Browns Digest

Browns to Work Out LB Reuben Foster Friday per Report

The Cleveland Browns are going to have a workout with free agent linebacker Reuben Foster Friday per Kimberly A. Martin of ESPN.

Pete Smith

According to a report from Kimberly A. Wilson of ESPN, the Cleveland Browns will have a workout with free agent linebacker Reuben Foster on Friday.

Foster, the 31st pick of the 2017 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, has displayed talent, but has run into a number of issues in the NFL. The 27-year old linebacker has started 16 games over two seasons, all with the 49ers. He started 10 as a rookie and then six in 2018.

At the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine, Foster was sent home after he had an altercation with medical personnel. He had a diluted sample, which was called a positive test. Sketchy, but Foster was later arrested in Alabama for marijuana possession in January of 2018.

In February of 2018, Foster was charged with domestic violence. As it turned out, the woman who accused Foster of inflicting great bodily harm, Elissa Ennis, had actually suffered the injuries in a fight with another woman. In fact, she had been charged and went to jail for falsely accusing another man of domestic violence.

The charges for domestic assault were then dismissed. Foster did plea no contest for possession of an assault weapon.

November 24th of that same year, Foster was again accused of domestic violence. Once again, it was Ennis. The 49ers released him the next day, which may have had just as much to do with the fact that he was still engaging with Ennis than it did another ugly headline and charge.

The Washington Football team claimed Foster on waivers, who was then put on Commissioner's Exemption List by Roger Goodell.

Beyond all of the legal entanglements and poor choices away from the field, Foster has also missed 48 games due to injuries. In fact, the first practice he took part of with Washington in 2019 after he was reinstated, he suffered a knee injury. That is the last time he has been with an NFL team over a year ago.

The Browns took a similar gamble on defensive tackle Malik McDowell and to this point, it has been a tremendous success. It's only a workout with Foster, so it may not yield anything. However, it's another example of leaving no stone unturned to try to find talent. It also may not speak highly of how the Browns feel about their linebacker position at the moment.

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Pete Smith
PETE SMITH

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