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New England Patriots Rumors: Arian Foster Could Be A Target For The Patriots

By Phillip Dengler
Published on: 05:44 PST, Mar 20, 2016

After another quiet offseason where the New England Patriots did not make any huge moves in free agency, rumors are heating up regarding the personnel moves that the team is going to make over the next few months. While the Patriots generally build their roster through the draft, as opposed to free agency, they always seem to sign a few key veterans for cheap. Running back has never been a crucial position for Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, but the latest rumors are linking the team to former Houston Texans running back Arian Foster.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the Patriots were recently linked to running backs Matt Forte and C.J. Anderson. Since Forte signed with the New York Jets and Anderson re-signed with the Denver Broncos, the team now has to look in a different direction. While the Patriots will probably take a running back in the upcoming 2016 NFL draft, they are unlikely to do so within the first few rounds.

Since quarterback Tom Brady will turn 39-years-old before the start of next season, the Patriots only have a few years left of being championship contenders. While Belichick is always going to have the Patriots as one of the more competitive teams in the NFL, it is vital that he maximizes the time that he has left with Brady.

While Arian Foster is coming off of a ruptured Achilles, he is apparently excited about returning to football. As NFL.com reports, Foster’s rehab process is right on schedule, and he is looking to win a Super Bowl. Foster’s brother, Abdul Foster, recently spoke about where Arian currently is in his rehab process.

“When you go through stuff like this, you say, ‘Okay, I’m financially set. I don’t need to do this to take care of my family, but, at the end of the day, do I still love this game? Is there still a passion for me?. The reason I’m excited is because Arian is still passionate about football. That’s always a question when money is involved and you’ve made your mark in the league. Do you still have a desire to play in the league? Arian still does, which is exciting to me. The good part is he’s motivated. He’s definitely putting in the work here.”

And that is exactly what the Patriots need. At this point in Foster’s career, it is no longer mainly about money. For a competitor like Arian Foster, he finally wants a chance to have success in the playoffs. While the Texans have had modest success in the postseason, they never accomplished the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl.

While the Patriots lost to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship last season, they are already viewed as a favorite to win the next Super Bowl. While he was not coming off of a serious injury like Foster is, the Patriots signed then 30-year-old running back Corey Dillon in 2004. Dillon went on to have the best season of his career, and the Patriots went on to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl.

Whether or not Foster can have the same resurgence that Dillon had remains to be seen, but he is definitely worth a look. In Foster’s last “full” season in 2014, he ran for 1,246 yards and scored eight touchdowns. He also caught 38 passes for 327 yards and five touchdowns. Since the Patriots generally use a running back committee, Foster would not have to carry the same load that he did in Houston. Regardless, Foster would still be the lead back in an offense that features star players such as Brady, Rob Gronkowski, and Julian Edelman.

As ProFootballTalk reports, Foster has only played in 25 games over the past three seasons, but he is working hard on different recovery methods. While Foster has had a few bad experiences with doctors, he is working on getting more comfortable.

With Arian Foster set to be healthy for the 2016 season, rumors are going to continue to link him with the New England Patriots. While the Patriots may end up drafting a running back in April’s draft, there is a real chance that they take a chance on Foster.

[Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images]

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