@texasag1969 said:

But, he would not be operating with Garrett. Browns take MT...and so they need their defender at 12. Foster could be the choice.

If he's not there....someone else.

Maybe the Browns go Ghoolie....and address their two biggest needs on offense in round 1: MT plus OJ. And leave defense for the rest of the draft.

How about that?

@the-gipper said:

Bird in hand worth 2 in the bush. Foster will be gone by 12 and if he is there, he would be great operating with Garrett-best of both worlds and use a lot of that ammunition to acquire more for the QB's next year. I just like them better next year.

@londonbrown said:

A risk they all take.

@texasag1969 said:

Honestly, our need for an OLB, who can rush, cover the TE, and hold the edge on running plays is greater than our need for a strictly DE.

Of course, you can say: but you can't pass up the great player just because he doesn't exactly fit our position of need. I hear that.

But, if Foster is the beast some say....he may actually turn out to be better than that guy you want at #1.

So....maybe the Browns take MT at #1 and Foster at #12.

What would you think about that?

@texasag1969 said:

Yes, he's that good. He reads plays and gets to the ball like the best in the league.

Then he tackles head first and gets concussed...

@the-gipper said:

Yes, he's that good. He reads plays and gets to the ball like the best in the league.

@mudfly said:

I would take him at 12....IF he were an OLB....a prime position of need. But we already got an ILB playing OLB: Collins.

Can Foster play full time at OLB....or roam?

You never know with any player, what they will become and this one has been a dependable hard working - hard playing teammate for years....never an issue...no arrests...no suspensions....no history of drugs....

Unlike some of our other problem children, who had extensive histories of trouble before they were drafted....

At this point, nobody has shown that he's done anything wrong....except hydrate....

@jcam222 said:

The joy for football he showed in his face during the segment with McShay was overwhelming.

Searched for video, but came up empty.

@tour2ma said:

Update: The follow up interview segment on NFL LIve was a pretty bland repeat with Wendy Nix subbing for Trey Wingo, who was traveling to Philly, and then a board session with Mark May... who did all the talking.

Added just enough to put him all the way back on my board. He's my pick at 12, if he's there. Only Adams and Thomas, in that order, would beat him out for that pick.

Added just enough to put him all the way back on my board. He's my pick at 12, if he's there. Only Adams and Thomas, in that order, would beat him out for that pick.

@wargograw said:

Good question... and a question I've raised with Budda Baker.

I like Reuben's chances better than I like Budda's. From what I've seen he's a heads-up, form tackler, not primarily a roll blocking tackler. Plus at 229 he's not tiny and will likely add another 10 pounds pretty easily.

I wonder though if his small stature will mean his body can't cash the checks his attitude is writing?

Started off on-on-one with hostess for the show, on bar stools in open stage clearly uncomfortable and expecting the "diluted" and "hospital altercation" questions. She instead started off with "So what was the most unusual question you were asked?" It threw him.... he came up empty.

Then came "diluted" and he retold his illness story. Said he became ill a week before and dropped to 223# and knew that weight would alarm teams expecting him at 229. With food not staying in him, he resorted to pounding fluids, not just to hydrate, but keep weight... and he did.

Then she hit him with another non-red-flag question... and he did better, but was still seemed distracted waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Question three was the altercation. While he did not go into details of what happened, he went into what he did to make amends for it. He apologized to a long list of staff from Dr.'s to the Head Nurse and her staff to the nurse with which he got into the verbal altercation. He was contrite, he was humble, he was genuine.

I could see the weight of the wait to address both issues come off of him.

Next he was asked about folks who simply would not believe him in either event, to which he simply replied that he understood some would not, but he'd done all he could do. That he can only give his word that what he said was true and point to the fact that in his BAMA time he never failed a test, never caused a problem, was never disciplined for any problem.

The work done he then beamed through answers to final questions about family and what it will mean to be drafted.

They then went to a video board where McShay was waiting to look at a couple of his plays and Foster was beaming. Rather than McShay breaking down what he saw, Todd had Foster talk him through both plays. What he saw pre-snap... What were his keys... What were his thoughts on the move.

Foster killed it... he not only nailed his part, but ID's the formation... which offensive players were tipping what... what were his teammates' responsibilities. He was fast. He was thorough. He was authoritative. His love of the game was obvious.

At the end of the the first play, a counter run with Foster having to meet the pulling TE in the hole and stuff him, Todd asked "What next". Foster replied, "Just be a dog," as he shucked the TE and dove into the runner's legs taking him to the ground.

If possible he was even more impressive breaking down the second play, a pass play where he ended up with a breakup on a shallow cross route by his third option on the play. An option he had to select based upon reads he anticipated two of his teammates would make based upon what he saw. All this in a span of maybe 3 seconds with one of his teammates behind him and the crosser at best in his peripheral vision.

He blew me away...

Hugs all around and the segment was over.

Yup..... halfway back on my board. He's following up on NFL Live which I've DVR'd for viewing a little later. I like his chances of coming all the way back.

@tiamat63 said:

Here's mine..........HA!

@tiamat63 said:

or more... :lol: :lol: .... 9/10... at least...

@cainedesoulis said:

mid 2nd round... more character issues than manziel at this point...

That's good for a laugh.

@mudfly said:

1 issues bother me..1.you work to hard to finally get paid & you got to know it's all about passing that drug test coming..You got to Control the Questions of what goes in your body.. a 2nd maybe Paranoid!!.some nurses or doctors can make dopers panic worst than a cop..Combine imo was pure dopers panic as I see it now

@tour2ma said:

Depends on whether you believe his "dehydration" explanation. The fact that he jumped in front of this story, that he made it public and contacted every team personally to make his case speaks volumes to me. Bit as Louis Reddick (IIRC) said on both NFL insiders and Live yesterday, at this point teams are looking at this "fail" as "confirmation bias"... same as they do any new information on any prospect at this point in the draft prep process. In other words if they were leaning "no", then they are now likely a firm no. But if they were still a firm "yes" after the Combine dust up, then they are likelier to remain a yes pending the results of renewed due diligence.

One positive for Foster is that several FOs have told Riddick that he has never tested positive for anything at any level. Another is that in general teams have satisfied themselves that the Combine incident had an antagonist on the hospital staff as well. Plus if you add in a physical illness factor on Foster's side of the ledger, it makes his over reaction more understandable. But key here is that any "food poisoning" should have been part of the initial narrative Foster supplied. If it was not, then teams have a legitimate reason to doubt him.

While I am still pro-Foster at 12, obviously the one thing I can't do is meet with him face-to-face and take a personal measure of his "story". But I will have a opportunity to do the next best thing... see him tell it.

Foster is scheduled to be on NFL Insiders and NFL Live this Tuesday.

So I'll get back to y'all late, Tuesday afternoon...

@mudfly said:

This is great news....means we can have him at 12.....along with Garrett....

... or lower... if enough teams are offput, then a trade down of 12 to a spot that still lands Foster could be sweet. But if I am convinced enough of the truth of his explanation to do that, I'm likely not the only one that';s been convinced.