Advertisement

49ers Twitter Mailbag: What does Reuben Foster's suspension mean?

There’s normally very little news surrounding the NFL’s dead period between the end of the offseason program and training camp. But the league announced Tuesday that 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster would be suspended for the first two games of 2018.

With that, let’s dive into our Fourth of July edition of the Twitter mailbag.

I’ve been told there will be no additional suspension regarding Foster’s domestic violence case.

The two-game suspension stems only from his marijuana and weapons infractions that have been taken care of through the legal system. Foster completed a diversion course and had his marijuana charges dismissed. He won’t be able to own a gun or ammunition for two years after pleading “no contest” to a misdemeanor weapons possession charge.

Foster won’t be available for the season opener against Minnesota or against the Lions in the home opener. Ultimately, that’s not a terrible outcome given everything Foster and the organization went through this offseason.

So who starts in Foster’s place during those first two weeks? That will develop into a prominent story line throughout training camp and the preseason, to be sure.

For now, Malcolm Smith is a clear favorite for one of the starting spots while Brock Coyle, Korey Toomer and rookie third-round pick Fred Warner will likely battle it out to replace Foster. Elijah Lee and Mark Nzeocha appear to be on the outside of the roster bubble, though one could begin the season on the active roster while Foster is on the reserve/suspended list if the team keeps five linebackers.

Coyle started 10 games last season and knows the system after playing previously for the Seahawks. But he was withheld from full-team drills throughout the offseason program to recover from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. He’s been working as a coach on the sidelines divvying out reps. It wouldn’t be surprising if coaching was in his future. He’s expected to be cleared early in training camp.

Toomer is also familiar with the system having played with Seattle and recently under Gus Bradley with the Chargers. He started 16 games combined over the last two seasons.

Warner is the wild card and clearly the most talented of that trio. A third-round pick from BYU, Warner earned starting reps at various points throughout the offseason program calling plays as the “Mike” linebacker. That indicates a high level of trust from the coaching staff.

It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see Warner win that starting job given his combination of mental processing and physical skills. But he’ll have to prove worthy when the pads come on and he has to take on blockers in the running game.

More Latest 49ers news