German_Force » Information from

San Francisco general manager John Lynch said Monday the team will be patient through linebacker Reuben Foster's legal issues in a domestic violence case but stressed he won't remain on the 49ers if the team determines he hit a woman.

Lynch spoke publicly for the first time since Foster was charged with felony domestic violence on April 12 after being accused by authorities of dragging his girlfriend and punching her in the head Youth Johnny Townsend Jersey , leaving her with a ruptured eardrum.

"The gravity of these charges has not been lost on us," Lynch said. "We take it extremely seriously. We do feel like patience is the right approach right now. We're going to learn things through this legal process. I do want to be very clear, abundantly clear, that if these charges are proven true, if Reuben indeed hit this young lady, he won't be a part of our organization going forward."

The 49ers announced a few days later that Foster would not take part in the offseason program while he deals with the legal matter.

Lynch said he expects that to remain the case until something changes, meaning Foster will remain away from the team until his legal case is resolved.

Lynch said the team has been in contact with the league, which could place Foster on the commissioner's exempt list while the legal process plays out, which would keep him away from the team and off the roster.

Lynch said Foster is in contact with members of his player development staff and working out on his own during this period where he is not allowed to be part of the team.

"We miss his spirit a lot," linebacker Malcolm Smith said. "Just being around the guys. Obviously he's going through some issues and legal stuff. We definitely miss his spirit in our group."

Prosecutors said the 24-year-old Foster attacked his girlfriend in February at their Los Gatos home, leaving her bruised and with an injured eardrum.

The 28-year-old woman told responding officers that Foster dragged her by her hair, physically threw her out of the house, and punched her in the head eight to 10 times.

Foster was also charged with felony possession of an assault weapon after officers found a Sig Sauer 516 short-barreled rifle in his home while investigating his girlfriend's domestic violence report.

If convicted on all charges, He faces up to 11 years in prison.

"We just feel like right now that we don't have all the information Authentic Jeremy Kerley Jersey ," Lynch said.

"That's where we're at. Everyone looks at that and say, 'Wait, the DA has levied charges. How is that not enough information?' I would tell you that each one of these cases is unique and in this case we don't feel like we have enough information. We will wait and figure it out."

The 49ers drafted Foster 31st overall last year after questions about his health and character caused him to drop from being a possible top 10 pick.

Foster delivered on the field, ranking second on the team with 72 tackles in 10 games as a rookie and looking like a key part of San Francisco's defensive future.

Foster then was charged in January in Alabama with second-degree marijuana possession before the incident in February that led to the most recent charges.

Baker Mayfield's flag-planting, crotch-grabbing antics didn't deter the Browns. They ignored his height, did their homework on an off-field arrest and cross-checked his character.

Mayfield passed all the tests.

As far as the Browns are concerned, he's nothing like Johnny Manziel 鈥?except for his Heisman Trophy.

After months of dissection and debate, the Browns selected Mayfield, Oklahoma's cocky and charismatic quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday, a somewhat surprising selection by a team that figured to play it safe with such an important decision.

But coming off a 0-16 season, the Browns are betting that Mayfield is a better player than USC's Sam Darnold, Wyoming's Josh Allen or UCLA's Josh Rosen, a talented group regarded as the top QB class in years.

They're also confident he won't be a headache like Manziel, who fizzled out in two party-filled seasons with Cleveland.

"In doing all of our research with Baker Mayfield Authentic Royce Freeman Jersey , he has earned it, from high school, to college, he has earned it," Browns general manager John Dorsey said. "I have no qualms whatsoever about him as a man or as a football player."

The Browns followed Mayfield's selection with another surprise, using the No. 4 pick on Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward. Cleveland was thought to be high on North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb or Alabama cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick, but they instead opted for the speedy Ward, who skipped his senior season with the Buckeyes to turn pro.

Mayfield understands the Manziel comparisons, and the 23-year-old knows there are Cleveland fans who see him as Johnny Football 2.0.

However, Mayfield insists he's his own man.

"Johnny and I are two completely different people," Mayfield said on a conference call from his home in Austin, Texas. "That's nothing against him, but what I've been able to do is be upfront and honest about who I am during these meetings. I'm confident that I showed that with this coaching staff and with the management throughout this process.

"But for me moving forward it's just being myself. I'm not going to go out and try and prove I'm not Johnny, I'm going to be myself and in the end that's going to take care of the rest."

When Dorsey called Mayfield and asked him Eagles Markus Wheaton Jersey , "Let me ask you a question, you want to be the first pick in the draft?" Mayfield broke down and cried.

Mayfield said he became emotional after looking around at people who stuck with him through good and bad.

"It just kind of brought out all of the emotions of the tough times that we went through and the good ones," he said. "To think about it all there in that moment, it was going to be a fresh start, and it was a whole lot of emotion packed into one phone call."

At Oklahoma, he was college football's top player last season, passing for 4,627 yards, 43 touchdowns and winning the Heisman last season. But his size (he's just over 6-foot), and the questions about his character following a 2017 arrest in Arkansas and some on-field antics 鈥?a flag planting at Ohio State and lewd gesture at Kansas 鈥?seemed to eliminate him from being picked first.

But as Dorsey, coach Hue Jackson and others in Cleveland's organization spent more time with him, the Browns became convinced that he's the one who can finally end their long search for a franchise quarterback. Cleveland has started 28 QBs since 1999.

"My faith says every man deserves a second chance," Dorsey said. "Young men do certain things. We all learn from our mistakes. I like the guy. I have no problems with a young man making mistakes and moving forward."

Mayfield, who went 33-6 in games he started (he sat out the first quarter of his final game with a suspension) is the fifth quarterback taken in the first round by the Browns in their expansion era 鈥?and first since Manziel.

And although he may be Cleveland's quarterback of the future Vita Vea Jersey Buccaneers , the present belongs to Tyrod Taylor, who was acquired during the offseason in a trade from Buffalo. Jackson has already named Taylor as his starter in 2018, and the plan is for Mayfield to develop as a backup.

For now, Mayfield is going along with it.

"That's a veteran that's been in the league," he said. "He's a guy that I could sit behind and learn from. For me, when I say those type of things, it's because I'm competitive. If I came in with the mindset of just being happy I got drafted and just to settle for a backup job, that wouldn't be myself."

This is the second straight year the Browns have picked first. Cleveland addressed a major defensive need and selected defensive end Myles Garrett with the first overall pick in 2017.

Dorsey revamped his secondary with a trade and three free-agent signings. But he was missing a shutdown cornerback and believes he's got one now in Ward, a Cleveland kid who feels he's ready to help his hometown team win.

"I'm very confident in my ability and I look forward to that pressure," Ward said. "Being at Ohio State, there was pressure all the time there. Everybody was on edge there. It's kind of nothing new having the pressure on me."

.