Reuben Foster met Saints; will have a pre-draft visit

Per Herbie Teope, the New Orleans Saints will be hosting Alabama standout Reuben Foster on a pre-draft visit after previously meeting him during Alabama’s Pro Day.

The 6’1”, 245 lb inside linebacker has had a tumultuous couple of weeks, as he was sent home from the combine after a bizarre incident in which he had an altercation with medical staff. Of the incident, Nick Saban came to the defense of his former player, saying that Foster will always be a great teammate but isn’t a “candy striper.”

Although his talent isn’t one of them, Foster has several key questions surrounding him coming into the draft. Most notably: His ability to stay healthy. At UA, Foster suffered concussions, a hand injury and, most recently, a torn rotator cuff. He is in the process of recovering from a surgery for the latter-most injury, but is expected to be able to participate in team activities come training camp.

For Alabama, Foster had a total of 211 tackles in three years, including 120 solo. He had 23 TFLs and seven sacks, but did not force a turnover in his career at Bama. His zeal became a bit of malady for him, as he sometimes would overpursue or suffer stinger injuries due to dropping his helmet.

The Saints partially addressed the need for an ILB with AJ Klein in free agency, but that hasn’t stopped analysts from projecting New Orleans as a popular destination for Foster. Despite some questionable instincts at the point of attack, his nose for the ball and his aggressive nature is something that the Saints have sorely lacked since Jonathan Vilma left the team. Although not the most technically sound player, this visit will be sure to raise a lot of eyebrows.