Several 'Skins players denied talking to team about Foster

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Photo credit Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

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Redskins defensive end Jonathan Allen says he was not one of the former Alabama players the front office spoke with before claiming troubled linebacker Reuben Foster.

“No, they didn't talk to me,” Allen said to a group of reporters Wednesday. “I wasn't one of them."

The Redskins said their front office had "candid conversations with a number of (Foster's) ex-Alabama teammates and current Redskins players who were overwhelmingly supportive of us taking this chance" per a statement released Tuesday in VP of Player Personnel Doug Williams' name. 
Redskins safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who overlapped with Foster for one season at Alabama, also said he was not consulted.

Clinton-Dix on Foster:"I've been doing this for a very long time. And I love the media. I know y'all got a job to do as well. But from that standpoint, I'm just going to tell you, you've got to speak with the organization, the guys that are above me, on that decision."

— Craig Hoffman (@CraigHoffman) November 28, 2018

Linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton denied to answer whether the team talked to him prior to claiming Foster.

"No comment. I ain't answering no more questions about Reuben, man. I just ain't,"  Hamilton said. "Ask the front office about him."

The Redskins made no member of the front office available for comment.

"That don't got nothing to do with me. I just said we happy for the addition. He's gonna help us out as a football player and that's all I've got to say," Hamilton said.

Ryan Anderson, another ex-Alabama player with the Redskins, also had no comment.

Washington head coach Jay Gruden did answer questions about Foster, describing the thought process to bring in Foster as "a team decision."

"But at the end of the day, we decided to make the move and we'll deal with the outcry, so to speak," Gruden said Wednesday.

Allen, who played with Foster for four years at Alabama, said he had kept in touch with his former teammate and said his experience with Foster was a positive one.

"For everything I've seen of him in college, I've never had a problem. I've never seen any problems out of him," Allen said Wednesday. "He's a great person. But I don't know the whole details of the situation, so I can't really speak about that. But from my experiences, it's been good."

When asked what he made of the news, Allen said he was "excited" Foster gets another opportunity in the NFL, but "can't really say too much about it," before adding "I don't really know anything about the situation so I'm probably not the best person to talk to about it."

Allen said he found it hard to learn the details when asked if he had looked into Foster's latest incident.

"I mean it's hard. Unless you're there, or you know the people who were there and you're around them, it's hard to learn the details, you know?" Allen said. "I kind of just keep my distance and keep him in my prayers."

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