:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/54369909/usa_today_9819928.0.jpg)
Former Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster has not had the best offseason. A reported skirmish between him and a hospital employee saw him forced to leave the Indianapolis scouting combine early. According to a recent report, that wasn't the only misstep that took place for him at the showcase:
Breaking: Former Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster tested positive for a diluted urine sample at the NFL combine. https://t.co/d8udU33BrT pic.twitter.com/8vUSgZbENm
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 20, 2017
This is yet another bad look for the polarizing Foster, whose off the field issues (however minor some may think them) are beginning to overshadow how good of a player he truly is. Make no mistake, Foster is at least a top-10 talent in this draft, but it is likely that some of these incidents will cause him to fall a bit farther than that.
According to Ian Rapoport, Foster stated that the diluted sample was due to him drinking too much water prior to the combine. It seems that whenever this type of thing happens, that is always the provided excuse, so take his response here with a grain of salt.
Now that this has gotten out, speculation among Ravens’ media circles has already begun to swirl about whether this will be enough to push Foster down to their pick at number 16:
Would be interesting to see if this is enough for him to drop to 16. I have a hard time believing the Ravens would be able to pass him up https://t.co/IXNpGwoXeL
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiecsun) April 20, 2017
The Ravens picking him in the first round was an idea that I put forward in my most recent first round mock, and I was thoroughly put in my place by several commenters who either hated the pick, or scoffed at the idea that I had them trading up to get him. I can understand the trepidation about trading up for Foster, but if he does fall to sixteen, Zrebiec’s belief that they'll very much consider picking him is right on the money in my mind.
No matter what you make of Foster as a person, he is an absolute Spartan in between the numbers, and can do just about anything asked of him. A potential Foster-Mosley pairing in the middle of a Dean Pees defense is a ticket I can very much get behind.
Mosley and Foster are already good friends. This is something that Zrebiec confirmed in response to a tweet that asked him about the relationship the two had. If there's any player at Foster’s position who can help him screw his head on straight, it would be the squeaky clean pro-bowler in Mosley.
One week from now, if Foster is holding up a Ravens’ jersey with his name on it, I won't tell you how you should feel about it. I'll only say that you shouldn't be surprised in the least bit.