Can Slaton be a Feature Back?

[dadmg]

I don't think Slaton will be a starter right out of the gates because he will need to learn to be a better pass blocker. I wouldn't be surprised if he was very limited early for just this reason; why send out a back for consistent third down duty if he can't be counted on to pick up a blitzer if needed?

That said, the depth chart ahead of him doesn't look like anything special at the moment. I think Green's about at the end of the line. Chris Brown has had serious trouble staying healthy and effective, although there are renewed hopes for him in this scheme. And Taylor, for all the hope he represents, is a back coming off an ACL injury and it usually takes another year to get back to full speed. The path is clear if he can take it.

[papabear]

Originally Posted by dadmg

I don't think Slaton will be a starter right out of the gates because he will need to learn to be a better pass blocker. I wouldn't be surprised if he was very limited early for just this reason; why send out a back for consistent third down duty if he can't be counted on to pick up a blitzer if needed?

That said, the depth chart ahead of him doesn't look like anything special at the moment.

That's what I really don't know about Slaton is how well he will pick this part of the game up. This is the number one thing most rookies RB's struggle with, but it is a very important part of todays game.

I think most teams have come to realize that it is better to have a couple of guys splitting carries than it is to have one do all the work. They are both fresher at the end of the season and it is not a catastrophe if one of them goes down. In that sens I think he can be a very important part of the running game in the future. I think our situation allows us to work him slowly over time (read: until Green or Brown gets hurt) which is probably better for him anyway.

I wasn't upset when this pick was called, but it definitely didn't get me excited. It is starting to grow on me, and I love the outside the box BMI analysis. That was one of things with Bush that bothered me....he just didn't look like a RB because I thought his legs were too skinny. Of course my first memories of football were Earl Campbell, so my definition of what a running back should look like is probably a little skewed.