If you write about the Houston Texans, the No. 1 question you get from fans and fantasy football types is what's up with Steve Slaton? In the last game against the atrocious run defense of the Buffalo Bills, Slaton was benched after only one catch and carry because he fumbled the ball. Yet again. Slaton has a league-high seven fumbles for the year.
Coach Gary Kubiak was up front about the benching, talking about it to Slaton and the team: "I told Steve in the locker room to get his chin up. This team needs him playing well and making plays and I'm expecting him to come right back next week and help us."
For those who may use a different term or are new to fantasy football, "handcuff" is the term used when you own insurance for one of your players in the form of owning his real-life backup. It's usually a running back, but you could conceivably handcuff a quarterback. The theory is that some or all of the production is automatically replaced should you lose a high draft pick to injury, meaning you need to insure a high draft pick by grabbing his backup.
With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all.
Meet The ... Quiet Contenders. With an explosive offense -- last season's third most prolific to be precise -- Houston is a hot topic this season in fantasy terms. Last season, starter Matt Schaub and backup Sage Rosenfels combined for a franchise record in passing offense. Furthermore, rookie running back Steve Slaton proved to be the sleeper of the season.
This year, with an improved defense and a healthy Schaub, the Texans look like real deal contenders. The defense remains the big question mark, but the offense should keep them in contention, and more importantly continue to provide fantasy owners with big-time points.
In "Rough Draft," lawyer-turned-writer-turned-football-player Clay Travis (right) recounts his experience training for the 2008 NFL draft alongside some future pros. The following is Part 5 of 10 installments (read Part 4 here) that FanHouse will roll out every weekday leading up to the 2009 NFL Draft on April 25.
The next day's workout begins quietly, Big Mike's absence has left a giant void, literally and figuratively. Kurt Hester senses the change in atmosphere brought on by Michael Oher's departure, and steps up his chatter accordingly. As we're running forty's, Hester encourages us. "This training is all about gaining an inch," he says, "I wish I could gain an inch. It would help my porn career." Greeted with laughter in between sets, Hester continues, "If I could keep gaining inches like you guys are gaining inches, I'd roll out to the bar in athletic shorts, hike my leg up, and say, 'What's up ladies?' "
The top item would have been a tough choice, had I decided it had to be an individual player. Once I realized it had to just be a team, though, it became much more clear.
The Cincinnati Bengals I once ranked them quite high in my team power rankings. I have loved a relatively early Carson Palmer pick, and drooled over Rudi Johnson. That's all firmly in the rear-view now, however. Could a team possibly have more things change in one freaking month?
Now you've got Chad Johnson with a torn labrum -- and more concerned with his name change than injury -- Chris Henry back yet suspended for four games, Rudi no longer with the team, and Palmer's head spinning. He has to be wondering what the hell is going on, and what he personally did to deserve this.
By coaches' accounts, Ahman Green had a great camp. Then he hurt his groin during his first touch of his first preseason game and hasn't played since. He says he will be ready to go by the Pittsburgh game, and by restructuring his contract to one incentivized for game play, he is putting his money where his mouth is. According to the Houston Chronicle's John McClain:
Green's base salary will be 1.8 million, which frees up 2 million in salary-cap dollars.
To get Green to agree to redo his deal, the Texans are giving him $200,000 for every game in which he's active this season, starting with the second game of the year. That means Green can make three million if he stays healthy for every game.
In other words, Green was at risk of getting cut and being forced to retire. Green played on and off last season with a knee bone bruise and was eventually put on IR. The Texans didn't want to put him on the roster to risk more of the same. So they shifted some of his salary base he would receive if he just limped onto the 53 man roster, to paying him for individual games if he is activated for them.
The running backs who look to be on the 53 man roster for sure are Ahman Green, Steve Slaton and Chris Taylor. Taylor has also been taking reps as backup fullback. Free agent acquisition Chris Brown has been struggling with various ailments throughout camp and preseason, (non-surprise!), so the Texans are probably relieved that they could restructure Green's contract to keep an experienced RB on the roster ... at least for the time being.
By coaches' accounts, Ahman Green had a great camp. Then he hurt his groin during his first touch of his first preseason game and hasn't played since. He says he will be ready to go by the Pittsburgh game, and by restructuring his contract to one incentivized for game play, he is putting his money where his mouth is. According to the Houston Chronicle's John McClain:
Green's base salary will be 1.8 million, which frees up 2 million in salary-cap dollars.
To get Green to agree to redo his deal, the Texans are giving him $200,000 for every game in which he's active this season, starting with the second game of the year. That means Green can make three million if he stays healthy for every game.
In other words, Green was at risk of getting cut and being forced to retire. Green played on and off last season with a knee bone bruise and was eventually put on IR. The Texans didn't want to put him on the roster to risk more of the same. So they shifted some of his salary base he would receive if he just limped onto the 53 man roster, to paying him for individual games if he is activated for them.
The running backs who look to be on the 53 man roster for sure are Ahman Green, Steve Slaton and Chris Taylor. Taylor has also been taking reps as backup fullback. Free agent acquisition Chris Brown has been struggling with various ailments throughout camp and preseason, (non-surprise!), so the Texans are probably relieved that they could restructure Green's contract to keep an experienced RB on the roster ... at least for the time being.
Lots of confusion out there on who is going to get the running back touches for the Texans. I think the confusion exists because I am not sure even the Texans coaches know what they are going to do.
Here's what we know as of today:
1. Green's Injury: Ahman Green was in and out of the lineup for most of last year, and then put on IR due to a bone bruise of his knee. He has recovered from that, but was the anti-weeble in the first preseason game, falling down on his first play without being touched due to a groin injury.
I was told by both Rick Smith and Gary Kubiak that they think he'll be the starting running back in the regular-season opener. He's telling them he'll be ready, which is different than last season when he was never optimistic about coming back. But the biggest factor is that from a talent standpoint he's light years ahead of the other RBs except for possibly the rookie, and there's no way they're going to throw him out there against the 3-4 in the first game.
Lots of confusion out there on who is going to get the running back touches for the Texans. I think the confusion exists because I am not sure even the Texans coaches know what they are going to do.
Here's what we know as of today:
1. Green's Injury: Ahman Green was in and out of the lineup for most of last year, and then put on IR due to a bone bruise of his knee. He has recovered from that, but was the anti-weeble in the first preseason game, falling down on his first play without being touched due to a groin injury.
I was told by both Rick Smith and Gary Kubiak that they think he'll be the starting running back in the regular-season opener. He's telling them he'll be ready, which is different than last season when he was never optimistic about coming back. But the biggest factor is that from a talent standpoint he's light years ahead of the other RBs except for possibly the rookie, and there's no way they're going to throw him out there against the 3-4 in the first game.
Training camps are underway, the NFL season is a month off, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
Quarterback: In Matt Schaub and Sage Rosenfels, the Texans have two quarterbacks who could start in this QB starved league. Schaub needs to show he can hold up over a full season, and have better decision making in the red zone. Even so, he could end up having a breakout season assuming he and his supporting cast stay relatively healthy. Heat Index: 7
Running Backs: The Texans have been busy fixing so many other parts of their team that they have had little interest in drafting running back with a high pick. The running back group consists of Ahman Green (old and oft injured), Chris Brown (oft injured), Chris Taylor (inexperienced and coming off of injury), Darius Walker (inexperienced), Steve Slaton (3rd round pick rookie and more of a third down back). Coach Gary Kubiak won't want to have to rely on a young player because of concerns about blitz pickup. The best hope for this group is if offensive line guru Alex Gibbs shows some magic in his run blocking teaching that makes this group look good. Heat Index: 4
If you write about the Houston Texans, the No. 1 question you get from fans and fantasy football types is what's up with Steve Slaton? In the last game against the atrocious run defense of the Buffalo Bills, Slaton was benched after only one catch and carry because he fumbled the ball. Yet again. Slaton has a league-high seven fumbles for the year.
For those who may use a different term or are new to 
With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all. 
In "
By coaches' accounts, Ahman Green had a great camp. Then he 
By coaches' accounts, Ahman Green had a great camp. Then he 
