Scouting Report: George Foster

Scouting Report: George Foster
by Tom Kowalski
Wednesday June 04, 2008, 6:04 AM


GEORGE FOSTER
2008 Scouting Report

Foster's situation is an interesting one because, for two straight years, he was benched for inconsistent play, but the Lions re-signed him as an unrestricted free agent anyway. The reason is because Foster can be very good for short stretches and could provide excellent depth at tackle. However, when Foster is forced to play an extended amount of time, his concentration wanes and his production plummets.


Foster has good footwork in pass protection, but can struggle with speed rushers on the edge. He also committed a bucketload of false start penalties in the first half of the season last year before correcting the problem. Foster is strong, but not dominant in run blocking.

The coaching staff keeps saying that Foster will be better in the new blocking system because it's basically what he ran in Denver and he's more comfortable with it. But Foster was benched in Denver and traded away so comfort can only account for so much.

When the Lions signed Foster, their plan was to draft an offensive lineman in the third round - after taking a linebacker and running back in the first two rounds. Foster was going to provide decent insurance in case the rookie struggled to start or make a contribution in his first year.

When that draft plan went awry, the Lions grabbed right tackle Gosder Cherilus in the first round and it's pretty clear Cherilus will be the starter. That's going to make it tough for Foster to make the team because Jonathan Scott, who is younger, is also more versatile because he can play both tackle positions. The Lions are likely to carry just one backup tackle (and one backup guard and another backup center-guard). Foster's fate might ultimately be decided by the coaching staff's confidence in Cherilus. If the coaches think Cherilus won't have any hiccups during his rookie year, then Foster might not make the team. If there's some concern, the Lions might carry nine offensive lineman to play it safe.



MY THOUGHTS
I think Foster will make the team but mainly be backup. I think he will be a good guy to bring in on short yardage situations and play as a 2nd TE. That way the coaching staff could get him focused on the situation and have him excell in small doses. I doubt he sees the field much more than that other than injuries hitting hard.