© Sergio Estrada | 2017 Nov 5
In a move that few expected, the Washington Redskins claimed Reuben Foster on waivers earlier this week, shortly after the linebacker was released by the 49ers, following another domestic violence allegation last Saturday.
The move was met by nearly unanimous criticism. Washington was the only team to put a claim on Foster, who has now been involved in three domestic incidents in the last calendar year, and has had consistant off-the-field issues since the NFL combine. What’s more, there is no guarantee Foster will even play a snap for Washington after being placed on the Commissioner’s Exemption list, where he will likely remain as the legal process plays out.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter joined Murph & Mac on Thursday morning, and said he believes that Washington owner Dan Snyder underestimated the backlash that would come with claiming Foster.
“Surprising to say the least,” Schefter said of the waiver claim. “When you saw the reaction from various people throughout the league, most thought he would not be claimed, and yet he was. I said on ESPN on Get Up this morning that I think Washington knew it would take a hit. I think it underestimated the type of hit it would take if that makes any sense to you.
“I know that that seems odd in the day-and-age in which we’re living that a team would not recognize exactly what it’s getting itself into, but I really believe that played a role here. That the Redskins underestimated what it would be like if and when they claimed Reuben Foster on waivers and it led to what we see in this particular case. So here we go.”
The Redskins also appeared have made a misleading statement in their initial press release, when they said they spoke to a number of Foster’s former college teammates, who vouched for his character. When asked if that was true, a number of Washington’s players who attended the University of Alabama, said they were never consulted.
“I believe in their initial public statement, the Redskins said they had talked to some players from Alabama,” Schefter said. “The Redskins top picks the last few years have included Daron Payne from Alabama, Jonathan Allen from Alabama, Ryan Anderson from Alabama, HaHa Clinton-Dix from Alabama, so honestly it’s become a landing spot for recent Alabama players. But the Alabama players were asked yesterday by the media if the Redskins consulted with them at all or asked their opinion at all, and to a man they said ‘no.’
“That gets back to my initial point that the Redskins made this decision to play this guy, and underestimated the blow-back that they would get, which sounds hard to imagine in this day and age, but yet I think it’s possible that that did happen.”
Listen to the full interview below.