Tag: D.J. Foster

Former Cardinals RB D.J. Foster headed to CFL

The former local prep and Arizona State standout who spent four seasons with the Cardinals now will play for the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL.

Former Arizona Cardinals running back, who also was a standout at Arizona State and Saguaro High School, has found a new team to continue his football career. However, he will not be in the NFL in 2021.

He has signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, according to 3downnation.com.

Foster had been with the Cardinals since 2017.

In 2018, he suffered a torn ACL in the preseason and missed the whole season, spending it on injured reserve. He played six games in 2019, playing only special teams, before landing on injured reserve again.

He bounced between the practice squad and the active roster in 2020 because of his special teams play.

He had eight rushing attempts for 21 yards in his time with the Cardinals and 18 catches for 140 yards. He also returned 10 kickoffs, averaging 23.3 per return, and he was a core special teams player on all four units when he was healthy.

Congrats to D.J. for continuing his football career. The dream is still alive for him.

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Cardinals free agent outlook: RB D.J. Foster

He has been with the team for four seasons and played in a career-high 10 games in 2020.

One of the Arizona Cardinals’ many unrestricted free agents this offseason is running back D.J. Foster. Will he be back in 2021?

2020 was Foster’s fourth season with the Cardinals and he played in a career-high 10 games, but he didn’t spend most of the year on the active roster. He was on the practice squad most of the year and benefitted from new rules that allowed veteran players on it and allowed for two players each week to be elevated to the active roster.

Late in the season he was signed to the active roster and finished the year there.

He played almost exclusively on special teams, which has been his role for basically his whole career. However, he did get 25 offensive snaps this season, his first on offense since 2017. He had two carries for two yards and one catch for seven yards.

He was a core special teams player.

Looking ahead to 2021, the Cardinals have almost all their top special teams players hitting free agency. Foster is one of those players. He hasn’t ever earned more than a minimum salary and likely won’t make more that than in 2021.

He is from Arizona, having played high school at Saguaro and then collegiately at Arizona State.

He is the sort of player that teams love to have but also can easily replace. With the addition last season of Jonathan Ward, Foster might not be needed. That said, with the potential for so much turnover on the special teams unit, re-signing Foster makes sense.

He can compete for a roster spot again and, if the league maintains the same practice squad rules as last season, he can extend his career.

Foster will not be a lock to make any roster in the NFL. His return would not be a surprise, nor would it be a surprise to see him sign elsewhere.

He won’t be a priority, but the local kid could stick around another season.

Foster’s 2021 return: at least 50/50

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Cardinals activate G J.R. Sweezy from IR, make other roster moves

Leki Fotu lands on injured reserve and Trevon Coley is signed to the roster.

The Arizona Cardinals made a few roster moves on Saturday, a day ahead of their Week 10 home game against the Buffalo Bills. They get a starter back from injured reserve, place a player on IR and bring three players up from the practice squad.


Cardinals protect four players on practice squad in Week 10

They protect Trevon Coley, Michael Dogbe, D.J. Foster and Jace Whittaker.

The Arizona Cardinals have made their practice squad protection for the week. They again have protected four players for Week 10 as they prepare for the Buffalo Bills.

According to the NFL transaction report, the following players cannot sign with another team.

  • DL Trevon Coley
  • DL Michael Dogbe
  • RB D.J. Foster
  • CB Jace Whittaker

All those positions have questions with injuries. Starting running back Kenyan Drake missed the last game with an ankle injury. Defensive tackle Jordan Phillips has a hamstring injury. He only played 12 snaps on Sunday. Cornerback Byron Murphy began the week on the COVID list and Drew Kirkpatrick missed the last game. Whittaker played the second-most snaps at cornerback for the team on Sunday.

Foster has been elevated to the roster multiple games this season. He played his first offensive snaps since 2017 on Sunday. He is a core special teams player.

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Cardinals cut 1, add 4 to roster on eve of game vs. Dolphins

Maxx Williams makes his return after missing since Week 1 with an ankle injury.

The Arizona Cardinals made a few roster moves on Saturday to prepare for their Week 9 battle against the Miami Dolphins. They activated one player from injured reserve, brought three players up from the practice squad and released a player.


Brett Hundley, Eno Benjamin inactive for Cardinals vs. 49ers

Chris Streveler gets to back up Kyler Murray.

The Arizona Cardinals released their first inactive list of the season on Sunday leading up to their Week 1 game against the San Francisco 49ers.

There are a couple of surprises.

This year, teams will play with 48 active players. They can have a 55-man roster if they promote up to two practice squad players for the game. However, the Cardinals stayed with 53 players and then had five players inactive.

Their inactives are:

  • RB Eno Benjamin
  • QB Brett Hundley
  • OL Josh Jones
  • OL Josh Miles
  • S Deionte Thompson

Perhaps the biggest surprise on this list is Hundley, who normally backs up starting quarterback Kyler Murray. However, Kliff Kingsbury is a big fan of newcomer Chris Streveler. Hundley is listed on the depth chart as the No. 2 quarterback on the team but Streveler could have a role on special teams. If he plays on special teams, that is the reason why he is active over Hundley.

If Murray were unable to start, Hundley probably would be the guy to replace him.

Benjamin, a seventh-round pick, is inactive over D.J. Foster, who was promoted to the active roster after receiver KeeSean Johnson was placed on the COVID-19 reserve. Foster will have a role on special teams.

Teams must have eight offensive linemen active on gameday. Justin Murray, Max Garcia and Lamont Gaillard will back up the starters.

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Cardinals elevate D.J. Foster to active roster to replace KeeSean Johnson

Foster will likely be active on Sunday to play special teams.

The Arizona Cardinals announced that second-year receiver KeeSean Johnson was placed on the COVID-19 reserve on Friday, opening a spot on the roster. The Cardinals announced a move to replace him on the roster.

On Saturday, running back D.J. Foster was elevated to the 53-man roster, which makes him eligible to play on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.

Foster will very likely get to be active so he can play on special teams. He only played on special teams last season before he was placed on injured reserve.

The Cardinals could have also elevated up to two other players from the practice squad to the active roster but did not. Gameday rosters can be 55 players and 48 players will be active as opposed to the 46 in previous seasons, although teams are required to dress at least eight offensive linemen.

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The Cardinals protected these three practice squad players for Week 1

The Cardinals protect RB D.J. Foster, CB Chris Jones and new TE Jordan Thomas.

A new rule in the NFL this season allows teams to designate up to four players on their practice squad each week that prevents other teams from signing them to their roster. Typically, practice squad players have been able to negotiate with other teams who would like to add them to their active roster.

This designation prevents that during the week.

The NFL transaction wire notes the Cardinals protected three players for this week — cornerback Chris Jones, running back D.J. Foster and tight end Jordan Thomas.

They are all at positions where there are small numbers on the roster. The Cardinals kept only three running backs, three tight ends and four cornerbacks on the roster.

The Cardinals can elevate two players to the active roster later in the week, giving them 55 players on the roster to choose to have active on game day.

Thomas, Foster and Jones, if they are not elevated to the active roster this week, would be permitted to sign with another team Monday morning if they wished. If they were elevated, they could not do so until after the revert back to the practice squad.

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RB D.J. Foster another player who returns on completely unguaranteed contract

He gets a one-year, $825,000 deal with no signing bonus or salary guarantees.

The Arizona Cardinals have brought back many players for the 2020 season who played for them in 2019. Most have been on one-year contracts.

One of them is running back D.J. Foster, who has spent a little more than two seasons with the team. He returns on a one-year contract, but he does not get any guaranteed money,

According to Over the Cap, his one-year deal is worth $825,000. He gets no signing bonus and none of his salary is guaranteed, so he must make the team to get paid anything.

Foster won a roster spot out of camp for his play on special teams. He did not play at all on offense. He played six games and then suffered a hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve for the second season in a row. He missed all of 2018 with a torn ACL.

Foster is betting on himself and will have to impress the coaching staff again in the offseason and preseason to make the team and get his money.

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Ep. 262

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Ep. 261

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Cardinals bring back RB D.J. Foster for another season

He is the 11th player whose contract was to be a free agent the Cardinals retain for 2020.

The Arizona Cardinals now are up to 11 players they are bringing back from 2019. The latest is running back D.J. Foster. The team announced Wednesday afternoon it agreed with Foster on a one-year contract.

Foster played six games for the Cardinals last season, all on special teams, before a hamstring injury caused him to end up on injured reserve. He did not play again the rest of the season.

It was the second straight year he ended up on IR. In 2018, he tore his ACL in the preseason and did not play at all.

He gives the Cardinals a third running back on the roster with Kenyan Drake and Chase Edmonds and another hometown player. He played high school ball at Saguaro High School and then collegiately at Arizona State.

He joins Byron Murphy, Brett Hundley, Christian Kirk and Devon Kennard on the team as players who are from Arizona. Kicker Zane Gonzalez played at Arizona State collegiately.

The Cardinals have most of their core special teamers in place again. Darrell Daniels, Dennis Gardeck and Zeke Turner were already under contract. They re-signed Charles Washington and Chris Banjo and now add Foster to the mix.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 262

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Ep. 261

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