Dallas Cowboys Rumors: Arian Foster Must Be A Free Agency Target
The Dallas Cowboys rumors are beginning to fly as NFL free agency gets set to get underway and there is one free agent in particular that the team should target: Arian Foster. Foster must be a free agency target as the Cowboys look to upgrade their offense and would be an improvement over Darren McFadden.
Foster was released by the Houston Texans this week and Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com has the Cowboys listed as one of his five top landing spots for the free agent running back.
Following his release, Foster took the time to send a classy message to the Texans’ organization and fan base.
“I’ve got 7 years of beautiful memories with teammates, staff and coaches I’ll never forget. Thank you all for being a part of this journey. People that I call friends and brothers have all contributed to the success of what we did on the field, and also to the person that I am off. With everything in me, I love and respect the men and women you are. You are a part of me for good. And to the city of Houston, I genuinely appreciate every ounce of love I’ve ever gotten.”
Health has been Foster’s biggest issue throughout his NFL career. When he has been healthy, Foster has been one of the top backs in the entire league. Dallas would be making the move hoping that Foster can find a way to stay healthy and be a 1,000-yard threat once again behind one of the top offensive lines in the NFL.
Jerry Jones has never been shy to spend big bucks on a big name, even though there could be some risk involved. Just look at last offseason when he signed Greg Hardy to a big deal.
Throughout the 76 career games that Foster has played with the Texans, he has put up huge numbers. He has carried the football 1,454 times for 6,472 yards and 54 touchdowns. Foster has also caught 249 passes for 2,268 yards and 14 touchdowns.
At 29-years-old, Foster still has enough gas left in the tank to make a one or two-year contract worthwhile. What do the Cowboys have to lose at this point? They need to bring in help for Tony Romo and the offense, which is exactly what Foster is capable of being for them immediately.
Dallas will have to take a few risks in order to get back into Super Bowl contention and Foster is seemingly worth the risk.
A four-time Pro Bowler capable of busting runs like THIS?
Everyone get in line. @ArianFoster's a free agent now. https://t.co/rFmG9nGGY4
— NFL (@NFL) March 3, 2016
There are very few running backs in the NFL who are capable of carrying an offense on their back. Foster has been unable to do so for the Texans the last couple of years, but a healthy Foster could certainly be a workhorse. During the 2012 season, when he played all 16 games, Foster racked up 1,424 yards and an NFL leading 15 rushing touchdowns.
It is impossible to predict whether Foster can stay healthy for a full season in Dallas. His history says that staying healthy isn’t much of an option, but bad luck doesn’t normally stick around for an entire career. Foster has been attacking his rehab process to come back from his torn Achilles and has a chip on his shoulder to prove that he can still play at a superstar level.
Jason Garrett’s offense needs a workhorse back, which is exactly why the Cowboys need to go out and aggressively try to sign Foster.
There is a good chance that he would be willing to accept a team-friendly contract. He is going to be searching for the best fit in free agency that he can find. Simply looking at the Dallas offensive line will be intriguing for Foster.
Expect to see a good number of teams lined up to try to bring Foster on board. Dallas needs to be one of those teams and they need to be very aggressive with their offer.
Do you think the Dallas Cowboys should push to sign Arian Foster in free agency this offseason?
[Photo by Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images]
