Tag: Ramon Foster

NFLPA officer who denied Azeez Al-Shaair’s appeal speaks on decision

Ramon Foster reveals his thoughts following the call to uphold Azeez Al-Shaair’s suspension in Week 14.

Ramon Foster might work for the Tennessee Titans, but his decision to uphold Azeez Al-Shaair’s suspension had no bearing on his loyalty to the AFC South franchise.

Foster, a former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman, listened and elected to deny the Houston Texans linebacker’s appeal for his hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence in a virtual hearing on Wednesday.

When asked about the choice to uphold the suspension on his morning show “Ramon, Kayla and Will” on 104.5 FM The Zone in Nashville, Foster declined to talk about the hearing or what transpired after.

“I can’t discuss the case,” Foster said on the show. “I don’t answer to anybody on these cases as it pertains to it.”

Al-Shaair, who previously played for the Titans in 2023, delivered a blow on a second-and-7 hit that knocked Lawrence unconscious. That led to a brawl and the eventual ejection of the sixth-year linebacker, along with Jaguars rookie cornerback Jarrian Jones.

Foster, who faced several penalties for late hits during his playing career, mentioned that the public eye thought there was a perceived bias in his decision given his relationship with the Titans radio staff.

“The league has an understanding, the NFLPA has an understanding, and the teams do also as they are one in the same as it goes with this job,” Foster said.

It would make sense that favoritism would be mentioned, especially given the history of the two franchises. Tennessee’s departure from Houston as the Oilers left a bitter taste among local residents and has carried over into a feud beyond fans of the two clubs.

Tennessee recently debuted its alternate Oilers uniform worn in Nashville instead of Houston, thus adding more fuel to the fire. It didn’t help that Al-Shaair was also fined by the league for a late hit out of bounds on Titans running back Tony Pollard in Week 12’s loss against the Titans at home.

But Foster once again denied any allegiance in the call, stating the decision was based on what’s best for the league’s future.

“My job is to see the tape, evaluate the tape, and move on to how I proceed to evaluate the cases,” Foster said. “There is no emotion or involvements that goes on behind it.”

Al-Shaair, who was third on the team in tackles before the suspension, will return for the season finale road tip against the Titans on Jan. 5 at Nissan Stadium.

Who is the NFLPA officer that upheld Azeez Al-Shaair’s suspension?

Who is Ramon Foster? Well, besides the person who upheld Azeez Al-Shaair’s suspension following the hit on Trevor Lawrence?

Before he became perhaps the most hated man in Houston in 2024, Ramon Foster played football for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He was a broadcaster and sideline reporter for an NFL team

He was a part of a three-person crew on the morning drive radio show in Nashville.

But the people of Houston don’t care about his accolades of accomplishments. They care about his direct call which now affects the Texans’ regular season.

Veteran linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair pleaded his case in a virtual hearing Wednesday with Foster to appeal his three-game suspension for an illegal hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. By 6 p.m., it had reached muted ears.

Foster and the NFL denied the appeal, upholding the suspension and keeping Al-Shaair away from the team until Week 18’s season finale against the Tennessee Titans.

Al-Shaair, who signed a three-year deal this offseason after a breakout season with the Titans in 2023, issued an apology to Lawrence on social media Monday following his ejection from the game, stating he had no intent to harm the quarterback and didn’t see the slide until it was too late.

Foster, who was one of four members of the NFLPA, wasn’t swayed by the appeal, thus choosing to uphold the current three-game ban.

According to The Houston Chronicle, the suspension will cost Al-Shaair all but one of the Texans’ remaining regular-season games, as well as $112,745 in per-game roster bonuses for each game missed.

Here’s a look back at Foster’s career and his involvement in the NFL post-playing days.

Ramon Foster’s playing career

A former teammate of Texans legendary running back Arian Foster at the University of Tennessee, Ramon Foster was not selected in the 2009 NFL draft and signed with the Steelers as a free agent. Initially a backup, the eventual anchor of the offensive line became the team’s starting guard in 2011 and rarely missed action up until he retired following the 2019 season.

In 11 seasons with Pittsburgh, Foster played in 160 regular-season games, including 11 playoff games and Super Bowl XLV against Green Bay.

Ramon Foster, notoriously clean player. https://t.co/gVkd0N4yvb pic.twitter.com/8Zm1dQN1nO

— Patrick Storm (@PatrickStormHTX) December 4, 2024

While known for his run blocking, Foster also was considered a physical player by the league’s office. He was fined four times during his career, including once for an unnecessary roughness call that mirrored Al-Shaair’s hit.

He was flagged twice for on-field fighting, though he was never suspended for his actions.

Ramon Foster’s work with the NFL

Foster was added to the pool of appeals officers this season after the NFL and NFLPA expanded the group from two to four to expedite the appellate process following starting in 2020. He’s a member alongside former linebacker Derrick Brooks, wide receiver Jordy Nelson and former Kevin Mawae.

Foster also is a member of the Titans broadcast team, serving as the sideline reporter for home games starting in 2023. He worked alongside Al-Shaair last season both during and in postgame interviews.

While working for the Titans, Foster also hosts a weekday morning show on 104.5 FM The Zone in Nashville, the radio home of the AFC South rival.

Texans 2024 Schedule

The Texans, who are on a bye in Week 14, will return to take on the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 15. Houston will then take on the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens within five days of each other starting on Dec. 21.

Houston closes out the regular season on the road against the Titans at Nissan Stadium in Jan. 5.

Former Steeler shoots down idea of adding FA quarterback

Ramon Foster does not to see the Steelers go full Cleveland. You never go full Cleveland.

When free agency starts, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have some serious decisions to make about the quarterback position. If the Steelers don’t feel confident in Kenny Pickett they could consider signing a big-time free agent or even trading for a veteran.

This is a move former Steelers offensive lineman Ramon Foster does not agree with. He talked about the situation on The Ramon Foster Show and said it felt “very Cleveland”

“Do you see Baltimore making these types of moves,” asked Foster. “Like this type of scrambling and searching for a franchise quarterback is very Cleveland of y’all to be asking this type of stuff,”

Foster continued to go on but in his next comment, I want to unpack one particular part.

“It is, it’s very Cleveland of you. Like go get your guy through the draft and you know he fits your DNA,” adds Foster.

 

Is Foster endorsing the Steelers drafting a quarterback this year and replacing Kenny Pickett? We don’t disagree with the premise and it really should be either or. If the Steelers go after a big-money veteran, you cannot draft a quarterback early and vice versa. Foster seems to be leaning hard away from risking it on a veteran and instead wants to start over, building around a new young quarterback.

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Former Steelers OL Ramon Foster on the oline issues: ‘Who are the goons?’

Ramon Foster hit the nail on the head when he talked about the Steelers offensive line.

Ramon Foster joined the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2009. But that didn’t matter. Foster came from Tennessee with a nasty streak on the field and a work ethic you couldn’t imagine and parlayed that into a very successful 11-year career that included 145 starts.

Foster has turned to a career in media since his retirement and on The Fan Morning Show, he brought some reality to the subject of the Steelers offensive line woes. You can listen to Foster’s full comment by clicking on the post below but to summarize, Foster says this team doesn’t have the “goons” or the guy who are going to go out and push defensive lines around.

Make no mistake, Foster is right. Pittsburgh has invested a ton of resources into this offensive line but it hasn’t paid any real dividends. And a big part of that is because the Steelers haven’t focused on getting guys who play with the level of physicality we saw when Foster was around.

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Ramon Foster suggests for ex-Steeler Vince Williams to sign with Titans

The Titans are in the market for an inside linebacker, and Williams would be a solid fit.

University of Tennessee product and former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Ramon Foster appears to be a fan of the Tennessee Titans going after recently-released inside linebacker and former Steeler, Vince Williams.

Williams was released by the Steelers on Tuesday, saving the team about $4 million in cap space for 2021. A former sixth-round pick, Williams had spent his entire eight-year career in Pittsburgh before becoming a cap casualty.

Foster took to Twitter on Tuesday to suggest Williams going to Nashville, where he could join his former teammate, outside linebacker Bud Dupree, who agreed to terms with Tennessee on Monday night.

UPDATE

This article and Foster’s suggestion were made prior to the Titans re-signing Jayon Brown, a move that was reported on Wednesday afternoon.

That makes a move for another inside linebacker unnecessary, unless of course the Titans are looking to move on from Rashaan Evans and intend to replace him with someone other than David Long. As of right now, there’s no indication that’s the plan.

Williams, 31, would be a solid option at the position if Tennessee decides to go that route. The veteran is a stellar run defender, a plus pass rusher up the gut and will likely come on a cheap, short-term deal.

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VFL Ramon Foster named co-host of Nashville morning sports talk show

Foster will bust out his broadcasting chops on Middle Tennessee mornings.

NASHVILLE — Former Tennessee and NFL offensive lineman Ramon Foster will be taking to the Nashville airwaves.

He was named co-host of a newly-branded morning show, “JMart & Ramon” on Cumulus Media’s 104.5 The Zone on Tuesday.

Foster will join host Jason Martin on weekdays from 6-9 a.m. CT. Martin took over the “Wake Up Zone” show in early August after longtime hosts Kevin Ingram and Mark Howard were let go from Cumulus.

Foster played on Tennessee’s offensive line from 2004-08 before signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2009. The former Vol went on to enjoy a successful 10-year career with the Steelers before announcing his retirement in March.

He is a Henning, Tennessee native.

“JMart & Ramon” will hit the airwaves on Sept. 8.

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line ranking entering the 2020 season

Here’s a look at where PFF ranks the Steelers heading into the upcoming season.

The Steelers offensive line has been in the league’s top 10 for several years running, thanks to a limit on its moving parts. Unfortunately, they lost veteran guard Ramon Foster to retirement in the offseason. He had been slipping in productivity and was likely going to be released anyway. Nevertheless, the change will require a little shuffling.

Pro Football Focus recently ranked all 32 units entering the 2020 season and projected Pittsburgh at No. 9. PFF cites mainstays Alejandro Villanueva, David DeCastro and Maurkice Pouncey as reasons for their top 10 ranking. They duly noted that run blocking was an issue in 2019, and predict that rookie guard Kevin Dotson as one to keep an eye on to eventually replace Foster.

The Steelers signed Stefen Wisniewski — fresh off the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl team — in free agency. Wisniewski has been around the block a few times, and his experience will be valuable given the limited time the rookies will have in practices and preseason action this year.

If the Steelers can improve on their run blocking this season, I believe it’ll bump the o-line up a few spots.

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Steelers OC Randy Fichtner needs to show commitment to run game

A solid plan for the Pittsburgh Steelers run game will be necessary with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returning from injury.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, 38, is coming off an elbow injury that abruptly ended his season Week 2 of the 2019 season. The operation on the elbow of his throwing arm involved reattaching three flexor tendons.

It’ll be in the Steelers best interest to bring Roethlisberger along slowly. Even though he’s said that he’s throwing without pain, it would be foolish to expect a return to the 42 attempts per-game from 2018. On average, Roethlisberger has thrown 36 times per game since 2014.

“Being so, so focused on passing the ball has never been a path to success for the Steelers or really anybody else,” said Aditi Kinkhabwala, Steelers reporter for NFL Network, on Around the NFL. “Look at what the Titans did a year ago or the 49ers — you need a run game.”

Tennessee and San Fransisco were both balanced offensively in 2019. The Titans pass-to-run plays ratio was 448/445, and the 49ers was 478/498. Contrastingly, the Steelers had 510 pass attempts to 395 run attempts.

“Since the Steelers changed offensive coordinators from Todd Haley to Randy Fichtner, they haven’t shown much propensity to want to run the ball,” said Kinkhabwala, who has been covering the Steelers since 2012.

Fichtner comes from a passing-game mindset — his career has been spent focusing on QBs and wide receivers. Since he arrived in Pittsburgh in 2007, he’s been instrumental in the development of Santonio Holmes, Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders, and Antonio Brown. So, it’s no surprise that Fichtner favors passing the ball to running it. But if the Steelers want Roethlisberger to remain effective in whatever time he has left with the team, they’d be wise to incorporate more rush attempts into the game plan.

The performance of the run game is obviously dependent on the performance of the offensive line, and last season the Steelers’ line simply didn’t play at the same level it did in 2018. The unit dropped eight spots from first to nine in the Pro Football Focus offensive line rankings.

Now-retired guard Ramon Foster accounted for 317 run plays in 2019 with a PFF grade of 52. Stefen Wisniewski, a free-agency signing this offseason, will likely start at guard this season. The most snap counts Wisniewski has taken since his rookie season (with the Oakland Raiders) was in 2017 with the Philadelphia Eagles when he was involved in 388 run plays with a PFF grade of 70.

While the level of involvement from fullback Derek Watt remains to be seen, the roster addition should help bolster the run game. In Watt’s last season in Los Angeles, he was part of 72 run plays with a blocking grade of 58.

Roethlisberger had a career year in 2018, as did his offensive line. If the line can return to ’18 form, it should speak volumes for running back James Conner, who put up his best numbers that same season.

But first, Fichtner has to make more of a commitment to integrating the diverse group of backs he has at his disposal.

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Mike Tomlin picks perfect team ambassador to speak to rookies

Ramon Foster is the perfect choice to help rookies understand what it takes to be a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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He might be retired but there’s still no better person for the Pittsburgh Steelers to select to speak to the rookie class. Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin spoke to the media on Saturday and said he chose Foster to speak to the rookies on Friday to provide his wisdom for these young men transitioning into the NFL.

Foster’s journey in the NFL is a testament to any player who thinks they can’t make it. Foster went undrafted but the Steelers took a shot on him and the rest, as they say, is history. He spent the last 11 seasons with the Steelers and despite announcing his retirement earlier in the offseason, will always be part of the Steelers’ family.

The Steelers have had to make significant adjustments to their offseason along with all 32 NFL teams due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Former Steeler Ramon Foster among Players Coalition requesting investigation into death of Ahmaud Arbery

Several professional athletes are demanding an FBI investigation into the death of Ahmaud Arbery.

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Former Pittsburgh Steelers guard Ramon Foster is among several dozen NFL players as part of the Players Coalition to request an investigation by the FBI into the death of Ahmaud Arbery.

Arbery was shot and killed in an incident involving Gregory and Travis McMichael on February 23rd. Both men have been arrested and charged with murder. The Players Coalition is an advocacy group consisting of former and current NFL and NBA players and coaches.

Foster came to the Steelers as a UDFA in 2009 and spent 11 seasons with the team. He was the starting guard for the last nine but chose suddenly to retire this offseason.

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