A heated argument between former Alabama LB Reuben Foster and a hospital worker at the NFL Scouting Combinemight not cost Foster draft standing with some NFL clubs, but for at least one of them, concerns about Foster's maturity go back farther than the combine incident.
And are significant enough to remove him from the draft board.
At least one NFL club holding a top-15 selection decided it wasn't interested in the ex-Crimson Tide star before he was sent home early from the combine, according to MMQB. While some NFL clubs might consider Foster's combine incident as isolated, this one clearly sees it more as part of a larger pattern.
"He already had immaturity, issues with life skills. This is the same guy," an evaluator for the team said after Foster's early departure, per the report. "We're not in the market."
Foster is considered the draft's top linebacker, widely projected as a first-round selection as a middle linebacker with a reputation as both a big hitter and a speedy pursuer to the sideline. The reluctance of one team certainly doesn't mean, necessarily, that Foster is subject to slipping in the draft. But it does illustrate the degree to which NFL clubs research draft prospects. UA coach Nick Saban offered a strong defense of Foster's character at Alabama's pro day earlier this month, and did so again in speaking with the MMQB.
"I don't think he's immature at all," Saban said. "I think he's an outgoing personality. You might even say when he's cutting up with his teammates he's a little silly, but that should not be mistaken for immaturity. He graduated here. We never had a problem with him. He's easy to talk to and reason with. And he's not immature at all when it comes to competitive character, getting ready to prepare and play in a game."
Foster met with 20 NFL team personnel about the hospital incident the night before Alabama's pro day, explaining the situation and reassuring them about his maturity.
But one club, apparently, had already made up its mind.
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