Does D. Ward hurt Foster's value?

[vansmack32]

I'd like to think not, given Texans cut Chris Johnson and need a backup to Foster.

 

Thoughts?

[piratesownninjas]

it was chris henry that was cut.

 

I dont think it will hurt Fosters value. The only thing that can hurt Fosters value is

A. Fumbles

B. Injury

[BearBroncos]

+1 /\

|

 

Ward could hold the lead job in NY or in TB, whats to think he's going to steal it from a youngster in Houston?

[Pip's Invitation]

Ward is only on the team because Jeremiah Johnson got hurt.

 

So only worry about Ward if you were worried about Jeremiah Johnson.

[wolfer]

Ward was awful in preseason, and a few pounds overweight to boot. He's always had good hands though, good pass protection skills on third downs, etc, so maybe we shouldn't jump the gun on viewing Foster as a 3-down, goal line feature back.

 

I still think he's in line for a hell of a lot of touches against Indy week 1...

[Randall]

Interesting story from Peter King

 

 

Who is Arian Foster?

 

In 2007, Ryan Grant entered the year as training-camp filler for the Giants and ended up a major playoff factor for the Packers. In 2008, Steve Slaton, a late-third-round pick, rode a hot spurt to finish sixth in the NFL in rushing. Last year, Cleveland's Jerome Harrison basically had a fantasy season down the stretch, running for 286 yards in Kansas City and, for the season, outrushing Joseph Addai with 25 fewer carries.

 

This year, the breakthrough running back could be the Texans' Arian Foster. On the road for much of the past month, I bet I got approached by 50 fans asking me for fantasy advice. (No! Don't take it!) I had a few pet names -- running back Ryan Mathews (easy), and wideouts Mike Wallace (all-around) and Denver receiver Eric Decker (touchdowns). But the guy who could have more value than all of them is Foster.

The 2009 undrafted free agent out of Tennessee has grabbed the starting job with no strings, and with the fleet Ben Tate on IR after a preseason injury, I expect Foster to put up silly numbers in an offense that fits him perfectly. He's the kind of one-cut-and-get-upfield runner the Denver disciples running Houston's offense (coach Gary Kubiak, offensive coordinator Rick Dennison) love, and at 6-1 and 225, he has the kind of power to break tackles and keep the chains moving.

 

Very interesting story. Foster was a star running back at Tennessee when, after his junior season, he petitioned the NFL to see where he was likely to be drafted. Second round, the answer came back. Foster decided to stay at Tennessee for the 2008 season. Disaster ensued. It was Philip Fulmer's last year, the program collapsed, Foster fumbled too much, and his stock dropped. At Senior Bowl practices after the season, he pulled a hamstring. He couldn't run at the combine, wasn't ready to run at his pro day and, rushing to get healthy so he could work out for teams before the draft, never allowed the hammy to get healthy. Consequently, he failed to run a decent 40.

 

On draft weekend, figuring he wouldn't get picked as the seventh round wound down, he had four teams interested in him as a free agent: New Orleans, Houston, Tampa Bay and the Jets. As he got on the phone with each, his girlfriend, Romina Reinhart, went online and found the depth chart of each team to see what the competition would be like.

 

"Oh, she's a good one,'' Foster said, laughing. "She was working hard, finding each depth chart. I'm on the phone with the Saints, and she's got their running backs lined up. What it came down to, and not to put anybody down because I respect everyone's ability, is that I thought I had the best chance with Houston. When I was growing up in San Diego, I idolized Terrell Davis. He was the same kind of diamond-in-the-rough back as me coming out of college, and he went to the Denver system and it was a great fit for him. I think that system fits my style. Zone-blocking, use your vision as a back, get a feel for the defense, get upfield. That's the kind of runner I am.''

 

Foster earned a spot on the Houston practice squad, and when injuries and Steve Slaton's fumble-itis hit late in the season, he was promoted. In the final two games of the season, he rushed for 216 yards and thrust himself into the Texans' 2010 plans. "Just before OTAs started up again,'' he said, "we all got letters from the team with the schedule. And Coach Koob [Kubiak] wrote in my letter, 'The biggest jump for a player in the NFL comes between year one and year two.' That struck me to my core. So I came in focused to become better at every aspect of my game. Everyone wants someone to believe in him, and I feel with me that's Coach Koob.''

 

Pretty interesting that Foster's on a nickname basis with his boss. Anyway, Foster's a bright kid. Majored in philosophy. Takes pride in expressing himself thoroughly and intelligently. And he realizes that the worst thing he could do now is to feel like he's accomplished something.

 

"History tells us that any pinnacle you're on, you'll eventually come down,'' Foster said. "My mentality as long as I'm in the NFL will be, I've never arrived. I'll always have a blue-collar attitude in a white-collar world.''

 

In six days, he'll have a lot to do with whether the Texans can slay the almighty Colts in the season-opener. Foster's come a long way, but don't tell him that.

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writ.../05/mmqb/1.html

[Capt. Stanky]

In one word, NO. Ward couldn't make TB's final roster. He's nothing more than a change of pace to spell Foster early on in the season if Slaton can't go. Foster's assention to 1 back might have been easier with the season ending injury to Ben Tate, but he's in one of the better situations in the leage, outside of the top 8 backs (AP, CJ, MJD, RR, Gore, Turner, S-Jax Mendy). I don't think that means you have to take him shortly after the backs I've listed, but I'm hard pressed to find a better situation outside of the top 8. Draft him with confidence as a high end RB2.