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Reuben Foster

Dolphins To Host LB Reuben Foster

December 4th, 2023 at 9:16pm CST by Ben Levine

As Jerome Baker tends to an injury, the Dolphins are eyeing some additional depth at linebacker. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Dolphins will be hosting Reuben Foster on a workout this Wednesday.

After being selected by the 49ers in the first round of the 2017 draft, Foster only got into 16 games across one-plus seasons with San Francisco. He was slapped with a two-game ban to begin the 2018 season after being hit with a weapons offense and a misdemeanor drug offense. Following a subsequent arrest for domestic violence, the linebacker was cut loose by the 49ers.

Foster was claimed by Washington, and after spending most of the 2018 campaign on the commissioner’s exempt list, Foster was reinstated during the 2019 offseason. However, during his first practice with his new squad, Foster suffered a torn ACL and torn MCL. The linebacker spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons on injured reserve before hitting free agency.

Foster has drawn some interest around the NFL since that time, garnering previous workouts with the Dolphins and Seahawks. He most recently spent time with the Pittsburgh Maulers of the USFL, collecting 52 tackles in eight games.

The 29-year-old will now get a second look from the Dolphins as they look for a temporary fill-in for Baker. Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the starting linebacker is dealing with an MCL injury that isn’t a season-ender but could keep him off the field for a few weeks. Duke Riley was inserted into the lineup yesterday when Baker exited the game. The veteran ended up getting into a season-high 31 defensive snaps in the win over the Commanders.

NFC West Notes: Rams, Cards, 49ers, Hawks

August 4th, 2022 at 3:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Van Jefferson‘s second 2022 surgery will shut him down for weeks. In their No. 3 wide receiver’s stead, the Rams are using the likes of second-round pick Tutu Atwell, veteran backup Ben Skowronek, converted tight end Jacob Harris and fifth-year return specialist Brandon Powell, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Of course, the Rams have also been linked — mostly by their own words — to a second Odell Beckham Jr. contract.

“We’ll look at those guys and then we’ll continue to see if we can figure out when Odell will come back at some point as well,” Sean McVay said.

Jefferson’s surgery went well, Rodrigue tweets, adding a Week 1 return should be realistic. Although the Rams signed Beckham when Robert Woods was still healthy, Jefferson’s role was not threatened after the latter’s injury. He finished his sophomore NFL slate with 50 receptions, 802 yards (nearly quadrupling rookie-year total) and six touchdowns. Although Beckham coming back and joining Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson would threaten Jefferson’s playing time, the third-year receiver should have a firm grip on the WR3 job for a bit.

Here is the latest from the NFC West:

  • Activated off the non-football injury list Tuesday, Marquise Brown found himself in off-field trouble several hours later. The recently acquired Cardinals wide receiver was arrested on a criminal speeding charge and booked in the Maricopa County Jail. The arrest occurred at 7:05am Wednesday in north Phoenix, according to Jose Romero of the Arizona Republic. Brown was traveling from his home to the Cards’ facility, per Kliff Kingsbury. Brown, acquired in a draft-weekend deal that saw the Cardinals’ first-round pick change hands, faces a potential suspension under the personal conduct policy purview.
  • D.J. Humphries‘ Cardinals extension is for three years and $51.8MM, Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger tweets. This deal comes with a $17MM signing bonus, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Humphries’ 2022 cap number will also drop from $19.9MM to $12.6MM, creating some additional space for the Cards. Humphries’ extension is worth a bit more than his previous contract (three years, $44.3MM), but it comes in eighth among left tackles for AAV.
  • The 49ers may go with two unseasoned guards this year. They have been using fourth-round rookie Spencer Burford exclusively as their first-string right guard, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle notes. If the Texas-San Antonio product can stick at this position, it could relocate two-year San Francisco right guard starter Daniel Brunskill to center, where he is battling veteran backup Jake Brendel to take over for Alex Mack. Buford is vying to join Aaron Banks as a guard starter. The 2021 second-round pick logged five offensive snaps as a rookie but looks to have a firm grip on the 49ers’ left guard gig in camp.
  • The Seahawks‘ Reuben Foster workout does not look to signal an immediate signing, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. This appears to be a case of the Seahawks kicking the tires on the former first-round pick. Foster has not played in a game since the 2018 season. Although Washington claimed the once-high-profile linebacker during the 2018 season, he never played a down for the team. An ACL tear during Washington’s 2019 offseason program led the Alabama product out of the league. However, the Seahawks are the fifth team to work out Foster since his Washington contract expired following the 2020 season. The Jets, Jaguars, Browns and Dolphins have also brought him in.
  • Former Jets quarterback James Morgan also worked out for the Seahawks, auditioning Thursday. The team, which is holding a long-scrutinized Geno Smith–Drew Lock competition, is not planning an immediate Morgan signing, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. A Green Bay native, Morgan, 25, also worked out for the Packers recently.

Seahawks Work Out LB Reuben Foster

July 31st, 2022 at 10:32am CST by Rory Parks

The Seahawks will work out free agent linebacker Reuben Foster today, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Foster has not seen game action since the 2018 season.

A first-round pick of the 49ers back in 2017, Foster lived up to his billing in his first professional season, appearing in 10 games (all starts) and racking up 72 total tackles en route to a third-place finish in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. Pro Football Focus was especially fond of his performance and assigned him a terrific 81.2 overall score, including high marks for his work as a run stopper and in coverage.

Things began to go south in 2018, however. Foster was arrested three times that year, and after the third arrest in November 2018 — which stemmed from a domestic violence charge — the 49ers waived him. Washington made the highly controversial decision to claim him off waivers, and he spent the remainder of the campaign on the commissioner’s exempt list.

In January 2019, Florida prosecutors dropped the November charge due to insufficient evidence, and Foster was reinstated several months later. It seemed the Alabama product would have a chance to reestablish himself as a frontline ‘backer in the nation’s capital, but in his first practice with Washington, Foster suffered a torn ACL, LCL, and MCL. He also dealt with nerve damage that left him without feeling in his toes for several months. He missed all of the 2019 season, and though he finally returned to the practice field in August 2020, it was clear that he was not anywhere close to his old self, and he spent all of 2020 on IR.

Foster took a few workouts last September and also auditioned for the Dolphins this April, but he remains on the open market. The Seahawks currently have 2020 first-rounder Jordyn Brooks penciled in as their middle linebacker without much proven depth behind him, so it can’t hurt to see if their former division rival still has anything to offer.

Dolphins Work Out Reuben Foster

April 8th, 2022 at 10:02am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins are auditioning linebacker Reuben Foster (Twitter link via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). Foster is now healthy — per Jackson’s sources — and eager to mount another comeback.

[RELATED: Dolphins Re-Sign J. Jenkins]

Foster has history with new Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, dating back to their 2018 season together with the Niners. The former first-round pick has missed the last three seasons following multiple knee injuries and surgeries, but he could offer serious upside if he’s truly healthy.

Foster has hardly been seen since he was released by the Niners roughly four years ago. Washington shocked the world by claiming him off of waivers, but he never saw the field in D.C. Foster suffered an ACL tear in 2019, further pushing his career off course. He also spent 2020 on IR. Between the suspensions and injuries, the 28-year-old has played just 16 total games as a pro.

In those 16 games for the Niners, Foster registered 101 tackles and two passes defensed.

Browns To Work Out Reuben Foster

September 16th, 2021 at 8:58am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns will audition Reuben Foster on Friday, according to a source who spoke with Kimberley A. Martin of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Foster probably won’t be signed straight away, but he could be a candidate for the roster after Sunday’s game against the Texans. 

[RELATED: Mayfield, Browns Haven’t Had “Substantive Extension Talks”]

Foster has been making the rounds recently. He worked out for the Jaguars and Jets earlier this month but left both meetings without a deal.

The Browns rolled the dice on defensive tackle Malik McDowell earlier this year and the (very) early returns are promising. McDowell played on 45 of team’s 65 snaps against the Chiefs, en route to an 83.3 grade, the highest of any Cleveland defender. Despite all of his off-the-field issues, Foster could offer similar upside.

Foster has hardly been seen since he was released by the Niners three years ago. Washington shocked the world by claiming him off of waivers, but never saw the field in D.C. Foster suffered an ACL tear in 2019, further pushing his career off course. He also spent 2020 on IR. Between the suspensions and injuries, the 27-year-old has played just 16 total games as a pro.

 

Jaguars Work Out Reuben Foster

September 7th, 2021 at 10:48am CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars auditioned Reuben Foster on Monday, per the league’s official workout announcement. If he lands a deal, Foster will have a chance to play for the first time since October 2018.

[RELATED: Jaguars Sign Duke Johnson To Practice Squad]

The 49ers dropped Foster roughly three years ago and he was quickly claimed by Washington. However, the talented linebacker but never ended up using him. Foster suffered an ACL tear in 2019, further pushing his career off course. He also spent 2020 on IR. Between the suspensions and injuries, the 27-year-old has played just 16 total games as a pro.

Foster’s best on-the-field work came as a rookie in 2017, when Pro Football Focus graded him as a top-10 linebacker. Now said to be back at 100%, he’s also drawn interest from the Jets and former Niners coach Robert Saleh. If the Jaguars see him as a fit, he could become this week’s second high-profile signing, after running back Duke Johnson agreed to join the 16-man practice squad.

All in all, Foster has registered 101 tackles and two passes defensed in 16 total NFL games.

Jets To Work Out LB Reuben Foster

September 2nd, 2021 at 8:46am CST by Sam Robinson

For the first time in over a year, Reuben Foster has re-emerged on the NFL radar. The former first-round pick booked a Thursday workout with the Jets, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Foster has not played since back in October 2018, when the 49ers dropped him amid his latest legal issue. Washington claimed the talented linebacker but never ended up using him. Foster suffered an ACL tear in 2019, further pushing his career off course.

This would be a reunion between Foster and former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who is on the verge of his first season as Jets HC. Saleh was in place as San Francisco’s DC throughout Foster’s stay with the team. The 49ers drafted Foster 31st overall in 2017, and he ripped off an impressive rookie season. Pro Football Focus graded Foster as a top-10 linebacker that year — Saleh’s first as 49ers DC. Though, the Alabama alum only played 10 games that year and saw his second season stop at six.

Altogether, Foster has played just 16 games. The NFL suspended him to start the 2018 season, following a turbulent offseason that involved multiple arrests — including one for domestic violence. Charges in that case were dropped, but the 49ers waived Foster midway through the ’18 season after he was arrested on DV charges again. The NFL placed him on the commissioner’s exempt list shortly after. Foster spent nearly two years in Washington, landing on season-ending IR in both the 2019 and ’20 seasons.

The former Crimson Tide standout is still just 27 but has obviously hit a career crossroads. The Jets placed fellow ex-first-round linebacker Jarrad Davis on IR Wednesday, shelving him for at least the season’s first three games. C.J. Mosley, who has missed much of his New York tenure due to injury and a 2020 opt-out, leads Gang Green’s linebacking corps.

WFT Unlikely To Re-Sign Reuben Foster

March 7th, 2021 at 10:49am CST by Rory Parks

It does not appear that Reuben Foster will ever suit up for the Washington Football Team. WFT’s prior regime claimed Foster off waivers from the 49ers in November 2018 — a controversial decision at the time, given that he had been arrested twice in a matter of months, with the second arrest stemming from a domestic abuse allegation — and he landed on the commissioner’s exempt list shortly after he was claimed. That precluded him from playing for the rest of the 2018 campaign.

He was reinstated in the spring of 2019, but in his first practice with Washington, Foster suffered a torn ACL, LCL, and MCL. He also dealt with nerve damage that left him without feeling in his toes for several months. Last April, WFT made the no-brainer decision to decline his fifth-year option for 2021 — which would have been guaranteed for injury — and though Foster was activated from the PUP list in August 2020, it was clear that he was not anywhere close to his old self. As such, he was shut down again and spent all of 2020 on IR.

Despite all of that, there has been some chatter that Foster could be an integral part of the team’s LB corps in 2021. But as JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington writes, that appears highly unlikely.

Foster is still young enough to be a high-level performer from an age standpoint, as he will turn just 27 next month. Still, he has not played in a game since October 2018 and has not yet been able to overcome his serious leg injuries, so it would be unwise for any club to expect too much of him at this point. Because WFT declined his fifth-year option, he is eligible for unrestricted free agency and will almost certainly need to settle for a minimum contract.

Although there is nothing stopping Washington from being the team to give Foster such a deal, Finlay does not expect that to happen. Instead, Finlay believes the team will seek LB upgrades in the draft and free agency.

OLB Cole Holcomb performed reasonably well in his second pro season, and MLB Jon Bostic is under contract at a reasonable rate in 2021, but Kevin Pierre-Louis is a free agent, and the cupboard is mostly bare beyond that. Washington’s linebackers played better down the stretch in 2020 following head coach Ron Rivera‘s comments that he needed to see more from the group, but some reinforcements are clearly in order.

Rivera has had no problems cutting ties with players brought in prior to his arrival, and Foster, who in 2017 looked primed to become one of the league’s very best LBs, does not appear to be in Rivera’s plans.

This Date In Transactions History: Washington Claims Reuben Foster

November 27th, 2020 at 1:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The [Washington Football Team] has had its fair share of controversies. One of their most polarizing moves took place two years ago today, when they claimed linebacker Reuben Foster off waivers. 

Foster stood as one of the NFL’s most talented linebackers. He was also a household name for all of the wrong reasons. The 2017 first-round pick was accused of roughing up his ex-girlfriend, Elissa Ennis, in February of 2018. Ennis went on to recant that story, but, in November, she alleged Foster of abusing her once again at the 49ers’ team hotel in Florida. The Niners dropped him soon after and no one expected him to be claimed off of the waiver wire.

Washington did just that, vowing to keep Foster on the straight-and-narrow and off the field until his legal situation was resolved.

“[We] fully understand the severity of the recent allegations against Reuben. If true, you can be sure these allegations are nothing our organization would ever condone,” VP of player personnel Doug Williams said. “Let me be clear, Reuben will have to go through numerous steps, including the full legal process, an investigation and potential discipline from the NFL, as well as meetings with counselors associated with the team, before he will ever have the opportunity to wear the Burgundy and Gold as a player.”

Still, Foster has yet to actually take the field for the WFT. The ‘backer tore his ACL and MCL in his very first Washington practice, wiping out his 2019 season. Washington activated him this past August, but his lack of strength and explosiveness forced the club to park him on IR once again. Now in his final year under contract, it’s possible that Foster will never actually play a down in D.C. It’s also possible that Foster will never play again in the NFL — we won’t know for sure until the offseason when he gets re-evaluated.

Washington Cuts CB Aaron Colvin, Moves Down To 53

September 5th, 2020 at 3:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is how Washington trimmed its camp roster down to the 53-man regular-season limit. Some notable veterans did not make the squad.

Waived:

Released:

Placed on IR:

Washington added Colvin last year, doing so after the Texans cut him early in the season. The veteran has played six seasons, seeing action with the Jaguars, Texans and Washington. He will head back to free agency. As with Rodgers, who was the most notable tight end on Washington’s roster entering camp. Following the exits of Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis — and Thaddeus Moss‘ IR trip — Washington does not feature much of note at the position.

Mr. Irrelevant in 2018, Quinn latched on with Washington for two seasons. He operated as Washington’s slot receiver for a time, but with a new regime running the show now, Quinn will head to the waiver wire. However, he would certainly profile as a player who could be added to Washington’s 16-man practice squad. Garnett would as well.

The team added Garnett during training camp, but the former first-round pick has never managed to carve out a consistent role as a pro.

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