Are the Miami Dolphins on the brink of signing USFL LB Reuben Foster?

The former 2017 first-round pick has impressed during his short time in the USFL. Could he soon be headed to South Florida to play for the Miami Dolphins?

• By
  
  Josh Houtz
  
• on June 23, 2023 1:30 pm

I remember it like it was yesterday.

It was April 2017, and I was in Philadelphia for my first NFL Draft. Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster was one of the draft’s top prospects. A run-stopping linebacker that hit harder than Thor’s hammer. But off the field, issues arose during the combine, making some teams scoff at the idea of drafting such a player. Nevertheless, he was still my favorite prospect in the class. I wanted him in a Dolphins uniform, but even with the issues, there was no way he’d fall to Miami, who possessed the 22nd overall pick, right?

I became excited as I watched each team pass by the player I coveted most.

“There’s no way this is going to happen. He’s too good of a player!”

“How could this be happening!”

“All my hopes and dreams are about to come true!”

And then, Rodger Goodell said words that would echo through my head for the entire drive home.

With the 22nd pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins select Charles Harris, Defensive End, Missouri.

(IF we’re being honest, Charles Harris has had the better NFL career. At least for now.)

The Dolphins didn’t draft Foster. Instead, he would fall to #31, where the San Francisco 49ers would select him. Head coach Kyle Shanahan had multiple first-round draft picks. He also had two familiar faces on his coaching staff: Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and Tight Ends coach Jon Embree.

Foster would never live up to his full potential, appearing in only 16 games and recording 101 total tackles with the 49ers over his three years in the Bay Area. He also signed with the Washington Commanders before the 2019 season, but a torn ACL derailed his comeback. He currently plays for the Pittsburgh Maulers of the USFL, where he continues to stand out among his peers. But according to his agent on Twitter, Foster could be eying a return to the National Football League, and the Dolphins, alongside two of his former coaches in San Francisco, may be the perfect fit.

Here’s what Foster’s agent said when Dolphins super fan Chris Sacconi asked about getting the hard-hitting linebacker to Miami for training camp.

There’s no guarantee that Foster will sign with the Dolphins or make the opening-day roster. But Miami could clearly use help at inside linebacker, and Reuben Foster may be the perfect depth piece to build a role on special teams. It also hurts no one to bring another body to compete in camp. And who knows, with new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and many other pieces on defense, maybe he can reignite his career. #ReubenFosterToMiami

What are your thoughts on Miami’s current stable of linebackers? Do you think they should sign former first-round pick Reuben Foster? Is linebacker the biggest weakness on the Dolphins’ defense? Let us know in the comments section below!

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