Houston Texans: What Does Ben Tate's Season-Ending Injury Mean?

It was announced today that Houston Texans rookie running back Ben Tate will undergo ankle surgery that will effectively end his season before it even has a chance to begin. Tate injured the ankle in Houston’s first preseason game of the year, a 19-16 loss to Arizona on Saturday.

The rookie back, who played his college ball at Auburn, was expected to be a big contributor in Houston’s offense this season after the Texans scooped him up with their second round selection in this past April’s NFL Draft. It was the first time the franchise ever used a pick higher than the third round to pick up a running back.

At Auburn, Tate finished his career as the school’s fifth all time leading rusher behind the likes of Bo Jackson and Cadillac Williams. His strong senior season helped him become a hot prospect in the eyes of NFL scouts.

Known more for his bruising, north and south style of running rather than his shiftiness, Tate was going to be counted on to shoulder a good amount of the load in the Texans run game.

Now the burden will fall on the shoulders of three talented but also questionable backs: Arian Foster, Steve Slaton, and Chris Henry.

Foster is an undrafted free agent who is heading into his second year with the team. The 6‘1", 215 pound back had 54 carries for 257 yards and three touchdowns last year, and was expected to be a potential breakout player for the team in 2010.

Foster will now likely be the go to back, but spelling him will be Slaton and Henry.

Slaton exploded onto the scene as a rookie, rushing for over 1,200 yards and scoring 9 TDs. But he regressed mightily in 2009, and battled fumbling problems throughout the season.

Henry is a fourth year back out of Arizona who has only carried the ball once over the last two seasons. He has been impressive in camp though and is battling with undrafted rookie Jeremiah Johnson, who has also been impressive, for the final running back spot on the 53 man roster.

The Texans, a team known for their passing prowess, may have some trouble trying to diversify the offense like they had wished, but Kubiak is a smart offensive mind, and both Foster and Slaton have the talent to keep defenses honest.

In hindsight, one has to wonder if the Texans should have traded up for Ryan Matthews in this past NFL Draft. The team was rumored to covet the Fresno State stud, but they didn’t pull the trigger like the Chargers did, who traded up to the twelfth spot to pick Matthews.