Reuben Foster - Pro Football Rumors

49ers Bar Reuben Foster From Workouts Amid Legal Investigation

April 15th, 2018 at 6:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Reuben Foster‘s employment status with the 49ers is now tenuous because of the legal investigation that stems from three felony charges, and the linebacker will not be permitted to join the team until that matter is resolved.

On the eve of their offseason program, the 49ers announced Foster will not be participating in team activities while this investigation is ongoing.

“Reuben Foster will not participate in team activities as he is tending to his legal matters,” the team said in a statement. “As previously stated, his future with the team will be determined by the information revealed during the legal process.”

The Alabama product is facing up to 11 years in prison for his alleged domestic violence acts for which he was arrested earlier this year. The former first-round pick is not yet eligible for the commissioner’s exempt list because the league’s investigation is also ongoing. This would have allowed him to work out with the team in the meantime, but the 49ers are making a preemptive strike in that regard, for the time being.

West Rumors: Foster, Mack, Vea, Bynes

April 12th, 2018 at 9:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Reuben Foster is not eligible for the commissioner’s exempt list at this point, Jim Trotter of ESPN.com tweets, so the embattled linebacker would be able to be in attendance on the first day of the 49ers‘ offseason program come Monday. Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area expects Foster to be there (Twitter link), despite circumstances that could well have Foster bound for an ignominious departure after a standout rookie season. Foster will become eligible for the commissioner’s exempt list once the league concludes its investigation into his alleged act of domestic violence — an incident that prompted authorities to charge the 2017 first-round pick with three felonies. Foster could face up to 11 years in prison. Conversely, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link) would be surprised if Foster is with his teammates at 49ers headquarters next week, noting he will probably “stay away for a little bit.” Rapoport said he expects the 49ers to quickly waive Foster if, in fact, they learn the 24-year-old defender committed these crimes.

Here’s the latest from some other West-division cities.

Khalil Mack has not shown up for the first week of Jon Gruden‘s return to the Raiders, but Reggie McKenzie remains confident a contract agreement will come. “This is going to be a big contract and all sides are trying to make everything work,” McKenzie told NFL.com’s Steve Wyche (via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Scott Bair). “It’s about the end result. One thing I know is that we love Khalil Mack and we want to make him a Raider for life. We’ll get through all the other stuff. We understand the business part of it. Everybody is aware of everything and nobody is surprised. Everything, on all sides has been positive.” Wyche reports Mack and Gruden have spoken recently, despite the superstar defensive end’s absence, and McKenzie understands Mack may stay away from the team until a deal is completed.
Vita Vea is eligible to attend both the Seahawks‘ and 49ers’ local pro days, which do not count against teams’ top-30 visits, but he will instead meet with the Redskins next Wednesday, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee tweets. The mammoth ex-Washington Huskies defensive tackle went to high school in the Bay Area. He’s visited several teams and is a surefire first-round pick.
Cardinals linebacker Josh Bynes received $1.25MM in guaranteed money via his latest deal with the team, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic notes. Despite a new coaching staff coming in and the Cards set to turn to a 4-3 setup, Bynes signed to stay in Arizona on a three-year deal. The base value of that contract is $5.575MM, per OverTheCap, but it could max out at close to $10MM. Bynes started 19 games for the Lions between the 2015 and ’16 seasons and was a Cardinals starter in just one 2017 contest. But Steve Wilks sees the 28-year-old former UDFA as a viable candidate to start at middle linebacker.

Latest On 49ers’ Reuben Foster

April 12th, 2018 at 11:43am CST by Zachary Links

49ers linebacker Reuben Foster is facing multiple felony charges and one misdemeanor in relation to a February incident, according to a press release from the Santa Clara District Attorney’s office. If convicted, he’ll face more than eleven years in prison.

Foster faces charges of domestic violence with an allegation that he inflicted great bodily injury, forcefully attempting to prevent a victim from reporting a crime, and possession of an assault weapon, all of which are felonies. He is also charged with misdemeanor possession of a “large capacity weapon magazine.” Foster will be arraigned in California on Thursday afternoon.

Per the DA’s office, Foster’s victim “told responding sheriff’s deputies and Los Gatos police that Foster dragged her by her hair, physically threw her out of the house, and punched her in the head eight to ten times.” In response, the 49ers released a statement indicating that Foster will be jettisoned if he his found guilty of the more serious charges:

“The 49ers organization is aware of today’s disturbing charges regarding Reuben Foster. We will continue to follow this serious matter. Reuben is aware that his place in our organization is under great scrutiny and will depend on what is learned through the legal process.”

Foster made an impact right out of the gate as a rookie in 2017, tallying 72 total tackles in ten games (all starts). In November, he earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month honors and appeared to be on track for a promising NFL career. Right now, his football future is very much in jeopardy.

Latest On 49ers, Reuben Foster

March 29th, 2018 at 10:31am CST by Ryan Posner

While speaking at the NFL owners meetings, 49ers CEO Jed York seemed to indicate that linebacker Reuben Foster‘s spot on the team was safe following a pair of offseason arrests. But York also suggested that Foster is on thin ice with the organization.

“From my conversations with John (Lynch) and Kyle (Shanahan), I know Reuben is very cognizant of where his position is right now,” York said, via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. “And his time with the 49ers could potentially be over if he continues to do things outside of the team that aren’t what we want him to be a part of.”

There is still a decision to be made as to whether Foster will face criminal charges from the Santa Clara County District Attorney stemming from his arrest on suspicion of domestic violence in February.

“We have to wait until that happens but that will obviously be something that we get together and discuss whatever comes down when those issues come up and figure out where we move from there,” York continued.

Foster was also arrested in January in Alabama for possession of marijuana.

“We’d love Reuben to be on this team,” York said Wednesday, per Branch. “And we’d love him to participate for us, but if he’s not doing things off the field that allow us to be able to rely on him — or he’s doing something that we’re not comfortable with off the field and it’s proven that’s what’s going on — I think the guys have said then you’re just going to have to move on.”

Foster had a productive rookie season for San Francisco after being selected with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2017 draft out of Alabama. He started 10 games, collecting 59 tackles, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the top rookie linebacker in the NFL.

NFC West Notes: Wilson, Cardinals, Foster

February 18th, 2018 at 10:23am CST by Rory Parks

Yesterday, we learned that Seahawks QB Russell Wilson could be in line for a new contract with an AAV of $30MM as early as next offseason (he is under club control through 2019, and Seattle does not revisit deals that have more than one year remaining). While that report raised some eyebrows, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com (who penned the above-referenced article) tweets that Wilson’s current deal — which he signed in 2015 — has an AAV of 15.31% of the 2015 salary cap. A $30MM AAV on his next contract would represent 15.87% of the projected 2019 cap, so it would be a reasonable benchmark for Wilson to shoot for. Given that, and given Wilson’s accomplishments in the league, a $30MM/year deal does not seem especially far-fetched.

Now let’s take a look at a few more rumors from the NFC West:

Just like 2013, Steve Keim‘s first year as the Cardinals‘ GM, Arizona has a void at quarterback. During a recent interview on 98.7 FM, Keim addressed that need (article via Vince Marotta of ArizonaSports.com). He indicated that the team would be active in the free agent market, which is as rich in QB talent as it has been at any time in recent memory, and he did not rule out the possibility of a trade. Of course, whether they do so via free agency, a trade, or the draft, the Cardinals will need to acquire at least two signal-callers this offseason.
As Matt Maiocco of NBCSports.com observes, when the 49ers have released a player due to off-field issues in the past, they have done so immediately. The fact that San Francisco has yet to release Reuben Foster in light of the recent domestic violence allegations levied against him indicates to Maiocco that the team has not seen enough concrete information to cut ties with the former Alabama standout.
In the same piece, Maiocco reiterates that the 49ers will look to re-sign LB Brock Coyle, assuming the team is confident that Coyle will make a full recovery from his offseason shoulder surgery. Maiocco is also more optimistic than other writers that the 49ers will be able to retain DE Tank Carradine .

Extra Points: Carrie, Foster, Johnson, Tags

February 17th, 2018 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two of the top wide receivers expected to be available on this year’s UFA market may not be locks to leave their previous teams. The Jaguars and Rams face decisions on Allen Robinson and Sammy Watkins, respectively, and Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com expects both wideouts to be franchise-tagged by the March deadline. The Jags have both Robinson and Marqise Lee as free agent WRs, and Robinson has posted the best season of any wideout in this UFA class. But the 24-year-old pass-catcher’s 2015 campaign (80 receptions, 1,400 yards, 14 touchdown catches) thus far serves as the outlier, and Robinson didn’t have a chance to rebound from a lesser 2016 slate (73/883/6) — albeit with a worse Blake Bortles showing that year — on it after going down in Week 1.

Watkins being tagged would be notable since the Rams also have Lamarcus Joyner as a tag candidate. Joyner may be the best safety on the market, if he reaches free agency. The Rams also have an Aaron Donald contract to prepare for, so it’s a complicated offseason for the reigning NFC West champs. The receiver tag is expected to come in at $16.2MM, and Watkins’ L.A. work thus far would not justify that price. That could also complicate matters for the Jags, who have Bortles’ fifth-year number of $19MM set to vest come March. A Robinson tag would add a considerable figure to the Jacksonville payroll.

As teams continue to prepare for the Combine and free agency, here’s the latest from around the league.

Derrick Johnson confirmed on Instagram he will not be back with the Chiefs next season. This news emerged earlier this week and will conclude a 13-season run for Johnson, who will end his Kansas City career as one of the franchise’s best defenders. However, Johnson wants to play a 14th season. The 35-year-old linebacker may have regressed a bit but could be an interesting fit for a linebacker-needy team on a one-year deal.
The 49ers spoke to Reuben Foster in person and by phone this week, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports. The linebacker is being investigated for an alleged domestic violence incident, leading to his second arrest of the offseason, that occurred last weekend.
Despite his Raiders contract having expired, T.J. Carrie met with the new Silver and Black coaching staff this week, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Carrie functioned as a full-time starter with Oakland last season. The Raiders released David Amerson earlier this month and could well move on from Sean Smith free of charge soon. Pro Football Focus’ No. 22 corner in 2017, Carrie is coming off his best season and would be an interesting name to on the market. But the former seventh-round pick told Kawahara he would like to stay with the Raiders. “I’m a hometown kid. I’m a Bay Area kid. I couldn’t see myself being anywhere else than Oakland,” Carrie said. “… I’ve loved and I’ve dreamed of playing for the Raiders for such a long time. And now that I’ve had the opportunity to play there for four years, I want to finish there.”
The Lions hired Erik Kunttu to run their video operations department, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com notes. This hire proves interesting because it adds to an unusual pipeline. Counting Matt Patricia, there are now seven members of the 2018 Lions’ staff who were on the 2001 Syracuse staff, per Meinke. Patricia spent three seasons serving as an offensive graduate assistant at the then-Big East program, and then-Syracuse head coach Paul Pasqualoni will join Patricia in guiding the Detroit defense.

Latest On Reuben Foster

February 12th, 2018 at 8:14pm CST by Micah Powell

On Sunday, Reuben Foster was arrested and booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on charges relating to domestic violence. On Monday, The Mercury News’ Robert Salonga and Cam Inman report that his girlfriend accused Foster of physically dragging her during an argument in a home in Los Gatos.

According to their sources, the incident left the woman injured but the extent of those injuries were not disclosed. She also told police during a 911 call that he owned semiautomatic rifles, and officers recovered a SIG Sauer 516 short-barreled rifle. Foster was booked on suspicion of domestic violence, making criminal threats, and possessing an assault weapon. He was later released after he posted $75,000 bail.

If found guilty of domestic violence, Foster could face one to four years in jail. Another year or more could be tacked onto that for the assault weapon, Inman reports.

This is Foster’s second arrest within the last month. The 2017 first-round pick was arrested on second-degree marijuana possession charges in mid-January. That arrest figures to void some of Foster’s guarantees. This one could well affect his availability for the 2018 season. A six-game suspension is in play for Foster, even if he’s not ultimately convicted.

Foster went into the team facility and met with team officials today following his arrest, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported (Twitter link). He adds that a resolution will not happen quick, as the team plans to go through a fact-finding process.

The current San Francisco power structure has acted swiftly in the past when dealing with domestic violence incidents. Although charges against Tramaine Brock were later dropped, the 49ers cut the productive cornerback the day after he was arrested last April. It’s extremely unlikely they’ll take this route with Foster, however, given his standing within the organization. But the second-year player is now probably on much thinner ice with his team.

The rookie played in 10 games in 2017, making 72 tackles. The 49ers traded back into the first round to draft him at No. 31 after the Alabama product fell from a high first-round pick due to injury concerns.

Extra Points: Browns, Colts, Giants, Britt

February 11th, 2018 at 9:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Had the Browns been able to land Alex Smith, they would have strongly considered trading out of the No. 1 spot. The Browns tried to give the Chiefs one of their three second-round picks for the quarterback, and had Kansas City not chosen Washington’s offer, the Browns would have “aggressively shopped” their top pick, per Matt Miller of Bleacher Report. This would have been an interesting strategy given what’s transpired over the past two drafts in Cleveland, with the currently woeful franchise passing on Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson, but the Browns do have the No. 4 pick as well. That could be used on a quarterback, and Miller hears the team is still considering trading down from one of its two top-five spots (but not both). The Browns have been connected to four quarterbacks at No. 1, with newly hired consultant Scot McCloughan being a staunch Baker Mayfield proponent.

Here’s more from the draft and a look at some Western-division franchises:

Neither the Giants nor the Colts are committed to staying at Nos. 2 and 3 in the draft. Both picks are for sale, Miller notes. The likely scenario coming out of last season was a Giants quarterback pick, since they have not held a top-five choice in 14 years, but new management has come out with effusive Eli Manning praise. The Giants trading out of a possible franchise-quarterback spot would be interesting given Manning’s age and their rare opportunity atop a draft. The Colts would make more sense as a trade-down team, with numerous needs after a season that saw them rank 31st on offense and 30th on defense. Andrew Luck‘s murky timeline notwithstanding, Indianapolis is not a threat to take a first-round quarterback and could well leverage other teams who are interested in doing so.
Miller did not mention the Broncos as a trade-down candidate from No. 5, but what happens in March will determine how they operate. If Kirk Cousins is set on establishing a new NFL salary threshold, the Broncos may need to do more than trade or cut Aqib Talib to clear sufficient funding. While the Broncos would have $37MM-plus in cap space after jettisoning Talib, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post writes they might also consider putting Emmanuel Sanders on the block. Soon to be 31 and coming off his worst season as a Bronco, one limited by an ankle injury, Sanders stands to count $10.9MM against the Broncos’ 2018 cap. Sanders’ age and 2017 season aside, the franchise has experienced rampant trouble finding wideouts since its successful 2014 Sanders signing and Cousins choosing the Broncos would likely be partially because of their veteran core. A Sanders departure would deplete that setup.
Justin Britt‘s Seahawks extension contains a $5MM option bonus that is expected to be picked up, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com notes. Britt signed a three-year, $27MM extension last year. The Seahawks not picking up this bonus, however, would only void the final year of the contract (2020) and shift the money to a different year. If the option is not picked up, the $5MM from 2020 would be added to Britt’s 2018 base salary, thus increasing it from $2.75MM to $7.75MM, per Henderson. Additionally, Britt’s $2.75MM ’18 base became fully guaranteed on Friday.
The NFL is going to look into the matter of Reuben Foster‘s arrest, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Police responded to a disturbance call made at 9:15am Sunday, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports. The 49ers linebacker was released from jail at around 8:35pm CT on $75K bail, per Barrows. He was booked on charges of domestic violence and possession of an assault rifle, Barrows reports.

Reuben Foster Arrested On Domestic Violence-Related Charges

February 11th, 2018 at 6:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Reuben Foster is currently being held in Santa Clara County Jail after being booked Sunday on charges relating to domestic violence, Sarah Ravani and Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle report.

The 23-year-old 49ers linebacker remains in jail, according to the Chronicle writers. Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News tweets Foster is being held on $75,000 bail. The 49ers are aware of the arrest and gathering information, per Branch (on Twitter).

In addition to the domestic violence allegation, Foster was also booked on suspicion for possessing an assault rifle, Robert Salonga of the Mercury News reports (via Twitter).

This is Foster’s second arrest within the last month, although this one appears far more serious.

The 2017 first-round pick was arrested on second-degree marijuana possession charges in mid-January. That arrest figures to void some of Foster’s guarantees. This one could well affect his availability for the 2018 season. A six-game suspension is in play for Foster, even if he’s not ultimately convicted. Branch tweets it’s unknown if league discipline will be levied for the January marijuana arrest.

Foster’s draft stock fell because of injuries and potentially his being kicked out of the Combine last year. While the 49ers look to have drafted a high-ceiling talent, with Foster playing well when available during his rookie season, the former Alabama stalwart has some potentially significant off-field baggage to surmount.

The current San Francisco power structure has acted swiftly in the past when dealing with domestic violence incidents. Although charges against Tramaine Brock were later dropped, the 49ers cut the productive cornerback the day after he was arrested last April. It’s extremely unlikely they’ll take this route with Foster, however, given his standing within the organization. But the second-year player is now probably on much thinner ice with his team.

West Notes: Broncos, Seahawks, 49ers

January 15th, 2018 at 10:00pm CST by GregGoldstein

The Broncos have fallen quite a ways from their Super Bowl 50 win about two years ago. The team’s biggest question mark is obviously at quarterback, but there are a number of questions that John Elway and company will have to answer over the course of the offseason, explains Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post.

Jhabvala mentions that the Broncos wide receiver position could really change over the next few months depending on how the front office approaches some of the playmakers that could enter free agency. The big name she mentions is Demaryius Thomas who could test the open market should Denver decline his $4MM option. He’s controllable for non-guaranteed salaries for the next two seasons, but the team could save some money or re-negotiate a new contract before a decision has to be made about that option. In addition to Thomas, Cody Latimer is an unrestricted free agent, Bennie Fowler is a restricted free agent and Emmanuel Sanders is a controllable veteran that could hit the trade block if the team rather invest in Thomas long-term.

Jhabvala also focuses on veteran cornerback Aqib Talib. She notes how he’ll turn 32 in February and is set to make $11MM in 2018. Although, the Broncos would only be responsible for $1MM if he were to be released. With Chris Harris and Bradley Roby under contract as well, it’s unlikely the team would hold onto all three for next season.

The article finally keys in on Denver’s starting running back, C.J. Anderson. Anderson is paid well for his position as he’ll make $4.4MM next season. However, his last two years of his original four-year deal that he signed in 2016 are non-guaranteed, so there is definitely significant money to be saved should the team move onto the likes of Devontae Booker, De’Angelo Henderson or potentially a another running back that they draft in April.

Here’s more from the NFL’s West divisions:

Denver has to deal with an off-the-field problem at receiver as well. Their 2017 third-round draft pick, Carlos Henderson, was arrested this afternoon for possession of marijuana, per Brad Cesak of NBC6News (Twitter link). The 23-year-old was placed on the injured reserve with a thumb injury in the preseason, but could face league discipline for his most recent incident. This would be his first offense, but it’s not encouraging for a Broncos team potentially looking for steady contributors on that side of the ball.
The news that Pete Carroll would be replacing Darrell Bevell with Brian Schottenheimer as Seattle’s next offensive coordinator was met with some skepticism across the football world. However, Seahawks backup quarterback Austin Davis thinks that the change will bring some positivity to the team’s offense in 2018, reports Brady Henderson of ESPN.com. Schottenheimer coached Davis for three seasons while the two were in St. Louis. “We were very creative in St. Louis,” Davis told 710 ESPN Seattle. “We threw a lot of things at the defense, whether it was drop-back, whether it was play-action, whether it was quarterback movement, we had it all. And we were a really good screen team. If there was one thing I could pick out from last year, we couldn’t run screens.” The Seahawks offense was carried by Russell Wilson last season and is in need of a new identity as the team looks to get back into the postseason.
49ers promising rookie linebacker Reuben Foster recently got in trouble with the law for having possession of marijuana, which is likely to effect his paycheck in the years to come. The 2017 first-round pick had about $2.5MM in guaranteed money from 2018-2020, but that will probably be voided because of specific wording in his contract, according to Joel Corry of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Corry explained that Foster had a clause in his contract that if he were to be fined for a violation of the NFL’s drug policy, that money would lose its guaranteed status. The former Alabama defender fell down the draft board a bit last year because of some personality issues, and his immaturity has now clearly cost him in terms of his wallet.
Current 49ers starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo made some extra cash after the Patriots beat the Titans to advance to the AFC Championship, according to Corry in another tweet. Corry reports that Garoppolo received an extra $51k in playoff money for the victory because he was with New England for at least eight games this past regular season.