Reuben Foster is biggest roster wild card for Washington Football Team

Reuben Foster is a wild card for the Washington Football Team with cuts less than a week away.

Earlier during training camp, the Washington Football Team got some good news when Reuben Foster was deemed healthy enough to come off the PUP list. Foster was over a year removed from a brutal knee injury suffered in 2019 OTAs that saw him tear multiple ligaments and suffer nerve damage, but there was no guarantee he would get on the practice field until his activation occurred.

Now able to practice, Foster is working his way back into form. The former first-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers is making progress, but is he ready to take on a role with the Washington Football Team? Or, more importantly, is he healthy enough to do so? That remains to be seen.

Just a few days ago, NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay left Foster off his 53-man roster projection. In that piece, Finlay noted that he hasn’t yet shown explosive athleticism that would make him a true threat at linebacker.

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"This team could really use Reuben Foster but to this point he hasn’t shown the same explosive athleticism that he displayed before blowing out his knee during OTAs in 2019. Maybe that’s coming, but right now it might make sense to try and get Foster to the IR and give him more time to get up to speed. He’s been running with the third team in practice and has a balky brace on hIs knee."

It’s not a major surprise to see Foster that far down the depth chart. After all, he is coming back from an awful injury and it was always going to take him some time to work back from the injury. Getting back on the practice field was critical for him as he looks to get back up to game speed. But as Finlay noted, that may take some time.

If Washington doesn’t think that Foster is ready to contribute, they could stash him on IR for half the season. From there, they would hope that he could return at the season’s midpoint and fight for a spot in the linebacker rotation when he’s a bit healthier. That would give them a chance to evaluate him in game action without trying to rush him back before he’s ready and risking reinjury.

Conversely, if Foster makes enough progress in the final week that Washington is confident keeping him on board in a depth role, they could do that. They could continue to work him on the practice field and keep him inactive until he’s ready to play. That would give them a bit more flexibility about when to bring back Foster. The only question then would be about their depth at the position.

Washington’s other options at linebacker are what makes Foster a true wild card. Coming into the season, linebacker was viewed as a potential weakness for the team, but some unheralded contributors have stepped up. Kevin Pierre-Louis looks to be en route to winning a starting job along with Jon Bostic. Cole Holcomb looks like the third starter while Shaun Dion Hamilton and Thomas Davis appear to be a strong duo of depth options.

Fifth-round pick Khaleke Hudson looks like a ready-made special teams contributor that can play at the SAM position. And while Ryan Anderson seems more likely to factor into the edge rusher battle — at least based on how Jack Del Rio has discussed his role — he could also play the SAM.

That room looks crowded and if Foster isn’t healthy, it will be hard to find him playing time. So, if he isn’t healthy, why not give him the extra time to heal and come back stronger? If he can, Washington could get a nice midseason boost and they won’t risk him becoming dead-weight as his recovery continues.

Next. Collins has a chance to thrive in Del Rio's scheme. dark

We’ll soon see what happens with Foster. But with less than a week until final cuts, his status is up in the air. He should stay in Washington, barring a surprise, but his health will be something to watch along with that of Alex Smith.

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