Just when you thought you had the Houston backfield figured out, rumors arise indicating the possible release of veteran running back Ahman Green. With the recent signing of Marcell Shipp, the Texans have made it clear that either Chris Brown or Ahman Green will get the boot. To make their decision easier, Steve Slaton went and out performed every back on their roster in the last pre-season game against the Saints. Head coach Gary Kubiak was very impressed with his performance. "First off, I can feel the speed on the field. When he’s out there, you can feel his speed and the chance to make big plays and the kick off return," Kubiak said. "He’s growing in what we are doing run-game wise. He makes some bad cuts, but then he makes some great cuts. It’s obvious that this kid’s going to be a big part of it, if he keeps heading the way he’s heading.” Initially, Slaton was competing with Chris Taylor for the 3rd spot on the depth chart, but that battle seems to be over. Taylor has been plagued by cramps and our sources are telling us that Slaton is rapidly moving up the depth chart. Coach Kubiak even mentioned that Slaton will begin to see some time with Houston’s first-team offense for their game against Dallas on Friday night. As we can see, Slaton now has his eyes on a much larger role.
Slaton easily warrants a selection in your draft as your 4th or 5th running back depending on the depth of your league. Regardless of what happens with Brown or Green, Slaton should enter the season 2nd on the depth chart and push the starter for playing time. With Houston’s improving pass offense, Slaton is in a position to make a decent impact in the fantasy world. As this story develops we will keep you updated. As always, check out our highly praised Custom Cheat Sheets with everyone’s current fantasy value.
Meachem To Start The Season!
In the ever changing New Orleans pass offense, we can finally point to the player who will start opposite Colston. That man is Robert Meachem. Meachem had a great pre-season opener pulling in four balls for 129 yards and a score. His second opportunity was less impressive, only catching one ball for 11 yards, but according to our sources, the Saints are doing everything they can to help Meachem start the season. The odd man out seems to be Devery Henderson, who may even be released because of a nagging hamstring injury. The veteran David Patten is still in the mix, but all signs point to him as the slot receiver.
We recommend targeting Meachem as your 4th or 5th receiver. The Saints offense is always productive and he should have an easy time getting open with Colston and Shockey receiving most of the defense’s attention. Meachem was held out for most of the season last year because of a knee injury, but if you watched the first pre-season game, I’m sure you agree, Meachem looks just fine. Keep an eye on Meachem in your upcoming drafts.
Gruden Quite Displeased With Galloway!
Veteran Joey Galloway has not taken one rep in the Bucs training camp and currently has no timetable for his return. Galloway was dressed for the past pre-season game against the Patriots, but had no chance of playing due to his limited role in training camp.
In a recent interview, with a hint of sarcasm, Gruden commented on Galloway and said, "He's got to get back on the field, We need to get him back out there. This guy hasn't worn a football uniform since the Giants game... This is as close as we could get to him playing. We wanted Joey to have a real NFL experience tonight." Obviously, Galloway’s roster spot is guaranteed regardless of what happens, but his absence in team practices has opened up roles for some of the younger guys such as Dexter Jackson and specifically Antonio Bryant. Bryant has been the star of training camp and we like his potential. The Bucs need someone other than Galloway to create on the offensive side of the ball and Bryant has a history of making big plays. Unfortunately, he also has history of making dumb decisions. Bryant is by far the most talented receiver on the team and if he can get over himself, has the ability to produce immediately, making him a very intriguing option.
In most drafts, Bryant is going un-drafted and this is probably wise. Still, the Bryant fan in me (don’t ask) says take a shot on him with your second to last pick. In my most recent draft, I picked him up as my 7th receiver. If nothing comes of this, then I will drop him and pick somebody else up. On the other hand, if by chance he finds a solid role in Tampa, I have a 7th receiver who may see some action on my team.
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