49ers: Why Reuben Foster's combine blowup shouldn't take him off Niners big board

Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster was dismissed from the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday after an incident with a medical assistant. With his recent shoulder surgery and now this issue, Niner Noise looks at why it won’t affect the 49ers from potentially drafting him with the second overall pick in the NFL Draft.

The vast majority of us have all lost our temper at one time or another, but for Alabama’s Reuben Foster, his temper tantrum just may cost him millions.

Considered college football’s top inside linebacker and prospective top-10 pick in April’s NFL Draft, Foster had already suffered a setback after needing shoulder surgery following Alabama’s loss to Clemson in the national title game in January.

Now comes a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Foster had a verbal altercation with a medical worker after he grew impatient waiting in an physical exam line.

Foster, the Butkus Award winner for college football’s most outstanding linebacker, apparently argued with the medical assistant and the exchange was heated.

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Foster is a potential top-10 pick in April’s draft, and at this time of year, every move you make and every word you utter will be scrutinized, analyzed, and reported, ad nauseam.

Last year at this time, former Ole Miss offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil had a video surface of him smoking out of a bong.

Tunsil initially was slated to be picked in the top 10, but ended up falling to the 13th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

And while that may not seem drastic, the financial aspect was significant.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban had his own take on it, telling AL.com recently.

“We never had issues with him”, Saban said. “He’s always been a great leader. He’s a great leader. He’s a signal caller on defense. He’s a great team-guy and really well-liked by his teammates. If you’re looking for a good teammate to be on your team, Reuben’s going to be very, very good. If you’re looking for someone to be a candy striper and to be nice to everyone at the hospital, then maybe not.”

“We never had issues with him,” Saban said. “He’s always been a great leader. He’s a signal caller on defense. He’s bright, and he’s always been a great team guy and really well-liked by his teammates. If you’re looking for a good teammate to be on your team, Reuben’s going to be very, very good. If you’re looking for someone to be a candy striper and to be nice to everyone at the hospital, then maybe not.”-Nick Saban

Although the circumstances are somewhat different with Foster, it does show what an error in judgement can do to your draft stock.

With the 49ers needing help all over the place, their options for the second overall pick are wide open.

They may be tempted to go with a QB like Mitchell Trubisky, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson or another Alabama player in defensive lineman Jonathan Allen.

However, with NaVorro Bowman recovering from yet another season-ending injury, and with the Niners having perhaps the franchise’s worst-ever run defense last season, Foster still makes the most sense for them at No. 2.

He is a tackling machine. And even with the team’s switch to a 4-3 defense, it has hybrid features that will operate in a 3-4 as well at times.

In this defense, the “MIKE” linebacker (Bowman) is the quarterback of the defense, the “WILL” linebacker currently is Ray-Ray Armstrong (but could be Foster) and the “SAM” linebacker would be up on the line of scrimmage, much as Ahmad Brooks did last season.

Foster could play alongside Bowman and strengthen the middle of the defense, much as Patrick Willis did when he and Bowman formed one of the best linebacker tandems in the league just a few short seasons ago.

Next: 49ers: John Lynch Continuing to Write Trent Baalke's Epitaph

The Niners made three NFC Championships and a Super Bowl during an incredible three-year stretch with that dynamic duo.

Perhaps a Bowman/Foster combination could remind Niners fans of those “good ole’ days.”

Why Reuben Foster’s Combine Blowup Shouldn’t Take Him Off 49ers’ Big Board

By Robert Smith | Mar 10, 2017