Normal circumstances: There is a position of need on your team You draft that position in the early rounds Said draft pick contributes immediately Said draft pick eventually supplants incumbent starter because the starter stank in the first place and the first rounder has superior talent Original position of need is now a strength, or at least serviceable Texans circumstances: There is a position of need on your team You draft that position in the early rounds Said draft pick suffers season-ending injury during the preseason An undrafted FA comes out of nowhere and becomes the best back in the league Original position of need is now a position of strength Draft pick is now an excellent backup who could be a starter for many teams(provided he meets expectations) Your team goes 15-1 in the regular season Your team wins the Superbowl
Arian Foster is showing no signs of slowing down. Would be stupid to give the RB job away to a rookie or anyone else for that matter considering how well Arian Foster is playing. Will be interesting about the contract situation though. He's gonna want some $$$.
Derrick Ward is no spring chicken and Slaton is damaged goods. If Tate can prove to be a reliable short yardage/goaline back, he will be worth this pick. To give you an idea of how good Arian Foster's season is going... let's compare him to Slaton's so-called amazing rookie year: Slaton 2008: 16 games played, 15 games started, 268 attempts, 1282 yards rushing, 4.8 yards/carry, 9 rushing TDs, 50 receptions, 377 yards receiving, 7.5 yards/reception, 1 receiving TD, 3 fumbles (2 lost). Foster 2009: 4 games played, 3 games started, 85 attempts, 537 yards, 6.3 yards/carry, 4 rushing TDs, 11 receptions, 152 yards receiving, 13.8 yards/reception, 1 receiving TD, 1 fumble. It's not even close. Tate should be an afterthought right now regardless of draft position.
Foster was the starter all along, he outplayed Tate in camp. It was only fantasy football gurus that thought Tate would start. He was taken to compete for the starting job, but Foster held on, he was also taken for short yardage help too, you know to replace Chris Brown. Did Minnesota waste a pick on Gerhart in the 2nd too? What I wonder is as great as Foster is, and Tate will make an impact at some point, what if in the next draft for some strange reason Mark Ingram is still on the board? I know I would be tempted.
Valid points, nonetheless. Foster is the Juggernaut! He is a threat for 200 yards every game. He has that combination of size, speed, vision that we have never seen...The funny thing is Maurice Jones-Drew out of everyone hinted we had a jewel before the season started, but many were starting to see that as well...
I don't see how Tate can be an afterthought. True, with Arian running the way he is, Tate is not needed as much but things change quickly in the NFL. If Tate can live up to his talent he can be a big asset for the texans. Having 2 guys that can rotate into a lineup, each with size, power and speed is a huge benefit.
He's an afterthought because we have a beast rolling over defenses right now. As I said earlier in the thread, you can't have too much depth at RB. Tate doesn't have the speed that Foster does though. He didn't fumble in college and is a monster to take down.
If i'm not mistaken it was a pretty serious ankle injury, and he looked really talented at Auburn. I don't think he's expendable YET, if he comes back healthy....he's gotta be better than Chris Brown!! With Foster, Tate, and i'm guessing Slaton or Ward? thats a nice 3 rb combo.
Was this a typo or did you mean it? Tate would blow Foster out the water in any race that has to do with speed or quickness. In fact, Tate is also more impressive than Foster in the 20 yd shuttle, Three cone drill, broad jump, vertical jump, and bench press. There is no doubt that Tate is our most athletically gifted RB...Foster has the field vision that allows him to be successful. He is very instinctive and decisive when he runs. If Tate has any of that ability, then Tate will be a monster when he arrives on the scene.
yeah, i'm not sure where he is getting his info or if he just knows that little about ben tate. But Tate is a freak of an athlete and is faster than Foster in a straight foot race
It is not always the numbers...Look at Emmitt Smith for example. To be successful, you have to have desire and a combination of skills. You can't easily teach vision and decisiveness. Plus, Foster looked pretty fast for a relatively large 229# RB on the 74 yard TD run. He may be perfect combo. of power and speed. . .
Well, Im not sure if he's that fast...he should have been tackled on that 74 yard run. But, he is strong enough to keep himself up. I think the amazing thing with Foster is that he knows EXACTLY when to make a cut and go...he really seems to maximize the yards he gets with every run...whether its a 2 yard run or a 20 yard run. Really incredible vision and decisiveness. I remember him running well last season, but I do not remember him being so aware of whats taking place on the field.
