Browns: Signing Reuben Foster would be the ultimate mistake

The Browns are working out Reuben Foster

The Browns have made some suspicious decisions in the past but signing Reuben Foster would be one decision too far. The team already has enough people on redemption arcs, the last thing they need is a man who’s been accused of domestic violence twice in the same calendar year. It boggles the mind that GM Andrew Berry is actually thinking that players with little-to-no character are going to help the team succeed.

Foster’s two domestic violence arrests, even though one accusation was recanted, is enough to never sign the guy. Keep in mind it was the same woman in both and while she recanted the first accusation, she later said after the second that she was lying to protect Foster’s career. The second charge was thrown out by the prosecutor because they didn’t have enough evidence.

Foster has also had a history of violent outbursts in the past, getting kicked out of the NFL combine for getting into some sort of altercation with a hospital worker. Over what? Because the doctor told Foster he had to wait for his turn. Foster allegedly responded by saying “Do you know who I am?” and then at some point threatened to assault the doctor.

The 49ers drafted Foster and his own former head coach with the team, Kyle Shanahan, even said that it was impossible to trust him after the second arrest. That tells you that there is far more to the Foster situation than we even know.

Yet, here we are again, watching the Browns work out someone who has proven to be anything but reliable.

Signing Reuben Foster is simply not worth it

Team’s built with explosive personalities are doomed to fail. Ask the Oakland Raiders. Ask the Pittsburgh Steelers. People are who they are at a certain point. If they show you who they are, believe it. Foster is untrustworthy. That’s who he’s shown us to be.

Now, for some reason, fans love to make excuses for guys. “Give him a second chance!” Foster had a second chance in San Francisco. Then in Washington. This would be chance number four. He doesn’t deserve a fourth chance.

Others will point to a team’s culture and say “Look at Kareem Hunt and Malick McDowell!” That’s not a reason to sign anyone.

Everyone is different, people don’t all react or sway with a situation the same as everyone else. Just because Hunt hasn’t had any issues in over 18 months doesn’t mean Foster is going to be a model citizen. Just because McDowell seems to be clean, sober and on the other side of his issues doesn’t mean that Foster is.

A team’s “culture” is not as impactful on a player as people want to believe. A single player is far more likely to impact the culture than anything else. Ask anyone who played a team sport, they’ll tell you, it only took one guy to make people uneasy.

The same is true for the pros. Look at New England. They know this. It’s why they got rid of Antonio Brown after just one game because they knew he was a bigger problem than he was worth.

The Browns need to stop worrying about a player’s talent and worry about a team’s chemistry instead.

Foster can work on his recovery and his redemption elsewhere.

(*The article has been updated with relevant information*)