The Houston Texans have released their long time running back Arian Foster. They have apparently grown tired of dealing with Foster's injury issues and want to start fresh with a younger back. Houston will now need to focus on two offensive needs heading into the 2016 NFL Draft. The Texans were without Foster for a large part of the 2015 season, and the results were not great.
Foster was replaced last season using a committee approach with Alfred Blue, Jonathan Grimes and Chris Polk. The collective were pretty ineffective in establishing the run for most of the season, and that hurt them during the playoffs. The Texans will likely be looking to draft their next franchise running back in this draft, but they have enough salary cap space to become major players in free agency.
This now leaves Foster as a free agent, and at 29 years old, teams will likely look to add him as a veteran back. Foster has only stayed on the field for all 16 games once in his NFL career, and that was in 2012. He also has four 1,000 yard seasons under his belt, so franchises may not be too scared of his injury history. The main issue with Foster will be his price. How much could he be worth on the open market?
There are currently 13 teams in the NFL with an extreme need for a talented running back, which includes the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, New York Jets and the New York Giants. The Cowboys could add Foster if the price is right, but they are also likely to add a rookie at that position, as well. Dallas will look to have a solid collective of running backs as they enter the 2016 NFL season.
The Jets have lost their starting running back Chris Ivory, as they will most likely not be able to resign him. Foster could pick up were Ivory left off, and injury prone running backs seem to excel behind the Jets offensive line.
The Giants could also have some significant interest in Foster, as they currently have no playmaking running backs available. Foster would add a new dynamic to Big Blue's offense. His ability when he is on the field has made him one of the best running backs in the NFL. Wherever Foster winds up, that team should make sure to split his reps with another capable running back due to his injury history.
