The Bears draft Reuben Foster movement was short-lived. While there is no doubting the Alabama linebacker is a special talent, taking him #3 overall wouldn’t have been responsible. Inside linebackers just don’t impact games enough to warrant such a high selection. That would explain why Chicago was interested in trading down according to several rumors.
It’s not like they’re comfortable at the position anyway. Jerrell Freeman is pushing further into his 30s. Danny Trevathan has a very concerning knee injury he’s still not back from. Nick Kwiatkoski is far from proven. Given the importance of inside linebackers in that Vic Fangio scheme, it makes perfect sense the Bears would be interested. Odds are though they don’t get him.
Well that may have just changed.
Can the Bears draft Reuben Foster….in the 2nd round!?
It sounds utterly absurd. Not too long ago Foster was considered a top 10 lock. Now all of a sudden there is a growing belief the Crimson Tide hunter could fall out of the first round entirely. At least according to former executive Michael Lombardi. Foster already has a medical history worth monitoring. Then he showcased a temper when he got into a heated confrontation at the scouting combine with a hospital staff worker.
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If that weren’t bad enough, it’s been revealed that one of his urine samples was diluted, which constitutes a failed drug test.
#Bama LB Reuben Foster tells me he had a diluted urine sample during his Combine Drug test. My story: https://t.co/XjwPMMsqju
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 20, 2017
Pile all those things together and there is a growing belief teams won’t want to change taking him early. Nobody likes unpredictable prospects, at least in the first round. Lombardi now believes he will land somewhere in the early second round range. Right where the Bears will be hovering with the #36 pick.
Teams picking between 33-45 will need to make sure they are comfortable with R. Foster, cause he will be there.
— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) April 21, 2017
Of course the Bears would be facing a risk they may not want given the injury problems their team has already suffered. Yet it’s impossible to ignore the kind of value they’d be getting. Foster is a first round talent. No ifs, ands or buts about it. He’s a plug-and-play starter from Day 1 with the kind of skill that will remind Fangio of Patrick Willis. Everybody remembers how great those 49ers defense were with Willis in the middle.
Acceptable risk?
Things become evident pretty quick with Foster. He sees where the ball is going quickly, flies to it and arrives with violent intentions. This is the kind of tough, aggressive player who can make a defense go from respected to feared. What some might call an “enforcer.” Put him behind Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman, maybe even with a Jonathan Allen or Solomon Thomas? That front seven will terrorize opponents.
It will come down to Pace in the end. Will he be willing to put “best player available” ahead of the the question marks surrounding Foster? Coaches and teammates continue to swear by him, and he never failed tests in college. So it’s about weighing the odds and making the call. Odds are he still won’t fall far enough, but if he did?
Yeah that would be a stroke of potential great luck for the Bears right when they need it most.
