Dolphins Claim RB Steve Slaton off Waivers

Ronnie was having a Pro Bowl type of year in 09 before he got hurt. He was hitting everything and running over everything that year. The broken ankle/foot really hurt him long term.

 

No, it doesn't matter that he thinks he can, sorry Reggie, but you can't.

 

When your completely unable to miss tacklers, your body isn't going to be able to hold up in the NFL. Ronnies only move really, was to lower his shoulder and run over you...wouldn't break the tackle, but more often then not, Ronnie brought the hit to the defender. Bodies not going to last long that way.

 

Slaton is a similar type of player.
This is not a runner that is going to be effective splitting carries with Thomas anymore than Bush has been.
We aren't using Bush correctly as it is and now we pick up a similar player? LOL.

This is called desperation after realizing they failed to man the RB position correctly going into the season.

 

How is it desperation to claim someone off waivers who was cut to add depth to your roster. It's not like they ran out and signed him to a big deal while he was a free agent because we couldnt run/were losing games. He was cut went through waivers and was claimed. Teams do it all the time. If we didn't claim him someone else would and would that be a an act of desperation by that team? Porbably not, in fact I bet someone would start a thread about the dolphins and why they should have have claimed him off waivers. Just like the Randy Moss topics last year. Which I might add it looks like they made the right decision in the case of Randy Moss. I am just as critical as the next guy but jeez.

 

They're paying Slaton too much damn money this year now that they picked up his salary. Just like they paid Reggie Bush too much damn money.

 

And dammit, the rent is TOO DAMN HIGH!

[video=youtube;x4o-TeMHys0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4o-TeMHys0[/video]

 

Save it....

They picked up a player off waivers that matches the skill set of a guy they traded for in Bush.
There's no reason for it except as I said, desperation from being a 3 games into a season and realizing they seriously neglected the RB position.
Now they're grasping at straws.

They didn't want to spend in FA supposedly but now their picking up a depth scat back for a cool million?
Yeah.... sure.

 

They seriously neglected the RB position?

Uh, maybe you should look up the meaning of neglect. We traded multiple picks to move up to select a big power runner in Daniel Thomas, who has 200 yards in 2 games. Traded for another RB that is more of finesse that is very good receiver in the backfield. Sounds like a perfect combo to me. If there is one part of this team that has no been responsible for our 0-3 start is the running game. About the only bad they've done is pass protection. They have not been good in that area, but still.

Neglected? Quite the opposite actually.

 

Your opinion, Slaton has rushed for 1k yds in the NFL, if one wishes to say "similar type to Bush so he won't be effective" what should be made of it?

"If" they want to trade bush's 10-12 touches for reps in the slot at Wr, then they are going to have to add someone and cut down his carries, if they want Bush on punts and kickoffs, they have to find a Rb who can step into Bush's rb role.

Which makes Slaton a logical pickup, if he flames out or does nothing at all that remains to be seen, the move itself is completely a good football move.

 

Bush isn't even close to the same kind of runner Slaton is. Slaton gets used as a 3rd down back sometimes in Houston, and can catch well but that's about it. He's much more powerful and much more decisive.

 

The other thing is, sometimes a running back just needs a change of scenary to jump start their careers.

Ced Benson comes to mind, he was a bust in Chicago, winds up in Cinci and became a good player, I guess just less negativity met opportunity to play that he made the most of, Slaton's fumblitis and the Staff losing confidence in him meant his time was up in Texas last yr and pretty much everyone knew it.

 

FWIW, Slaton is going to wear #23 for us.

Anyone think he plays this weekend even on Kick Returns?

 

They didn't neglect the RB position per se. But Reggie Bush? C'mon. There were better options out there, for cheaper *cough* *Ahmad Bradshaw* *cough*. If Slaton is healthy, it wouldn't surprise me if his tenure in Miami outlasts Tony Sparano's and Reggie Bush's for that matter.

 

Well, how can Bradshaw be pointed to when DTrain is playing so well?

This pick up of Slaton, and his 1.2 million dollar salary, is more or less an admission by the regime that Bush is not what they hoped he would be, which is fine (imo) as Bush is better suited as an X Factor type of player, but if they are going to use him in that role then you need a Rb who is a running back to handle Bush's former duty with DTrain.

 

The Dolphins were the only team to put in a claim for him, per PFT.

 

Because they guaranteed 1.2 million for a player who may not last 2 weeks, this was not a low cost/ high upside churn and burn FN.

 

The issue is that there is that available cap space to begin with. They could have brought in low level free agents that actually had a chance of contributing to this team. Now, they are stuck with that available cap space, and are desperate for a RB. They pick up Slaton, who apparently was going to clear waivers (which I think was expected), and are paying him 1.2M when he's not even worth it. Its mismanaging the money and evaluating the free agent prospects IMO, which seems to have been a pattern here since Ireland and Gaine got those duties.

 

We're under the cap and unlikely to use it so I don't give a rats *** how much we are paying him tbh. Not my money.

 

Disagree, it is indeterminant whether or not Slaton will pan out, and they have worked out Rb's over the last couple of weeks.

Slaton easily could have been the best FA rb available, whether he plays well determines whether or not this was a good move or a bad one.

 

He's still not worth the money.

 

Remains to be seen, 13 games worth of pay, which pushes that below 1.2 million, if he produces what does the price tag matter?

 

Are there any cheaper options available?

 

As a WVU fan, Im ecstatic about this signing. As a WVU fan....Im also scared crapless because I was ecstatic when we drafted Pat White...and we all know how that ended up!

 

By Saturday, you're going to the news that the Dolphins signed another former Cowboy player...

 

I don't understand how you can play both sides of this?

 

Its not our team either but we still talk about it right?

I think it does matter personally. Speaks of their decision making and what status they are with their jobs. They are clearly desperate.

 

Which of the following combinations would you rather have?

1. Daniel Thomas and Ahmad Bradshaw
2. Daniel Thomas and Reggie Bush
3. Daniel Thomas and Steve Slaton

The answer is pretty damn obvious. And the point being they shouldn't have ever traded for Reggie Bush in the first place. Now they've paid him more, and are paying Steve Slaton far more than he's worth, when they should've thrown the money at a proven runner in Ahmad Bradshaw in the first place. It's mismangement on the part of Jeff Ireland and Brian Gaine. Pure and simple.

 

I'm not?

His salary was 1.2 millie, then I thought about it and realized he has already been paid for 3 games, which pushes his cost below 1.2 millie.

A base contract is what..500,000? Pro rated that would be around 900,000 for Slaton to what, 420k for say Sheets?

480k difference is not a huge deal in NFL money terms Alen, and Slaton is still quite young and has had success in the NFL before.

The real yardstick is of course, production, the man has been on the phins for less then 24 hrs so how dirt can be tossed on this move is a bit beyond me, if he scores TD's he will look cheap at that price.

 

Uhm, yeah, think you are offbase on this one Alen, if you want to use Bush in roles outside of Rb, you have to bring in insurance and a co Rb type.

Which is Slaton, even then that does not mean he will work out here, it does mean he makes sense to acquire.

You should know this.

 

Or: Daniel Thomas and Steve Slaton with Bush playing Wr and PR and some running back.