The Redskins And “Shrewd” Aren’t Opposites After All

April 15, 2019

by Eric Hill

Last November, the Redskins claimed troubled linebacker Rueben Foster off waivers after he was cut by the 49ers for yet another accusation of domestic violence.  The backlash for this move was swift and brutal. Every network from ESPN to QVC had something to say about the move and none of it was good. Monday Night Football analyst/professional mumbler Jason Witten spent the better part of a telecast (in which the Redskins weren’t participating) skewering the team for such an insensitive move.

The front office offered up Doug Williams as cannon fodder and he compounded the problem by calling Foster’s actions “small potatoes” compared to other things.  Well played, Doug.  Williams’ comments upgraded the acquisition of Foster from public relations disaster to full-on nightmare.

But here’s the thing: despite the terrible optics, it was a smart football move. It was a calculated risk, which involved looking at the entire situation, weighing risk versus reward and having the guts to take a PR beating when they pulled the trigger. This is something we aren’t used to seeing the Redskins front office doing.

Foster is an exceptionally gifted inside linebacker with two, potentially three years remaining on a cheap rookie contract. Had he cleared waivers and somehow been vindicated, the resulting bidding war for his services could have gotten too rich for the Redskins’ blood.

Foster’s accuser was a woman who had previously accused him of abuse, only to recant later, and had also previously lied under oath about abuse from a previous boyfriend. The team took a chance on the idea that she was likely lying once again. It appears the 49ers also believed this too, as the reason Coach Kyle Shanahan gave for releasing Foster was that the incident involved this woman in particular, rather than because of the allegations themselves.

Most observers assumed that Foster would face a lengthy suspension regardless of the outcome of the criminal investigation, because that’s just how the NFL rolls.  Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot was given a six game vacation in 2017 for a similar incident despite no charges even being filed, so one would assume that Foster could get at least that, this being his second go-round on the domestic abuse train, along with weapons charges and a weird incident at the NFL Combine.

But most observers were wrong. The NFL ruled last week that Foster would not be suspended and instead would only be fined two game checks. The Redskins came up roses. They now have a stud linebacker on a cheap deal who is surrounded by the positive influence of former Alabama teammates Jonathan Allen, Landon Collins, Shaun Dion-Hamilton and Daron Payne.

In summary, the Redskins made a low-risk, high reward move by acquiring a troubled player and letting the discipline sort itself out, which it did to their favor. They now have a significantly upgrade linebacking core and a strong support system in place for Foster. Are we sure this is the Redskins?

Despite the good fortune up until now, this still isn’t a slam dunk move.  The fact that Foster didn’t disassociate with his accuser after the first false accusation speaks to his poor decision making. The onus is now on him to stop spending his days off at Camp Crazyhoe and focus on football. He also has a surgically repaired shoulder that could cause him problems on the field. Foster’s career can still go south, but if it does it only cost the Redskins a little bit of bad press, and let’s be honest, they are used to that.

Well done, Redskins. Well done.