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Speculation: Steve Slaton?

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by padre31, Mar 9, 2011.

  1. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    In th past I thought a Phil Merling for Steve Slaton trade would make sense for us, and the Texans, they need 3-4 DE, we could use a running back with speed, and both players are Roster vulnerable so on the surface it would make some sense (assuming trades can be made).

    Anyone watch Slaton play last yr? His Rook season was great, then he developed fumblitis down at the goaline as well as injuring his neck.
     
  2. brandon27

    brandon27 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I wondered what happened to him as soon as I saw the title of the thread. I thought he was injured last year and that's why he didnt get many touches? The quoted piece makes it seem like he was just passed on for a couple of other guys. His rookie season was real nice IMO. He has some real nice qualities about his game too. IIRC, he's fast, strong, and a good receiving back as well. It might be an interesting option to dig a bit deeper on.
     
  3. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    His second yr he fumbled 3-4 times down at the goaline, then he had a neck injury, then they added Tate, Foster, and Ward, making him expendable as Ward has proven to be a solid #3 back, and Tate is a larger running back of the mold they like as I think they shifted their blocking scheme away from a Gibb's style cut blocking approach.
     
  4. SICK

    SICK Lounge Moderator

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    So tired of getting teams that are as good or worse than us' thrown out garbage.
     
  5. Ohio Fanatic

    Ohio Fanatic Twuaddle or bust Club Member

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    all about filling holes. If Slaton were to compete for our backup RB spot, I'd be all for it. but if it's for our #1 spot, then I agree with you. rather just draft someone.
     
  6. rdhstlr23

    rdhstlr23 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I'd be OK with a Slaton/Hilliard combo actually.
     
  7. rdhstlr23

    rdhstlr23 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I don't understand this statement. There's too big a history to go through, but teams always pick up other teams' releases/cuts/players allowed to enter FA/waviers, etc. It's just the way it is. Some players are better for other systems, some players respond better to different coaches, some coaches do a better job at developing the talent, etc. Steve Slaton obviously has ability shown by his 1200 yd rookie season. He's also a dangerous threat as a receiver out of the backfield.
     
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  8. Samphin

    Samphin Κακό σκυλί ψόφο δεν έχει

    Slaton is and was a forgotten man. One area where Henning was right is that this team lacks team speed. Slaton helps in that department, as would Reggie Bush who will be out for the taking. Either one would help boost the halfback rotation and could offer a nice threat out of the backfield for Henne or whoever is under center.

    Good thought Padre.
     
    padre31 likes this.
  9. Killerphins

    Killerphins The Finger

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    I would trade Merling for Slaton in a heartbeat :up:
     
  10. Fin-Omenal

    Fin-Omenal Initiated

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    Not to mention they stumbled upon one of the best RB's in football in Arian Foster, proving what many already know that scouts are glorified weather men.
     
  11. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    Well, a starting 3-4 DE for a #3-4 Rb would not be a great deal for us, would have to wonder if they would toss in Te Dressien as well?

    They just signed Owen Daniels to a large deal.
     
  12. Killerphins

    Killerphins The Finger

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    Merling is not a starter. In fact he has been quite lazy here, also got into a little trouble and has never really stepped up.
    IMO he is a bust. Maybe an okay rotational player at best.
    That is why I said I would do that deal without blinking.
     
  13. Dol-Fan Dupree

    Dol-Fan Dupree Tank? Who is Tank? I am Guy Incognito.

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    Lets wait a few years before calling Adrian Foster one of the best RB's in football.

    The runningback position has a lot of one or two year wonders. We will see if he isn't a Barry Foster or Marion Butts.
     
  14. PhinGeneral

    PhinGeneral PC Texas A&M, Bro Club Member

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    That's basically making an assumption that the talent is spread similarly just because the records are similar.

    You can have a bad team with a surplus of talent at a position a similarly weak team may be lacking. Being closed-minded to multiple options isn't going to help your team either.
     
  15. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    Actually Merling has always graded out well per PFF, so has Langford and Starks, now he could produce more than he has but he is not a stiff.

    Real problem is how well he comes back from the Achilles injury, those are tough for big men to recover from.
     
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  16. Fin-Omenal

    Fin-Omenal Initiated

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    Watching him run its hard to believe his talent wont overcome other things...the guy is a beast.
     
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  17. Hobiesailor

    Hobiesailor Season Ticket Holder Club Member


    We're taking our sporting news from a New York beat cop now? Yippee-Ki-ya, MotherF!

    But back on topic, Can't hurt to bring the guy in and see what he can do. Looks like he's buried under other guys so it really couldn't hurt.
     
  18. Nappy Roots

    Nappy Roots Well-Known Member

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    Hes to soft. no thanks
     
  19. slickj101

    slickj101 Is Water

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    I don't like Slaton.

    He's good in space but he doesn't run with any kind of authority. Like Padre said, he really developed a good case of fumbilitis. I think a lot of that was bc HOU tried to have him run through the tackles (as Foster does now) and he couldn't do it. He's too small and his running style isn't condusive for that kind of work.

    Then add to that his neck injury last year. And what makes it even worse is that some people speculate it adds to his ball security issues bc it was a nerve injury. Apparently it can cause dumbness (:lol: typo, *numbness) in his hands. That's just **** luck.

    Either way, I wouldn't want him for anything but returns.

    I'd rather pay a little more for Sproles (I really don't think he'll command a big #) if we're going this route. Same w/ Brad Smith.

    I'd add Jacoby Jones there too but I don't think HOU will let him go.
     
  20. slickj101

    slickj101 Is Water

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    Still, he was definitely the best RB in football this year.
     
  21. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    The problem I have with Slaton is that his success came in a one-cut zone scheme. Not that it's a magical cure-all, but I think there's also the possibility that his success was intrinsically linked with that and might not translate out of it.
     
  22. CashInFist

    CashInFist Well-Known Member

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    Steve Slaton is a stud when healthy. The problem is that he hasn't been healthy in a long time. There is no reason we should not bring him in for a look.
     
  23. SICK

    SICK Lounge Moderator

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    I should have explained what I meant better. with our history, our long, recent (huh) history of garbage.....we have made some head scratching decisions, mostly stemming from taking other peoples garbage and expecting better results.

    Aj Feely, Joey Harrington, Daunte Culpepper, Akin Ayodele, Ernest Wilford, Eric Green, gibril wilson, etc etc

    I am just not excited about it.
     
  24. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Welcome to the realities of free agency?
     
  25. SICK

    SICK Lounge Moderator

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    Thank you, do I get a gift bag......?


    As you see with the people I mentioned though, there is a difference between free agency process, and seemingly trying to turn over rocks and get lucky, but we always seem to get burned in the process. Dansby? he was a sure thing, a wanted free agent. But when your signing castoffs from ****ty teams (harrington, green, wilford) thats when your just trying to get lucky, and we have been burned more than not.
     
  26. slickj101

    slickj101 Is Water

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    I just don't see the point in signing him as more than a KR or 3rd RB.

    He's not capable of doing anything more than that, imo.
     
  27. slickj101

    slickj101 Is Water

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    Can't say all that without mentioning Wake and to a lesser extent Bess and McDaniel though.
     
  28. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    Bingo IMO.
     
  29. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    Well, we do have a need at that role, but it would require Slaton do things like blitz pickups that I have no idea how he would perform.

    As for the larger picture on "Slaton the one cut runner" for myself I think in tiers, Slaton would be behind Kevin Smith in the bargain bin as a #3 running back on my own tier, but Slaton is ahead of Smith in terms of usefulness so he'd be behind D Williams, but ahead of Smith overall if Ireland was shopping on the cheap.
     
  30. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    And Polite and Fasano and Starks and etc.
     
  31. slickj101

    slickj101 Is Water

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    I def wouldn't say Fasano has been a gem. Polite was, then his play fell off a cliff.

    Starks has been solid.
     
  32. slickj101

    slickj101 Is Water

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    Picking up the blitz is one of his biggest problems. He can't recognize it most of the time and when he does, he's usually shucked off or bull-dozed over.
     
  33. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I don't think you can be that conclusive about it. He had a fantastic year his rookie year and I think you've got to question why a little bit more. There are questions if he would work in our run blocking scheme as much as he would the Texans, but the other stuff is hard to pin down. The scheme stayed consistent there, so that wasn't it. He was injured, but he's young enough its hard to claim its ruined him and he probably wouldn't be the sole ballcarrier here. He coulda gotten lazy, but why? He's mid contract and his big payday woulda been ahead of his second year, he woulda just shot himself in the foot.

    I think there's a good possibility Slaton is a potential high quality back whom had a sophmore slump for whatever reason and then got buried by a breakout season in an offense without enough touches to go around.
     
  34. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Fasano is hell of a gem for a fourth round pick. He's not an elite receiver but he's one of the most well-rounded, workhorse tight ends in the league. Besides guys like Witten, Boss, Lewis, and uhh that guy in Oakland there aren't many guys who can both block and catch.
     
  35. slickj101

    slickj101 Is Water

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    Bc he doesn't have the size or ability to run through the tackles.

    He was great his rookie year bc they almost always used him in space. IIRC, they still had Ahman Green there to take care of the short-yardage and between the tackle runs.

    09, Green is out and they try to have Slaton pick up those responsibilities and he falls on his face. His skills are just very limited, imho. He was drafted as a 3rd down back, over-achieved for a year, and went back to reality.

    I don't think there's much more to it than that.
     
  36. SICK

    SICK Lounge Moderator

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    wake and bess were both UDFA......I am talking about guys that have more or less failed with other nfl teams and we signed and they played good for us.
     
  37. slickj101

    slickj101 Is Water

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    Still, Wake was as big of a gem as you're gonna find for that value. He did "fail" with the Giants.

    I just don't think you can knock Ireland for turning over rocks and having some success. The whole process of turning over rocks doesn't have a high success rate, but the return on hitting a big gem is worth it, don't you think?

    Ireland's shown he can do that.
     
  38. slickj101

    slickj101 Is Water

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    Zach Miller. Hears hoping OAK lets him get away.
     
  39. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Yes, but the Texans bread and butter running plays aren't plays between the tackles. It's a Broncos-style zone stretch, and that's been consistent since Slaton got there. That hasn't really changed, and it's a relative minority of plays that I don't think would account for Slaton's YPC cratering so precipitously.

    Looking into it a little bit more, I think what's noteworthy is that the Texans had some OL injury issues. Both their starting guards from the year before didn't play much at all, and their blocking in general wasn't good.

    Regardless, I don't think Slaton being a better outside of the tackles runner in itself if something to shy away from. If he's effective paired with someone, that's not a huge issue I don't think.
     
  40. slickj101

    slickj101 Is Water

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    Still, if you can't punch in TDs or make any kind of gains from an inside run, then your team is going to have a lot of problems.

    And yes, asking him to run inside can definitely hurt his explosiveness. A small guy like Slaton getting popped a few times early in the game will definitely wear him down a lot quicker than he would otherwise. He'd lose that extra burst that made him successful in the first place.

    Yea, it's a better situation if you pair him with a Michael Bush type runner. But what happens if that other guy gets hurt? Obviously, you still need a more well-rounded RB infront of Slaton to take over. That's why I say he's a 3rd string RB at best.
     

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