Steve Slaton: Seven Pressing Questions for the Houston Texans' Running Back

When picking a player from this Houston Texans’ team there was a lot of names I highly considered. There’s all-pro wideout Andre Johnson, coming off an absolutely stellar season.

Mario Williams who has proved the doubters wrong that though Vince Young or Reggie Bush should be the pick instead of him and has actually been able to relatively live up to the No. 1 draft pick hype.

Matt Schaub, who has helped vault this offense into a serious aerial passing attack and DeMeco Ryans; the former defensive rookie player of the year.

Ultimately I came to the decision to direct my questions to breakout second year running back Steve Slaton. A rising star while at West Virginia, Slaton slipped in the 2008 NFL Draft due to his size, former system and injury history.

Question One

Steve, you were able to prove 31 other teams wrong by passing on you. What type of vindication do you feel, if any, after having the type of season you did your first year in the league?

Question Two

 You haven’t been here for a lot of the team’s past failures, but you’re surely aware of them by now. What do you think the team needs to improve the most in order to get over the hump that’s stopped this team from reaching the postseason?

Question Three

The team didn’t spend a draft pick on another running back this year, but signed two undrafted free agents in hopes of providing a larger back compliment to you. Do you think a dual back system is necessary in the NFL now?

Question Four

What have you learned from your early success in the league that you think will help you improve even more in your second year?

Question Five

You’re signed for four years with the Texans. In none of those years will your base salary exceed the $1 million mark.  The first running back in the same draft as you, Darren McFadden, made more with his signing bonus than your entire contract.

What do you think of the Rookie pay-scale in the NFL versus the NBA, where salaries are restricted? Do you think there should be a rookie salary cap in the NFL?

Question Six

With Coach Shanahan taking over play calling duties this year, what changes in the offense are we going to see this year?

Question Seven

Pinpoint one aspect of your game right now that you feel needs the most improvement. What is it and how do you plan on improving it for the upcoming season?