Oct 30, 2011; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Miami Dolphins running back Steve Slaton (23) prior to the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim O

The Detroit Lions will reportedly give free agent running back Steve Slaton a workout some time next week. Slaton was caught in the Miami Dolphins’ numbers game in training camp and a potential trade to the Washington Redskins never came to fruition. As a result, Slaton is still without a job, even after working out for the Chicago Bears yesterday. The Bears opted to re-sign Kahlil Bell.

It is far from a foregone conclusion that the Lions will like what they see. Slaton’s recent history leaves a lot to be desired considering he was cut by the Dolphins, not picked up by the Redskins despite showing some trade interest and leaving the Bears workout without a contract. Slaton will likely have to prove himself alongside other running backs as the Lions have made a practice of working out a number of players at one position group. As a former college football star, Slaton still has name-recognition and the player most likely to grab headlines.

The timing is somewhat interesting considering Slaton has been available for two weeks and the Mikel Leshoure is set to return to the Lions backfield after completing his suspension. Still, at 5’9″ and 199 pounds, Slaton is a very different than Leshoure or any other running back the Lions have on the active roster. He would be most likely to fill the role left vacant as a result of Jahvid Best starting the season on the PUP list.

Everyone’s talking about who should be signed. I think it is just as important to recognize the players that should not be signed for a variety of reasons. I’m sure we can all remember plenty of free agents that took nose dives in Detroit during the Matt Millen era, and while Martin Mayhew and the rest of the staff have done a pretty good job of selecting appropriate talent for the Lions during rebuilding, mistakes can still be made. Here is my opinion on which free agents the Lions should stay away from.

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