The San Francisco 49ers have signed rookie linebacker Reuben Foster, who played college football at Alabama. He was selected with the 31st overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft. The 49ers traded back into the first round to select the linebacker, giving up their original second-round pick (34) and the fourth-round pick (111) that they acquired via a trade with the Chicago Bears earlier in the round. The trade took place between the 49ers and the division rival Seattle Seahawks.
Only defensive lineman Solomon Thomas and quarterback C.J. Beathard remain as unsigned draft picks by the 49ers.
As a senior at Alabama in 2016, Foster finished with 115 tackles, 13 for losses, and five sacks. He was awarded the Butkus Award, which is given to the nation's best linebacker. The 6-foot, 229-pound Foster had 211 tackles, 23 of which were for a loss, seven sacks, and nine passes defended in three years with Alabama.
Following the college football season, Foster underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder. It was an injury that prevented the linebacker from participating in the NFL Scouting Combine. While the injury may have contributed to other teams passing on the talented linebacker, both Foster and the 49ers medical staff feel confident about his recovery.
"OTAs, I'll be limited and all," Foster told KNBR. "Training camp, I'll be full-go."
Foster has only participated in individual drills during OTAs and has not taken part in anything that might require contact.
"Our doctors do a great job," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told KNBR. "They looked into everything with Reuben and met with him. Our doctors felt good about his shoulder. They thought it was recovering well. They didn't have the same report a lot of other teams did. You never know who is going to end up being right."
Regardless of his injury, Foster likely would not have participated in the drills at the combine anyhow. He engaged in a heated argument with a hospital worker, which resulted in the linebacker being sent home early.
More recently, Foster revealed that his urine sample obtained in Indianapolis during the combine was reported as a dilute, which many NFL teams treat as a failed drug test. When asked specifically about the sample, Foster explained that he was sick the week prior to the combine and that he drank an excessive amount of water. He believed the illness was associated with food poisoning.
Thanks to the 2011 CBA, all rookie contracts are now for a length of four years. First-round selections come with an option for teams to pick up the fifth year. Having set numbers for each spot eliminates the need to negotiate salary and only leaves items like bonus payment terms, roster bonus allocations, and other miscellaneous structural items.
Rapoport: Reuben Foster signs rookie deal featuring interesting twist
The total value of Foster's four-year contract is believed to be $9,035,568, or very close to that amount, according to Over the Cap. That includes a signing bonus of $4,711,320 and a 2017 salary cap figure of $1,642,830.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Foster's rookie deal includes guarantees into the fourth year of his contract, which is rare for a player selected where he was. "A potential new precedent for the 49ers and for Foster for someone picked at that level," Rapoport said on the air.