btw, I'm still saying 2340...Rick! Pay the man,...we don't want Foster thinking about changing helmets,...wait...arrggh! too late! ! ! http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-pro-bowl/09000d5d81df11a2/All-Access-with-Arian-Foster check out the video, I didn't know Foster had as much charisma, lol
I said this after his first phenomenal game against the Colts; and yet he still produced. He is no Earl Campbell or Christian Okoye; he won't guarantee you 3 yards when you need them; but he has a unique vision of finding holes. And that talent typically lasts longer than one season. Add in a Hopeful Ben Tate along with Owen, and I see his future being bright. The Texans? I just hope Bum can throw some heart into that damn son of his.
My opinion, as someone who watched a lot of Denver football during the post-Oilers/pre-Texans era, is that Foster looks more like Terelle Davis/Clinton Portis than Gary/Anderson. He looks absolutely perfect for the ZBS. He may come back to the pack a bit in terms of numbers if we get some injuries or problems with the OL. But in this system I can't see him failing the way Slaton did.
Who knows? I thought Slaton was the real deal after his big year. But I agree with Max. I've put it in other threads but there are 14 different names in the list of the top 15 single season rush totals of all time which seems to indicate that having one blowout year does not mean you can reproduce that. And NFL running backs come and go pretty quickly with only a few having long consistent careers. Foster's career will depend on injuries, The O line, The System vs. The League and touches vs. Tate. I'll predict: 1200yds. and 8 TD's Tate never did impress me that much when I looked at him in last years draft. He seemed like a heavy legged plodder, certainly no better than Legarrette Blount.
I'm not worried about a Slaton deja vu - Slaton was surprisingly good, Foster was incredible. You can't fluke your way into that level of domination. What I'd worry about: A lockout screwing up a bunch of guys. Come March, their healthcare gets yanked and guys are on their own in terms of rehab. In the NBA's 1998 lockout, we saw a crap ton of players get horrifically out of shape, killing their careers. We don't tend to appreciate how much the offseason/preseason workouts, camps, etc matter. If the lockout ends and there's only 3-4 weeks to prep before the abbreviated season, you might see a scary amount of guys showing up fat, developing nagging overuse injuries, etc. Got to hope and pray our guys will be motivated enough to keep themselves in good condition.
I don't know whether he will continue to dominate, but I can rarely remember a time he didn't make the 1st guy miss.
I forgot he ran a good number at the combine though they showed 4.43 on the big board when he was drafted (still good speed) Tate shocked scouts with his straight-line speed (4.34 40) and 40.5" vertical at the Combine. Clubs looking for a traditional power back with underrated receiving skills, however, would be wise to consider him good value in the third round ? if he lasts that long. But remember him like this (Ron Dayne II): Analysis Inside: At his best as a downhill runner. Thick build with good musculature throughout. Attacks the line of scrimmage and takes what the defense gives him. Lowers his shoulder and will take on the defender in the hole. Good toughness to run through arm tackles and get to and through the second level and into the open field. Keeps his eyes up and has enough lateral agility and acceleration to take advantage of cut-back lanes. Good balance, but is not special in this area. Protects the ball with both hands in traffic, but has had some issues with fumbles over his career. Good short-yardage who runs with competitive fire and seems to have a legitimate nose for the end zone. Outside: Only adequate speed to beat NFL linebackers to the edge or to pull away in the open field. Flashes a quick lateral burst and shifty shoulders to fake out the defender, but has only moderate overall agility and acceleration to elude. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1113529
The phrase "fool's gold" is said on clutchfans way too much. Based on his work ethic and attitude, I'd say he's for real.
My heart says he is the real deal and will continue to dominate if he stays healthy...but my head says that I felt the same exact way about Slaton after his rookie year and I still can't point to exactly what it was that sunk that dude. I remember thinking about Slaton that the best thing about Steve was he always seemed to find the holes. His speed was great and resulted in long runs, but he had great vision too. Then his next two years it's like that great vision just went into the toilet. How does that happen? That should be something that doesn't change. So my brain says that even though Foster looked dominant all season and I can't think of a good reason why he would suddenly turn bad...he could very easily just fall off the face of the map for reasons I can't explain. But I sure hope he stays awesome. I loved watching him play this past season. Perhaps more than any Texan we have seen up to this point (and that includes Andre...though I do love watching Dre play).
I think he will be great, maybe not winning the rushing title again, but he will get 1400 yards rushing.
February 11 2010 At the end of January, Texans head coach Gary Kubiak -- on a Denver radio show -- mentioned in passing that Steve Slaton had neck surgery and talked about his return to the field. After that report surfaced, the Houston Chronicle's John McClain said that Dr. Drew Dossett of Dallas performed a discectomy on Slaton to relieve pressure on the nerve root of the spine, and that Slaton should be fine in 4 to 6 months. http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/02/11/the-latest-on-steve-slatons-neck-surgery-texans-running-game/ If you can't turn your head, you can't see the holes????
If the 2009 draft can be done all over again, foster would go from undrafted to a top 5 pick. I hope that kubiak finally wakes up from the coaching coma he has been in, and gets with the program. Foster is a pretty damn good kid. Give him the ball against teams that can't stop the run. He is one of the best battle fighters we have.
Arian Foster is no fluke. You can just tell the way he runs and cuts that he is something special. If his body stays the same, meaning if he doesn't gain or lose weight he'll be special for a long time. Foster is no fluke.
Yeah, Im not sure sure he was just a 1 time wonder, he had a pretty serious injury that he will likely never recover from
