often sore and didn’t practice much, as Kubiak made the wise move of resting him for games.
“There’s a little more of me there,” Slaton admitted, showing off thicker biceps and wider-looking torso. “The season is long, so you want to save your body for Sunday as much as you can.
“I learned I can handle it.”
Slaton expects more carries than the 268 he had a year ago, and he should be as much a part of the passing game as he was in 2008, when he snagged 50 receptions.
Whether his numbers improve or not, Slaton is vital to the Texans’ success.
“He’s as important as any guy on this team to take the next step forward for us next year,” Kubiak said.
“If he’s an even better player for us next year, then we’re going to have a chance to be much better on the offensive side.”
The Texans had one of the most productive offenses in the NFL. How much better can they be?
How much better can Steve Slaton be?
