Arian Foster - Pro Football Rumors

Arian Foster Visits Dolphins

March 29th, 2016 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 3:56pm: As expected, the Dolphins have confirmed their visit with Foster has ended without a deal in place (Twitter link). The running back will remain on Miami’s radar, but it doesn’t seem as if he’s in a hurry to sign anywhere right away.

MONDAY, 10:15am: The Dolphins continue to seek out veteran depth at the running back position, and their search has led them to a noteworthy name. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Arian Foster is set to pay a visit to Miami on Tuesday.

Having lost Lamar Miller to the Texans at the start of the free agent period, the Dolphins have been on the lookout for a replacement since then. The team signed C.J. Anderson to an offer sheet, but the Broncos exercised their right of first refusal to keep Anderson. The Fins were also in the running for Chris Johnson before he opted to re-sign with the Cardinals, and have reportedly explored the trade market for possible RB targets.

Foster, 29, accumulated 6,472 rushing yards during his seven years as a Texan, and that figure would have been even higher if injuries had not slowed him down over the course of the last three seasons. After earning three consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 2010 to 2012, averaging about 1,900 all purpose yards and 16 touchdowns in those seasons, Foster was limited to 25 regular-season games from 2013 to 2015. Those injuries, along with his age and his increasing cap number, resulted in the Texans releasing him earlier this month.

In 2015, Foster was slowed by a groin injury in training camp and the preseason, and later suffered a torn Achilles, landing him on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. When he played, he was at his least productive, averaging only 2.6 yards per carry on 63 attempts. Still, if he recovers well from the Achilles injury, the Tennessee alum could have something left in the tank — he was a Pro Bowler in 2014, piling up 1,246 rushing yards in just 13 contests.

A physical exam figures to be a major factor in Foster’s visit with the Dolphins. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Foster could pass a physical now, though Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets that the veteran back may not be able to pass a physical until early in the summer. Rapoport does concede (via Twitter) that Foster isn’t fully healthy yet, so Miami will likely just get to know him during this visit, rather than immediately signing him.

If Foster eventually gets healthy and signs with the Dolphins, he would likely split carries with second-year back Jay Ajayi.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Rumors: Foster, Raiders, Brown, Lynch

March 28th, 2016 at 8:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Arian Foster won’t be signing with anyone, anytime soon, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) hears. The veteran tailback is looking to get completely healthy before he signs, which could mean late May or June. Foster will visit the Dolphins on Tuesday, but it’ll be a while before he puts pen to paper with the Fins or any other squad.

Here’s a look at the AFC:

The Raiders probably won’t make any more major expenditures, as Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. “I’m never done,” Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said last week on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “With all that money, we’re probably done with that big spending, yes, but there’s always ways to improve your roster. It doesn’t have to be a whole lot of big money players.”
The Browns visited today with Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch & Baylor wide receiver Corey Coleman, according to Tony Grossi of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The Titans are set to host Florida safety Keanu Neal on a visit, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. Neal, who averaged nearly nine tackles per contest in 2015, could be in consideration for the team’s pick at No. 33 overall.
The Broncos are hosting LSU cornerback Rashard Robinson and Vanderbilt linebacker Stephen Weatherly on visits today, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS (on Twitter).
Illinois State running back Marshaun Coprich worked out privately for the Colts on Monday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
The Patriots have gathered a ton of intel on Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds, Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com writes. The Annapolis star set the NCAA record for touchdowns with 88 and has drawn comparisons to Julian Edelman.

AFC South Notes: Titans, Free Agents, Texans

March 19th, 2016 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Addressing a couple of the free agents the Titans brought in for visits earlier this month, general manager Jon Robinson confirmed that the team met with offensive lineman Louis Vasquez and safety Rashad Johnson, and didn’t rule out the possibility of working out a deal with either player (Twitter links via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com).

According to Robinson, he’s still in communication with Vasquez’s agent. As for Johnson, the GM suggested that the two sides are in something of a holding pattern — I’m speculating, but that makes it sound as if the Titans haven’t been willing to increase their offer to the veteran safety, and he has yet to receive a better offer from another team.

As we wait to see if Tennessee lands either Vasquez or Johnson, let’s check in on some other notes from out of the AFC South…

Titans head coach Mike Mularkey said that quarterback Marcus Mariota has been a solid recruiter so far in free agency, reaching out to players himself and acting as a part of the “welcome committee” (Twitter link via Wyatt). The team has been pretty active so far in free agency, having signed or re-signed Rishard Matthews, Ben Jones, Byron Bell, Antwon Blake, Al Woods, Brice McCain, and Sean Spence, among others.
The Titans are in the market for a new director of player development, according to Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com, who notes that Tre’ Stallings is no longer with the club.
Antonio Allen‘s one-year deal with the Texans is worth just $800K and doesn’t feature a significant bonus, but it didn’t qualify for the minimum salary benefit, so the full $800K will count against Houston’s cap, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle clarifies (via Twitter).
In a piece for the Chronicle, Wilson examines Arian Foster‘s comeback from a torn Achilles, writing that the longtime Texans running back remains “passionate” about football and aims to be back on the field in 2016. Having been released by Houston, Foster will be looking for a new team.

FA Rumors: Foster, Fitz, Thurmond, Larsen, Fins

March 11th, 2016 at 6:42pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Running back Arian Foster isn’t in a hurry to sign anywhere, writes Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who adds that the four-time Pro Bowler might not join a new club (potentially the Broncos) until after the draft. Foster spent the first seven years of his career in Houston, which cut the soon-to-be 30-year-old earlier this month after a torn Achilles cost him most of last season. Foster should be fully healthy by the summer, per Florio.

Here’s more on players who are presently without contracts:

Six-year veteran Walter Thurmond was terrific for the Eagles last season, his first as a safety after shifting from cornerback, but he isn’t generating much interest as a free agent. One possible reason: “Several people around the Eagles” think he might retire, per Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. Thurmond, 28, has dealt with injuries and has off-field business interests, one of which is filmmaking, Bowen adds (Twitter links). If Thurmond continues his football career, odds are it won’t be in Philly, which signed safety Rodney McLeod to a sizable deal earlier this week.
The Jets hold all the cards in their negotiations with Ryan Fitzpatrick, offers the New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta, who opines that it’s time for the quarterback to admit defeat and re-sign with the only team willing to hand him a starting job. The Jets want Fitzpatrick back, but they’re not going to give the 33-year-old the $16MM to $18MM annual value that he wants, according to Mehta, and could instead turn to other options. Earlier today, Gang Green met with Robert Griffin III.
After meeting with the 49ers on Thursday and the Seahawks today, guard Ted Larsen is “weighing options,” a source tells Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). Both teams were familiar with Larsen before visiting with him – the 28-year-old has spent the last two seasons with NFC West rival Arizona. Larsen started in all 26 of his appearances with the Cards.
Linebacker Sean Spence is visiting the Dolphins tonight, PFT reports (on Twitter). The 2013 third-round pick spent the first three years of his career in Pittsburgh, with which he amassed 90 tackles and two sacks in 31 regular-season appearances (13 starts).

Texans Cut Arian Foster

March 3rd, 2016 at 4:21pm CST by Luke Adams

4:21pm: Foster was cut with a failed physical designation, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. As Wilson observes, that’s not a surprise, since the veteran back is still recovering from his torn Achilles.

9:47am: The Texans have officially released Foster, the team announced (via Twitter).

8:50am: Arian Foster‘s seven-year run in Houston will come to an end this offseason, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the running back has been informed the Texans are releasing him. Agent Mike McCartney confirmed the decision in a statement on Twitter.

“What a great RUN @ArianFoster had with the @HoustonTexans!” McCartney tweeted. “Thanks to the Texans & I’m personally excited what lies ahead for Arian!”

Foster, 29, accumulated 6,472 rushing yards during his seven years as a Texan, and that figure would have been even higher if injuries had not slowed him down over the course of the last three seasons. After earning three consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 2010 to 2012, averaging about 1,900 all purpose yards and 16 touchdowns in those seasons, Foster has been limited to 25 regular-season games from 2013 to 2015.

In 2015, Foster was slowed by a groin injury in training camp and the preseason, and later suffered a torn Achilles, landing him on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. When he played, he was at his least productive, averaging only 2.6 yards per carry on 63 attempts. Still, if he recovers well from the Achilles injury, the Tennessee alum could have something left in the tank — he was a Pro Bowler in 2014, piling up 1,246 rushing yards in just 13 contests.

From a cap perspective, Foster’s release will create $6.625MM in savings for the Texans, leaving just $2.3MM in dead money on the team’s cap for 2016. At the scouting combine in Indianapolis though, general manager Rick Smith indicated that if the Texans were to cut their longtime running back, it wouldn’t be because of his salary.

“As it relates to all the free agent conversations, I’m never really going to tell you one way or the other what we are doing, but I will tell you this: his salary is not a reason why we would cut Arian,” Smith said last week.

Assuming Foster is healthy and continues his playing career, there are several teams that could be fits. Two that come to mind are the Broncos – who employ former Texans head coach Gary Kubiak – and the Jets, who have multiple running backs facing free agency and whose GM is former Houston executive Mike Maccagnan.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

South Rumors: Foster, Falcons, Martin, Jags

February 25th, 2016 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Texans running back Arian Foster, entering the final year of his contract, is set to make a $6.5MM base salary, with an overall cap hit of nearly $9MM. Those figures make him a potential release candidate, but if general manager Rick Smith says Houston won’t cut the veteran back because of his salary.

“As it relates to all the free agent conversations, I’m never really going to tell you one way or the other what we are doing, but I will tell you this: his salary is not a reason why we would cut Arian,” Smith said.

That doesn’t necessarily close the door on the Texans releasing Foster, since the team could have concerns about his health or his production. But if they’re comfortable paying a healthy Foster $6.5MM, it increases the odds that he’ll be back in Houston for the 2016 season.

Let’s check in on a few other items from around the NFL’s South divisions….

Head coach Dan Quinn and the Falcons will be monitoring wide receivers closely in both free agency and the draft, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. According to McClure, the Falcons have “done their homework” on this year’s pending free agent wideouts, including Travis Benjamin, Mohamed Sanu, Jermaine Kearse, and Nate Washington.
Buccaneers GM Jason Licht confirmed that he met with Brian Murphy, the agent for Doug Martin, on Wednesday at the scouting combine. However, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets, no agreement between the two sides will be reached in Indianapolis.
The Jaguars will head into the free agent period armed with a ton of cap space, according to GM David Caldwell, who suggests that estimates of $75MM “might be a little low,” per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. In a separate piece, O’Halloran also passed along a few notable comments made by Jacksonville head coach Gus Bradley during his media availability.
Craig Stevens‘ new one-year contract with the Titans features a $1.15MM base salary, a $250K workout bonus, and per-game roster bonuses worth up to $500K, says Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. A report last week indicated that the tight end’s deal could be worth up to $2.6MM via incentives.

Extra Points: Kaepernick, Jets, Foster, Draft

January 14th, 2016 at 10:35pm CST by Luke Adams

The 49ers announced today that Chip Kelly will be the team’s new head coach, which created a whole new set of questions about whether Colin Kaepernick might have a future in San Francisco after all. After being benched in 2015, Kaepernick, who is owed a base salary of nearly $12MM in 2016, looked like a candidate to be traded or released this offseason.

According to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link), however, Kelly told the Niners in his interviews that he likes both Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert, so the team and its new coach are keeping their options open. Kelly plans to sit down with Kaepernick at some point to determine which direction to go, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, who tweets that Kelly will make the call on the club’s quarterback.

While we look forward to seeing if Kaepernick can be rejuvenated under Kelly, let’s check out a few more odds and ends from around the NFL….

General manager Mike Maccagnan indicated today that his Jets would like to re-sign Muhammad Wilkerson and the franchise tag is definitely in play for the defensive lineman, says Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Still, Wilkerson is facing a six-month rehab for his broken leg, and may have to be placed on the PUP list to start training camp. Cimini gets the sense that the Jets GM isn’t optimistic about keeping both Wilkerson and defensive tackle Damon Harrison.
As Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes, Arian Foster‘s future with the Texans remains up in the air, but it looks like something’s got to give, since the veteran running back is coming off a torn Achilles and has a cap hit of nearly $9MM in 2016. “We’ll have to see how healthy he is,” Texans owner Bob McNair said. “But until we know that, there’s really not much you can think about.”
The Jets are showing significant interest in CFL star wide receiver Eric Rogers, who visited them on Wednesday after working out for them a few weeks ago, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets that the Lions and Rogers may be a logical fit as well, since new GM Bob Quinn worked him out in New England, and wide receiver may be a position of need for Detroit.
Mel Kiper’s first mock draft of 2016 at ESPN.com (Insider-only link) features Joey Bosa, Jared Goff, and Laremy Tunsil coming off the board in the top three to the Titans, Browns, and Chargers respectively.

Arian Foster Tears Achilles, Out For Year

October 26th, 2015 at 2:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

MONDAY, 2:47pm: Texans head coach Bill O’Brien confirmed today that Foster will be out for the season due to a torn Achilles, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Per Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (Twitter link), O’Brien and GM Rick Smith are discussing the team’s running back situation, now that Foster will miss the rest of the year.

SUNDAY, 6:55pm: Don’t expect an official announcement tonight, reports Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. The Texans will wait until Foster’s MRI on Monday to confirm the assumed season-ending injury.

Meanwhile, Florio wonders if Foster may have played his final game with the Texans. The running back is set to make $6.5MM next season (including a $9.3MM cap number, according to OverTheCap.com), so the writer believes the team could ask the veteran to restructure his contract. Otherwise, they may just cut the lifelong Texans star.

4:26pm: Foster has indeed torn his Achilles and his season is over, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

3:40pm: Having already been dominated today by the Dolphins, the Texans are the victims of more bad news, as the club has confirmed that running back Arian Foster has suffered an Achilles injury. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link), doctors do believe that Foster’s Achilles is torn, which would make obviously make it a season-ending injury.

If the diagnosis is correct, it’s an especially devastating injury for Foster, who has been bitten by the injury bug throughout his career. The 29-year-old was sidelined by a groin injury during training camp, and though initial reports suggested he could miss much of the season, Foster worked hard to return after missing just three games. He hadn’t been the same electrifying player that he had once been, but his mere presence on the field gave the Texans a chance.

Now, Houston will likely turn to something of a committee to fill the void left by Foster’s absence. Alfred Blue will probably earn the lion’s share of the work out of the backfield, but Chris Polk and Jonathan Grimes will play roles as well. The club may have to hope for more out the quarterback position, a difficult proposition given the play from Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett thus far.

Foster is only signed through the 2016 season, so this latest injury could lead to the Texans having to make a tough decision on the future of their All Pro running back. Foster is set to earn a $6.5MM base salary and a $500K roster bonus; combined with the prorated portion of his roster bonus, Foster would count $9.3MM against Houston’s 2016 cap. The could save $7MM by releasing Foster, so if the team decides his Achilles injury will sap some of his ability, they could decide to move on.

AFC South Notes: Colts, Texans, Foster

October 26th, 2015 at 11:21am CST by Luke Adams

No NFL division has fewer wins on the season than the eight compiled by the AFC South, and the division had another forgettable Sunday in Week 7. The Colts and Texans – who entered the weekend as the South’s top two teams, trailed by a combined score of 61-0 after the first halves of their respective games on Sunday.

Needless to say, it hasn’t been a pleasant Monday morning in either Indianapolis or Houston. Here’s the latest from around the AFC South:

Colts owner Jim Irsay and general manager Ryan Grigson engaged in a “heated conversation” after the team’s loss to the Saints, says Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star. While Keefer doesn’t go into details about the specifics of the conversation, neither Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano is currently considered a lock to remain in Indianapolis beyond the 2015 season.
For his part, the typically mild-mannered Pagano delivered an “animated, emotional” halftime speech that featured “plenty of expletives,” according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com, who provides more details on a frustrated Colts locker room.
Following the Texans’ most embarrassing loss of the 2015 season, Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle writes that GM Rick Smith and head coach Bill O’Brien could be on the hot seat if the team continues to struggle, and wonders why quarterback Ryan Mallett is still on the roster.
There was speculation on Sunday that if Arian Foster’s Achilles injury is indeed a season-ender, he may have played his last game with the Texans, and Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) echoes that sentiment today. According to Cole, given the probable severity of Foster’s most recent injury, along with his history of health problems, his age, and his contract situation, there are plenty of factors pointing to Houston potentially moving on from him on the offseason.

AFC Notes: Foster, Brady, Colts, Nicks

August 7th, 2015 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

As we inch close to the start of the NFL’s preseason schedule, let’s round up a few of the latest updates from around the AFC….

Texans running back Arian Foster underwent successful surgery on his groin this morning in Philadelphia, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that there’s some hope Foster’s recovery period will be less than three months. The star running back still appears to be a strong candidate for the club’s IR-DTR slot to open the regular season.
The settlement conference between the NFL and NFLPA is scheduled to take place at 11:00am eastern time next Wednesday, tweets Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and commissioner Roger Goodell will both attend the meeting in Judge Richard M. Berman’s courtroom.
The Colts snagged cornerback Tevin Mitchel off waivers from Washington this week, despite the fact that he’s expected to miss the season with a shoulder injury, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. As Holder explains, the Colts were targeting Mitchel in the draft this year before Washington grabbed him in the sixth round, and the club now has the opportunity to stash him on its IR for the season.
Teresa M. Walker of The Associated Press examines Hakeem Nicks‘ efforts to earn a roster spot in Tennessee after signing a one-year deal with the Titans this offseason.