New England Patriots: Free Agent RB Arian Foster an Option?

The New England Patriots must improve their running back situation this off season one way or another. Arian Foster was released by the Houston Texans on Thursday, would he be an option in New England?

I strongly believe that the New England Patriots would have beaten the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game last season if they had any sort of threat in the running game. Tom Brady was asked to do everything for the Patriots’ offense down the stretch and they suffered because of it.

The Broncos undoubtedly came in and dominated the Patriots in that game, and deserve full credit for their win. Von Miller and the rest of the Broncos’ defense was able to get consistent pressure on Brady throughout the game, which directly effected his ability to perform.

Miller and company deserve a ton of credit, but if the Patriots had any semblance of a rushing game, they could not have simply pinned their ears back and attacked Brady over and over again. Finding a viable running back to help take the load off of Brady in the Patriots’ offense is an obvious need for the team this off season.

Chris Ivory and Alfred Morris are two free agent options who make a lot of sense, but they are younger players who are going to get paid pretty well this off season. I have a hard time believing that the Pats will spend significant money in free agency at the running back position. That being said, a soon to be 30-year-old running back who was just released could go for cheap this off season.

The Houston Texans released running back Arian Foster on Thursday, and while he is not the player who he used to be, could he be a potential value add in free agency for the Patriots? Let’s take a look.

More from New England Patriots

A former undrafted free agent, Foster has been one of the most productive running backs in the entire NFL in recent years. His three season stretch from 2010 to 2012 established him as one of the premier offensive players in the NFL. In those three seasons combined, Foster rushed for 4,264 yards on a 4.5 YPC average and 41 touchdowns.

Foster was an incredibly efficient runner who showed fantastic patience in the backfield to go along with unnatural running back instincts and incredible ball carrier vision. Foster always showed nice quickness and some power, but he never truly relied on his skills. Even when he was at his best, Foster was never the fastest or most athletic player on the field.

Foster has mostly stayed productive in recent years, but he has struggled to stay on the field consistently. In the last three seasons, Foster has only played in 25 of a possible 48 regular season games. He has continually struggled with injuries, capped off with a torn Achilles suffered last season. The injury forced Foster out of action in Houston for all but four games in 2015.

Dec 28, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans running back Arian Foster (23) scores a touchdown during the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

The injuries are clearly an issue as Foster’s career has gone along, and forgive me for not feeling great about them as we move forward. That being said, if Foster can stay healthy, he could step right in and play an important role in the Patriots’ offense.

As I mentioned before, Foster’s ability as a running back has never been based on his athletic ability. Skills deteriorate for football players as they get older, but Foster’s elite ball carrier vision and simple knack for the running back position should be just fine. If health were not a concern, Foster is the rare kind of running back who would theoretically age well.

The injuries Foster has suffered could be looked at as bad luck. If a team truly believes that, I can see why they could talk themselves into Foster. I also kind of like him for the Patriots’ specifically.

New England needs to find a back who can pick up the tough yardage to paid with Dion Lewis (who is recovering from a major knee injury). If he can stay healthy (obviously a huge if), the Patriots could be a great fit for Foster, as they can limit his carries and keep him fresh. That being said, it is all going to depend on price.

The Texans released Foster to save over $6 million against the cap. If he gets anything close to that on the open market, do not expect the Patriots to get involved. That being said, if Foster’s options are limited and he has to take a deal worth $2-$3 million in 2016, then I think the Pats will and should be interested.

I would prefer the Patriots to find a more long-term option at the running back position. Someone like Derrick Henry makes a lot of sense in the 2016 NFL Draft to me.

More nfl spin zone: Five Second-Round Options for Patriots in 2016 NFL Draft

However, if the Patriots look to go with the free agency route, they could certainly do a lot worse than Foster. A player who should be relatively inexpensive, the New England Patriots should be involved in the chase for the recently released Arian Foster.

Home/New England Patriots