Will Steve Slaton Be In The Picture in 2010?

by Mike Kerns on Feb 5, 2010 8:29 AM CST in News Comment 46 comments

If this news is accurate, would you be okay with taking a RB in the earlier rounds of the draft?

After a nightmare of a sophomore season that ended with an IR trip for Texans RB Steve Slaton, there are now whispers that he may not be in the picture at all for the 2010 season.

Slaton recently underwent a discectomy to relieve pressure on the nerve root that was causing a problem in his spine. The Texans brass said the surgery went well and that recovery will take from four to six months. Head Coach Gary Kubiak said the prognosis of Slaton is good, and he will avoid contact until training camp.

But John McClain from the Houston Chronicle is thinking there may be more to it than that. He went into more detail on the surgery in explaining that the herniated/ruptured disc had to be removed and a bone graft was placed in the resulting space (as a spacer), so that the peripheral nerves coming out of this space are no longer compressed. Yes, a four to six month resting period is required for proper healing.

But that is just part of it. After the healing period, 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. And sometimes they don't resolve at all. 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. And Slaton is rumored to have played most of the 2009 season with this injury.

It's a long way until September, but it may be smart to start looking for Steve Slaton's replacement sooner, rather than later.

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best of luck to him

As someone who has had back surgery, I can only hope he can return to the field someday. Granted, he has access to medical resources as a pro athlete that I do not, but my laminectomy was only to fix the ruptured disc and clean up the stuff that spilled out that was pressing my nerve. Years later, I feel good, but my back will never be 100 percent.
Disc removal is so much more invasive/traumatic, I just don’t see how he can return to pro level performance, much less take a running back’s continous head-on collisions.

by bv on Feb 5, 2010 9:32 AM CST via mobile reply actions 0 recs

Sounds Painful...

I hope he gets well soon, and can come back and tear it up. However, the Texans need to find a replacement. Foster could be great, but it’s tough to tell with his limited touches last year.

"You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas" - Davy Crockett

by ROTSportsDude on Feb 5, 2010 9:36 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

One of theses days

we are going to have a running back that is good and healthy for more than two years. I just know it.

Miss-placed Houstonian living and going to school in the wilderness of Wyoming. Fresno St. 28 - Wyoming 35 (2 OT)!!! Hands down best game I have ever been to.

by BigNate7 on Feb 5, 2010 9:56 AM CST reply actions 2 recs

Interesting but purely conjecture right now.

Training camp will be the time to take this up again.

"An open mind is like a fortress with it's gates unbarred and unguarded."

The ROSENFAIL : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAKAKE-uq-8&feature=related

by TexansForever on Feb 5, 2010 10:50 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Maybe now would be the tijme to consider bringing in Fat Ass

Maybe also take a good look at Jerome Harrison, if we can even sign them with the RFA rules in place

I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but you appear to be unarmed.

by The Night Owl on Feb 5, 2010 10:51 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

time*

I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but you appear to be unarmed.

by The Night Owl on Feb 5, 2010 10:51 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Jeremiah Johnson

Is he still with the team in any facet? Can he compete for playing time in camp/preseason maybe?

www.DontMessWithTexans.com

by Mike Kerns on Feb 5, 2010 11:02 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Last I knew he was.

Miss-placed Houstonian living and going to school in the wilderness of Wyoming. Fresno St. 28 - Wyoming 35 (2 OT)!!! Hands down best game I have ever been to.

by BigNate7 on Feb 5, 2010 3:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

LT on the cheap

they have been talking about it on the radio and such

id rather get chester taylor and then draft a back

"Its like a silk bag filled with puppy ears"

by Allen-OU on Feb 5, 2010 11:07 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

LT

is done

www.manningface.com

by nolander on Feb 5, 2010 11:11 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Don't know if the locker room

is big enough for his ego….

I suppose if all of the stars, moons and planets align it could be possible, but what are the chances of that?

by Rip Jersey on Feb 5, 2010 12:14 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

CJ

Spiller…although he probably won’t last to pick #20. Damn…he could take over for Jacoby Jones too.

I play real sports...Not try to be the best at exercising.

by wescox10 on Feb 5, 2010 11:16 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

uh.. i think LeGarrette Blount, Joique Bell and maybe Charles Scott would be good fits for the Texans as bruising backs that fits a zone scheme.. and they probably would all be available in the later rounds..

Die hard Texan fan from the heart of Denmark!

by zala on Feb 5, 2010 11:31 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

consider me mindfucked.

by Jordann on Feb 5, 2010 11:37 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs

You win today

Thanks to everyone else for playing

If the Treasury Secretary doesn't have to pay taxes, then why do I?

by Shake on Feb 5, 2010 3:04 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

RB is officially on the draft menu

if it wasn’t before. Well…..look at it this way; last year there was virtually no running game and the Texans nearly made the playoffs. If not for the key injury to OD, who I expect to be back to form sometime mid-season, the Texans would have made the playoffs.

On the plus side, when one door closes another door opens. If Slaton can’t play, I will miss him, but another player will have to step up.

I suppose if all of the stars, moons and planets align it could be possible, but what are the chances of that?

by Rip Jersey on Feb 5, 2010 12:18 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not sure

Bruising backs in general are a good fit for the Texans. The ability to explode through holes and have the field vision to see them quickly, is more important than being able to push a pile backwards a yard or so. The typical “bruiser” lacks that explosiveness, and in that case the holes that our line opens will close before he can get through them.

by Bryan72076 on Feb 6, 2010 1:43 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

That sucks

Living in the DC area WVU football is on every weekend as well as the castrated turkeys (God their alumni are the worst). Got to see him play. I was excited when the Texans drafted him.

Damnit

by HoustonTransplant on Feb 5, 2010 12:34 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Ehhh

I’m not too concerned.

Slaton’s a professional athlete. He may continue his bout with fumbleitis if he’s recovering from this, but these guys are superhuman and the regular timetables often don’t apply to them IMO.

I would be stunned if he isn’t at least on the field healthily by Week 6.

- Rivers McCown, From Mom's Basement | Twitter

by riversmccown on Feb 5, 2010 1:45 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I wouldn't want him on the field at week 6 if he's still has numbness

I’d rather wait till 2011, if there is a 2011 season

I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but you appear to be unarmed.

by The Night Owl on Feb 5, 2010 1:56 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Sorry if this wasn't clear

I think he’ll be fully healthy for Week 6 regardless. That’s a worst case scenario in my mind.

- Rivers McCown, From Mom's Basement | Twitter

by riversmccown on Feb 5, 2010 2:02 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

this is a sad story.

of all places where he had surgery, he had it in his spine. that is 10x worse than knee surgery. i’m not sure how serious this could be 6 months from now. i think we should give him a chance. it is not his fault that our play calling was ridiculous for him. plus our two starting guards were injured and he was basically running into a dog pile every play. we get breisel back and a better guard than studdard. i want to see how he does with that.

Rockets>>>>>>Jazz
Texans>>>>>>>Titans
Super Mario>>>>>>>Vince Young

by Rockets 4 Life on Feb 5, 2010 5:06 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Why

The hell can’t we ever have a decent/good RB for more than a season?

by David V on Feb 5, 2010 5:16 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I knew this was going to happen

Called it during the season… I just had a gut feeling this was a career-threatening deal for Slaton.

The life of an NFL runningback.

…so do we draft one now?

by OremLK on Feb 5, 2010 5:23 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I don't know what you heard

but everyone I’ve talked to thought we’d draft a RB. Just not in the first two rounds like so many draft “experts” are predicting.

by theaxeeffect4311 on Feb 5, 2010 5:50 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe it moves up to the third or fourth round now though.

by OremLK on Feb 5, 2010 9:54 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I could see that happening.

I could see us taking another running back in the third now. However, I don’t want to go into the draft thinking we need to find a RB who will fix all our problems in the running game. However, to find someone to go along with Foster would be beneficial. I’m also hoping that Slaton has a successful and speedy recovery.

I definitely did not think Slaton would come in and be as productive as he was, but it looks like teams can find effective running backs in the third round. I have never been a big fan of 1st/2nd round running backs because of the short life of a RB. However, with the success of Steve Slaton, Kevin Smith, Jamaal Charles, and Shonn Greene, I think the third round is as high as we need to go for a RB and good value.

by theaxeeffect4311 on Feb 6, 2010 12:50 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

First Dominic Davis (Williams)

Now Stevie Wonder. WTF is up with our two greatest RB’s in Texans history with “potential” career ending injuries. God that makes me sad.

"380 pounds of pure pirogi" ~ Cush

by LoneSpot on Feb 5, 2010 9:16 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

That was my first thought too ...

I hope we are not cursed with freak injuries. (C. Spencer included).

On other threads I’ve been banging the drum to draft a rb early. Texans need a “sure thing” in the backfield, and Slaton and Foster were not a “sure thing.”

But, in all seriousness, my prayers go out to him. The man’s livlihood and health are up in the air. Hope his future is bright, with or without football.

by jagur12 on Feb 5, 2010 10:26 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I feel bad for the guy

No wonder he lost a step last year. My wife (way more of an athlete than I ever was) has had this surgery- and she’s had two discs rupture. Her back will never be 100%. When it happens, she doesn’t even notice the pain killers. It’s bad. I know he’s a pro, but the guys just human. She’s ok most of the time, but it’s something we’re going to have to deal with forever. I’m sure he will too.

I know he’ll try like hell to contribute and play through it, and I hope he does. I’d be shocked if he’s not back out there in some role. It’s just hard to see feature back. This isn’t an ACL tear. It’s the nerves and the disc in his spine. Whole different ballgame. Best of luck to him.

by JimboTexan on Feb 5, 2010 9:27 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Honestly

I don’t think it’s a huge concern. Playing through half an NFL season isn’t what doctors would describe as “prolonged trauma”…, that’s typically reserved for people who live with the symptoms for years before trying to get it resolved and only then because they’re no longer able to function because of the nerve damage.

I have a genetic disc defect i’ve had to put up with pretty much my entire adult life, in which the swelling around the deformed disc creates quite a bit of nerve pain. I can totally understand why he seemed tentative last year if he was playing through the same sort of pain, it’d be pretty hard to run full speed ahead knowingly into excrutiating pain. It’s not so much a toughness issue as a human one, it’s hard for anyone to purposefully hurt themselves.

by Bryan72076 on Feb 6, 2010 1:54 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

If he was that bad, he should have had the surgery sooner, IMO.

I suppose if all of the stars, moons and planets align it could be possible, but what are the chances of that?

by Rip Jersey on Feb 7, 2010 12:03 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I thought we should draft a RB regardless of Slaton’s health beforehand anyway as having 3 good running backs is what the league is moving towards. I really hope its not as bad as we think though as I believe Slaton is really talented and can dominate with a good o line.

Be judgmental about the actions of the past, be hopeful about the actions of the future. -The Homers Creed

by DaGoaT on Feb 8, 2010 8:40 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Sad to hear and hopefully SS can make a quick full recovery.

Does this make RB our biggest need now? I say yes. IMO, RB was already a need but now we have zero (0) running backs. Arian Foster had a couple good games at the end of the season after having a couple bad games. Foster has fumbling problems and with NFL scouting, will most likely struggle at times next season. Other than Brown, we dont have a RB on the roster with SS out. RB is a position that teams need 2 or even 3 viable options, and we are way below that right now.

Im not saying we should go out and draft a RB in round 1, but we must address RB through free agency or the first 2 rounds of the draft.

To all Houston sports fans, Houston is the 4th biggest city in America, there will be traffic on the way to your respective sports game. Come Early, Be Loud, Stay Late.

by TexasHoosier on Feb 8, 2010 3:21 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

The only problem is that the draft has CJ Spiller...

and a bunch of dudes.

I mean, the 2nd best RB is who? Jahvid Best coming off that neck injury? I like Best, but do you want to replace nerve damage SS with neck concern Best?

Then there’s 2nd rounder Johnathan Dwyer (who ran in gimmicky Georgia Tech who couldn’t run against a decent defense) and a bunch of dudes who are changeable in spots 4-9 (RB rankings; Anthony Dixon, Joe McKnight, Tobey Gerhart, Montario Hardesty, Ryan Mathews, and LeGarrette Blount) that’ll go in rounds 3-5. I’d be fine with Blount in round 4 as opposed to Dwyer in round 2 because Blount’s stock only dropped cause he got sucked into a punch.

The best FA running back is….soon-to-be 31 year old Chester Taylor? Darren Sproles, Pierre Thomas, and Leon Washington are all RFAs, but that involves handing draft picks away for guys who have never been “the guy.”

by TexansDC on Feb 9, 2010 12:56 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not anti-RB

but there’s no need to make it a 1st 2 round need because there’s better talent at other need positions.

by TexansDC on Feb 9, 2010 12:59 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly

I suppose if all of the stars, moons and planets align it could be possible, but what are the chances of that?

by Rip Jersey on Feb 10, 2010 2:41 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

What's the concern?

we still have Chris Brown on the roster, right?

Mount Cody in round 1

by texanphil on Feb 8, 2010 5:06 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Nope! He's about to become a UFA.

Let him walk, Smithiak!

by TexansDC on Feb 9, 2010 12:57 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Wondering how often the team chiropractor stepped in . . .

Awesome article, Mike Kerns! Thank you for putting it together.

When Steve Slaton was forced out b/c the pain/numbness was too much. I had to wonder how often he had actually been talking to the team chiropractor. His symptoms sounded like stuff that chiropractors can treat easily if they are told about them by their patients. IF Steve Slaton had been consulting his chiropractor from the get go, it’s hard to know. And yeah I know it’s unfair to second guess his doctors. But I even did a little bit of googling on NFL and chiropractic and found out that Brian Cushing sees a chiropractor to make sure that he’s at the top of his game . . as you can see in this Youtube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2qJYmhFqv8

I was a bit panicked when Colt McCoy got hurt at the Rose Bowl and worried that the UT system was all about medical doctors and worried that they wouldn’t even point Colt to a chiropractor.

I browsed the website for The Texans’ team chiropractor, and this is what they said about slipped discs.

http://www.harperwellness.com/wellness_topics/24_slipped_disc.html

now from Mike Kern’s report, Slaton had a RUPTURED disc but .. I just keep wondering if this could have been caught earlier by a well informed (by the player) chiropractor. Chiropractors and other doctors are not mind readers. We’ll never know .. I just hope Slaton has the best of luck getting healthy.

Based on this information from the Texans site

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=6055

Hopefully the new Strength and Conditioning Coach, Cedric Smith, will work in tandem with the team chiropractor to make sure that our players are the healthiest that they can be . We’ll probably never know if the injury started off as something smaller (that could have been solved by timely chiropractic care) or if it was one injury that ruptured his disc and then he tried to play through it . . .

I’ll definitely pray for Steve Slaton’s solid recovery.

by BattleRedFan on Feb 9, 2010 9:31 AM CST reply actions 0 recs