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Foster not a holdout

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Chris Johnson, a first-round pick in 2008 and the NFL rushing king in his second season, is underpaid. He’s under contract for 2011. And he’s holding out.

Arian Foster, undrafted in 2009 and the NFL rushing king in his second season, is underpaid. He wasn’t under contract for 2011.

But he won’t be holding out.

The Texans have announced that Foster, an exclusive-rights free agent (i.e., not a free agent), signed his one-year tender for the third-year minimum, which under the new labor deal has increased to $525,000.

Foster previously has said he’s not worried about the situation, and that he believes the team will take care of him. But if he tears an ACL or suffers some other injury from which he has trouble recovering quickly, the team will move on to the next man. And if the next man gets it done like Foster got it done, Foster could be done.

Besides, without fullback Vonta Leach on the team, it could be harder for Foster to stay on track for a big payday.

On one hand, we admire his willingness to play for whatever the team will pay. On the other hand, he needs to realize that NFL running backs get used up and spit out quickly. Unlike Johnson, Foster had a chance to take a stand without being fined or losing a year of credit toward free agency.

Given that Foster concealed a knee injury last season because he feared losing his job, it could be that Foster has yet to develop the kind of swagger regarding his skills that he needs in order to get the most out of them that he can, financially. The reality is that, if he lets the Texans piecemeal him over the next few years, with the highest restricted free agency tender in 2012 and the franchise tag in 2013, Foster will soon get to a point where he’s just another low-tread veteran hoping to scrape out a deal worth $3 million per year.
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I hope the Texans will take care of him. If he approaches last seasons stats, he deserves a big (but not outrageous) payday. You gotta be careful with RB's.
 
With Leach no longer here and without a huge contract, I think Foster may play even better just to prove that he deserves that huge contract. May not rush for 1600 yards again but I'm guessing he'll have another monster season just to show that he deserves it.
 
Foster realizes that he needs to be on the field and carrying the load to ever get a big payday. Sit out, and you give Ben Tate an opportunity. I think Foster will get the deal he deserves next offseason, as even a 1st and 3rd tag might not deter a team in the lower half of the draft from making a move for Arian.
 
The sad fact is that Ben Tate, last year's second round running back selection, is paid better than Arian and he hasn't gained a single yard in regular season play.

Tate is just one of a number of reasons Arian can't hold out. Tate would be happy to take the carries Foster leaves behind if he sits home waiting for more money.
 
Arian is a different kind of cat!! Thats how he rolls. He'll play out his contract and then accept fair market value for his services.
 
I have ablot of different thoughts about this:

1) Foster seems to have really matured and has a good head on his shoulders. I think he really respects Kubiak and has credited him with helping his development. This may be yet another sign of respect.

2) One great season. Slaton had one too. Just sayin'

3) Dont know who his agent is but he could be getting some advice from him. Or maybe fellow Texan players like Dre or Demeco or Daniels. Maybe this is where Rick Smith's ego could come into play. Pay your dues, and you will get rewarded. Don't raise any fuss.
 
Ole Miss Texan said:
I have ablot of different thoughts about this:

1) Foster seems to have really matured and has a good head on his shoulders. I think he really respects Kubiak and has credited him with helping his development. This may be yet another sign of respect.

2) One great season. Slaton had one too. Just sayin'

3) Dont know who his agent is but he could be getting some advice from him. Or maybe fellow Texan players like Dre or Demeco or Daniels. Maybe this is where Rick Smith's ego could come into play. Pay your dues, and you will get rewarded. Don't raise any fuss.
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As much as it kills me to write anything that agrees with that sawed-off runt Florio, by the time Foster has paid his dues, his career will already be on the downhill slide. RB's wear out quickly, more quickly than any other position by far. And once the decline starts, it can be a precipitous drop.

On the Texans' side, giving Foster more money than his situation calls for means we have less money to spend on somebody else. So I doubt we can expect the team will do anything for Foster out of the pure goodness of its heart. GMs who lose sight of the brutal bottom line soon become ex-GMs.

It's a hard world for RBs in today's NFL. I would not have begrudged a holdout by Foster, and I usually side with the teams in those situations.
 
Hooston Texan said:
As much as it kills me to write anything that agrees with that sawed-off runt Florio, by the time Foster has paid his dues, his career will already be on the downhill slide. RB's wear out quickly, more quickly than any other position by far. And once the decline starts, it can be a precipitous drop.

On the Texans' side, giving Foster more money than his situation calls for means we have less money to spend on somebody else. So I doubt we can expect the team will do anything for Foster out of the pure goodness of its heart. GMs who lose sight of the brutal bottom line soon become ex-GMs.

It's a hard world for RBs in today's NFL. I would not have begrudged a holdout by Foster, and I usually side with the teams in those situations.
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The guy has played one full season and we are already talking about his career being on the downhill side? Really?

This is a one year deal he is on right now. If he stays healthy and produces like he did last year, he will get taken care of and get paid. That will be after two full seasons in the NFL and we all know how washed up running backs are after 2 years.:ahhaha:
 
Pantherstang84 said:
The guy has played one full season and we are already talking about his career being on the downhill side? Really?

This is a one year deal he is on right now. If he stays healthy and produces like he did last year, he will get taken care of and get paid. That will be after two full seasons in the NFL and we all know how washed up running backs are after 2 years.:ahhaha:
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With RB's you never can tell. 3 yrs ago, it looked like SS was the future. He had an injury, caught fumblitis(pun intended) and is now in danger of being cut.
 
Pantherstang84 said:
The guy has played one full season and we are already talking about his career being on the downhill side? Really?
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See the Hunter Pence thread, where you'll learn that Pence is on the downside after 4-1/2 years in the big leagues.
 
Pantherstang84 said:
The guy has played one full season and we are already talking about his career being on the downhill side? Really?

This is a one year deal he is on right now. If he stays healthy and produces like he did last year, he will get taken care of and get paid. That will be after two full seasons in the NFL and we all know how washed up running backs are after 2 years.:ahhaha:
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He will be an RFA next year.
 
DocBar said:
With RB's you never can tell. 3 yrs ago, it looked like SS was the future. He had an injury, caught fumblitis(pun intended) and is now in danger of being cut.
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I think my post has the phrase "If he stay healthy" in it somewhere. I'm pretty sure it does, of course I could be wrong.
 
TexansFanatic said:
The sad fact is that Ben Tate, last year's second round running back selection, is paid better than Arian and he hasn't gained a single yard in regular season play.

Tate is just one of a number of reasons Arian can't hold out. Tate would be happy to take the carries Foster leaves behind if he sits home waiting for more money.
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I believe that coming from being an UDFA Arian is thinking exactly what you posted. In fact, I recall an interview he did where he said that everyday he has to prepare as if the FO is trying to replace him right now. That was a great interview.

That and Arian just has some class.
 
Pantherstang84 said:
The guy has played one full season and we are already talking about his career being on the downhill side? Really?

This is a one year deal he is on right now. If he stays healthy and produces like he did last year, he will get taken care of and get paid. That will be after two full seasons in the NFL and we all know how washed up running backs are after 2 years.:ahhaha:
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Nowhere did I say he's on the decline now. My point is this: by the time that Foster is not controlled by the Texans--in other words, when he is an unrestricted free agent--he could very well be on that downslope. As I understand it (and I could have my eligibility rules wrong with the new CBA), he has at least two more seasons before he is eligible for unrestricted free agency. For most positions, a guy in his fifth year is coming into his prime. But, for a featured NFL back, that's an awful lot of miles. On average, RBs are the first to hit their decline points--by far. The more years Foster has to wait, the closer that point comes.
 
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