The undrafted free agent proved to be an explosive playmaker for Buffalo’s offense.
Buffalo Bills Insider Chris Brown provides the details. Here is his report:
A total of 27 receptions for 541 yards and three touchdowns might not look all that impressive for a first season for an NFL wide receiver. When one comes to realize that almost all of that production for Robert Foster came over the final seven games of the season, the numbers leave a much different impression.
Foster led the NFL in yards per catch with an average of 20.0 (minimum 25 receptions). The next four receivers on that list were DeSean Jackson, Josh Gordon, Mike Evans, and Dante Pettis.
He was the only NFL rookie with three 100-yard receiving games in 2018, putting him in a group with JuJu Smith-Schuster (3 in 2017), Michael Thomas (3 in 2016) and Amari Cooper (5 in 2015) as the only NFL players since 2015 to record three 100-yard games in their rookie season.
Foster also led all NFL rookies with 511 receiving yards from Weeks 10-17. The next four receivers on the list were D.J. Moore, Dante Pettis, Calvin Ridley, and Courtland Sutton – all players selected in the first two rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Finally, Foster became the first Bills player with a 25-yard reception in six consecutive games since Jerry Butler in 1985-86.
That’s pretty rare company for an undrafted rookie, who was cut by the Bills at midseason. But if you ask the people who worked with him before he came to Buffalo, they’re anything but surprised.
Much has been made about the lack of playing time Foster received at Alabama, but his lack of time on the field was due more to injury than ability.
“He actually did get a lot of playing time,” said former Alabama offensive coordinator and current Maryland head coach Mike Locksley. “Robert played here as a true freshman and then he had injuries.”
A bad shoulder injury put Foster on the shelf for more than a calendar year.
“I had my rotator cuff, labrum, ligament and nerve (repaired),” Foster told buffalobills.com. “The rehab was a whole year and a half.”
He got back on the field in his sophomore year, but a dirt bike accident led to a torn meniscus and ankle injury sent that season up in smoke too.
Locksley was Foster’s receivers coach for his senior season, with Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator. Though Foster started every game, the run-heavy attack left him with just 14 catches and a touchdown in 10 games.
“We always had a receiver who was the primary target,” said Locksley of the Alabama offense. “We had Amari Cooper catch a ton of balls and then Calvin Ridley caught a ton of balls and every else only caught a few balls here and there.”
Foster never complained. Instead he watched both Cooper and Ridley closely every day.
“I embraced it,” Foster said. “By watching them I learned from them. How they release, how they run their routes. Their hand-eye coordination. I think Calvin Ridley and Amari Cooper are some of the best route runners I’ve ever seen. I had no problem watching them because I developed more as a player by watching them and I’m still growing.”
Big production when it clicked
Foster’s return to the Bills active roster in Week 10, after being cut in Week 7 and signed to the practice squad has been well documented. As has the kick in the pants he got from offensive captain LeSean McCoy.
But even the most dedicated undrafted rookies don’t put up production in the fashion that Foster did over the final seven games. So what made it all click?
Foster spent the Bills entire bye week with Josh Allen on the field running routes until Allen’s arm was tired. He spent extra time after meetings in the offices of the coaching staff upstairs to better understand sight adjustments and other nuances of the passing game.
“I’ve always had a great appreciation for his work ethic,” said Daboll. “He was always a team player, worked as hard as he could work. The last seven weeks he did a good job with taking advantage of the opportunities he had. He’s got a good mindset for a young player.”
Following his first 100-yard receiving game against the Jets in Week 10, Foster gave Daboll the confidence to expand the route responsibilities for the rookie.
“He’s not just a go route guy,” said Daboll. “I was with him last year. He can run a variety of routes. Obviously running vertical is a strength of his because of his speed, but I think our staff did a good job with him in terms of top of route technique, releases, playing against tight press. Those are all things you have to work on as a young receiver coming into this league.”
“Against Jacksonville, he’s not only running go routes, but curls, deeper intermediate routes where Rob’s coming back to the ball and he’s catching it fluidly,” said Zay Jones. “Against Detroit he was running crossing routes. So weekly he was adding a whole other variation to his game. He’s not just running full speed down the field, but he was also using the width of the field to get open.
“In my eyes, Rob has probably been the most improved player this season as far as being a professional.”
“The last four games showed what he’s capable of,” said Josh Allen. “I know that early on in the year he wasn’t making those types of plays. He put his head down and went to work. He’s a great story. I love him. He works his tail off and give me everything he’s got in practice and in games. He produces.”