Steve Slaton – Running Back Steal Of The Year?

As this Holiday season approaches—especially this Holiday season, everyone is looking for a good bargain.  However in the NFL, the time to find that great bargain of the season is draft weekend, and it is that special time of year when all teams hope and pray that they will uncover their own special diamond in the rough.

So, as we look back on this 2008 season, which teams did walk away with the best Running Back bargain in the NFL?  In the view of PossessionPoints.com, a first round selection should yield value for a team, but we know that is not always the case.

The NFL teams who selected Running Backs Darren McFadden, Jonathan Stewart, Felix Jones and Rashard Mendenhall might have gotten quality, but they paid full price, and the jury is out on whether or not these rookies will all be worth full price down the road.

Chris Johnson of the Titans appears to be the only first round choice this year who gave his team the value they were seeking. He was the last Running Back taken in that round; yet, he has the best stats of the first round group.  

In fact, Johnson set the bar by which we will measure all other rookie Running Backs.  The Titans are thrilled with his performance so far this season as he has rushed for 1,159 yards and added 259 receiving yards giving him a total of 1,418 yards. Johnson also has eight rushing TDs and one receiving touchdown for a total of nine TDs.

So, where did the bargains come from this season?  Let’s move on to the second round where we find Matt Forte and Ray Rice. While we are sure the Ravens, are not unhappy with the performance of Rice, we feel the Bears got the best bargain in their selection and are not looking to make a Holiday exchange on this player anytime soon. 

Forte has piled up the stats and so far this season; he has 1115 rushing yards and 424  receiving yards giving him a total of 1539 yards.  Forte also has seven rushing TDs and four receiving touchdowns for a total of 11 TDs through the first 14 weeks of the season.

The third round is where we think the real bargains were this season. Drafted at 64th overall was Kevin Smith of the Lions, who has 1052 total yards and six touchdowns so far. Let’s face it. The kid is playing for the Lions, so this performance was no easy feat.  He should probably get a medal. 

Next taken at 69th was Jacob Hester of the Chargers followed by Jamaal Charles of the Chiefs at 73rd _, and last, but certainly not least, Steve Slaton of the Texans at 89th. 

In our view, Steve Slaton wins the title of “Best Running Back Bargain of the 2008 Season”. Unlike Forte and Johnson, Slaton did not start in Week One.  Yet, in the 13 games in which he has started, Slaton gained 1,124 rushing yards and 305 receiving yards giving him a total of 1429 yards. The rookie has also has scored eight rushing touchdowns and one receiving TD for a total of nine touchdowns to date.  These totals are slightly better than Johnson and not far behind Forte who was taken in the draft 45 picks earlier.

We would be remiss in our search for bargains if we did not mention the Broncos’ 7th round pick. That’s right —the 7th round pick.  The players selected this late in the draft are usually lucky to make the team, so when they do make it and contribute to the team, they are a bargain.

At the 227th pick overall, the Broncos drafted a third Running Back from Arkansas, Peyton Hillis. Hillis’ college teammates, and fellow Running Backs, were McFadden and Jones who both went in the first round. Hillis was listed as a Fullback, so the Broncos most likely viewed him as a potential blocker and short yardage player.  Imagine the delight the Broncos feel with this pick. 

Hillis has 343 yards rushing yards and 179 receiving yards for a total of 522 yards. He has five rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown for a total of six TDs. Not bad for the 227th pick. Heck, his numbers are better than Jones, and he has more TDs than McFadden.  

Each year, the NFL re-learns an expensive lesson.  The highest picked player, who is most likely the highest paid rookie player, is not guaranteed star status.  However, if teams take the time to rub off some of the mud and grass stains on a less hyped player, they might find that they not only uncovered a bargain, but a true hidden gem that will carry them into the future.