cbssports.com,
Steve Slaton has been a full participant in the Texans' training camp from the start, proving that he's recovered from offseason neck surgery to repair nerve damage. The Texans have given Slaton reps at running back, mainly in passing situations, but he's also been returning kickoffs in practice according to the Houston Chronicle. Head coach Gary Kubiak is happy with the progress Slaton has made. "I've been impressed by the way he's been working,"Kubiak said. "We we have him back there working as a kick returner now. I think he's himself. He's got his confidence back. He enjoys being out here. I think that's important."
Analysis: The Texans' backfield might be headed for a three-headed mess this season between Slaton, second-year back Arian Foster (who is working with the first-team offense) and rookie Ben Tate. Only Slaton seems locked into a role as a backfield receiving option on long non-first downs. That suggests he'll catch a decent amount of passes but might not load up on carries, including at the goal line. Slaton's a nice reserve option and a potential sleeper in case one of the Texans' backs in front of him gets hurt, but he's not going to deliver huge stats. Think middle- to late-round pick on him.