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San Francisco 49ers star linebacker Reuben Foster was arrested twice in a month's span early in the offseason. In January, he was arrested for second-degree possession of marijuana in Alabama. A month later, he was booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of domestic violence, threats, and possession of an assault weapon.
It hasn't been an ideal offseason for the linebacker, who heads into his second NFL season.
Foster has all the potential in the world – assuming he can stay out of trouble and remain healthy. While the latter troubled him during his rookie season last year, it is the former that has the 49ers and their fans concerned.
On Wednesday, general manager John Lynch joined
Golic and Wingo on
ESPN Radio, discussed the linebacker's offseason troubles, and how the 49ers are addressing it.
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"We're monitoring it closely," Lynch said. "We've had some really frank discussions with Reuben. Unfortunately, a lot of these things happen in the offseason when we aren't allowed to touch these guys. That's not an excuse. It's just a reality. During the season, Reuben was great. His biggest issue during the season was staying healthy, but when he was on the field, he's a difference maker.
"He's put himself in a couple of situations that you can't put yourself in. We're going to hold off judgment and let the legal process kind of work itself out. But Reuben's really working on improving himself such that he's equipped to make these decisions as to who he's surrounding himself with, what kind of situations he's putting himself in.
"We're going to let that play out but we believed in Reuben when we drafted him, and we really want to right now. But he's got to make some strides as well, and I think he's working hard to do that. We'll see where that all ends out.
"That's part of the deal. The draft, all these things aren't an exact science. You do your best to make good decisions and the idea that you're going to have 53 choir boys, it's not a reality. But you do have to have men of character, and it's something we stress. We look for that and we really felt, when we drafted Reuben, yeah, he grew up tough, but when you talk to people at Alabama, he's one of the leaders ... He makes people around him better.
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"But you also have to conduct yourself in a way off the field, and Reuben understands that. Like I said, he's working hard towards that."
Even newly signed cornerback Richard Sherman was asked about Foster's troubles and if his veteran leadership can benefit the young linebacker.
"If I can help him, I'll do my best," Sherman told Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area following an introductory press conference on Tuesday.
Foster was the second of two first-round picks (No. 31 overall) by the 49ers in last year's draft and started 10 games while registering 72 combined tackles and a pass defensed. Foster missed six games with a high ankle sprain and a rib injury. During the 2017 season, he was named the Defensive Rookie of the Month for November.
Foster also finished the season with the team's highest player grade (90.7), according to Pro Football Focus.
San Francisco 49ers GM John Lynch and Offensive Line coach Chris Foerster were in Seattle on Saturday scouting prospects of the Washington Huskies. While Washington has multiple talented draft prospects, the fact that Foerster was accompanying Lynch is notable considering Washington has two offensive linemen who are getting a lot of attention—Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten.
Per source, John Lynch, Chris Foerster looked at several Washington draft prospects today. Huskies are loaded with draft talent, including …WR: Rome Odunze, Ja'Lynn Polk, Jalen McMillanOL: Troy Fautanu, Roger RosengartenEDGE:
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
