The Miami Dolphins signed former Houston Texans running back Arian Foster on Monday as the teams completed a switch at running back.
Lamar Miller, last season’s starter for Miami, signed with Houston this offseason at the start of free agency in March.
Foster, who will be 30 next month, signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins, according to ESPN. The four-time Pro Bowl selection said he’s still got a lot left.
“I still feel like a Pro Bowl-caliber player,” Foster said on a conference call Monday evening, “and I intend to go out and show it.”
Foster, who has been both incredibly productive and remarkably injury-prone, was released by the Texans in March after sustaining a season-ending Achilles injury in October against the Dolphins.
Foster rushed for a franchise-record 6,472 yards (4.3 yards per carry) and 54 touchdowns in seven seasons with Houston.
In the five seasons from 2010 to 2014, Foster rushed for at least 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns four times.
But he also missed 14 games during that 80-game span.
Last year, he only played in four games. In 2013, he had a back injury that limited him to eight games.
Three times in his career he’s played in eight or fewer games, including last season when he injured his Achilles a 44-26 loss to the Dolphins.
Miami is hoping Foster is healthy enough to compete for the starting job.
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Foster visited the Dolphins in March on what was termed a medical visit. He said that’s when he decided he wanted to join the team.
“After my visit in March with Miami I kind of already made my mind up that was where I wanted to be,” he said.
Foster had a follow-up visit Monday and his health was good enough to convince the Dolphins that he’s physically fit.
Foster said he’ll be healthy enough to participate in training camp next week beginning with the July 29th opening practice. And Foster said he wasn’t told he’d be the starter.
“I don’t have any expectations,” he said.
Although Foster was set to earn $6.5 million this season and carry an $8.9 million salary cap hit, Texans general manager Rick Smith insisted at the NFL scouting combine in March that money wouldn’t be a reason for Houston to release Foster.
“As it relates to all the free agent conversations, I’m never going to tell you one way or the other what we’re doing,” Smith said, “but I will tell you this: His salary is not a reason why we would cut Arian.”
Foster’s health and availability were more important to the Texans. Miller, Foster’s replacement in Houston, has only missed one game in the last three seasons.
Foster joins a young stable of running backs in Miami that includes Jay Ajayi, Damien Williams and rookie Kenyan Drake.
Ajayi, the 2015 fifth-round pick from Boise State, has been the starter throughout the offseason program, but Foster could become the favorite to win the starting job in training camp.
Foster said he’s looking forward to playing under first-year Dolphins coach Adam Gase.
When healthy, Foster is an excellent cutback runner in a zone blocking scheme, which the Dolphins and Texans both employ, and he’s regarded as someone who knows pass protection, which is a key in Gase’s offense.
“I think Adam really knows how to use a running back out of the backfield, which I feel is my best quality,” Foster said.
Foster wasn’t bitter about his release from Houston.
Foster addressed the matter shortly after his release in an Instagram post that ended with an upbeat declaration to the people of Houston and the Texans: “nothing but love on this end.”
As far as the teams exchanging running backs, Foster said he has nothing to prove to the Texans, just as Miller likely has nothing to prove to the Dolphins.
“This is just a new chapter of my life,” he said. “There’s nothing I have to prove and I’m sure Lamar feels the same way.”