This morning, the Houston Texans announced that they will be parting ways with the greatest running back in their franchise’s history.

Big move: Arian Foster has been told the Texans are releasing him, per a source close to him. After great run, Foster finished in Houston. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 3, 2016

And the first question that should pop into every Broncos fan’s mind is: Wanna come to Denver?

It makes sense, right? Under Gary Kubiak, Foster was the best running back in the NFL until injuries began to take ahold of him these last few years. If he’s looking for a situation that will utilize his abilities to their fullest, then Denver has to be option one, two and three.

And I’m sure Foster and his people will reach out to Kubiak and the Broncos. The question, though, is whether the Broncos will reciprocate that interest.

While Foster is clearly one of the best running backs of this generation, the injuries are a real issue. And at 29 years old, returning from a torn Achilles is anything but a sure thing.

Still, it’s mighty appealing … Just look at this three-season stretch from 2010-12:

2010: 1616 rushing yards; 16 rushing touchdowns; 66 receptions; 604 receiving yards; 2 receiving touchdowns

2011: 1224 rushing yards; 10 rushing touchdowns; 53 receptions; 617 receiving yards; 2 receiving touchdowns (13 games)

2012: 1424 rushing yards; 15 rushing touchdowns; 40 receptions; 217 receiving yards; 2 receiving touchdowns

That’s 4,264 rushing yards, 159 receptions and 47 total touchdowns in three years … In case you’re not a numbers guy, that’s a lot!

Still, that was three years ago, and there have been plenty of bumps and bruises since then. If there’s any season Broncos fans should be pointing towards, it’s his 2014 season, where Foster returned from a serious, season-ending injury (much like he will this year) and earned his fourth Pro Bowl appearance, rushing for his highest yards-per-carry average (4.8) since his breakout season in 2010 (4.9).

But if the Broncos are going to even entertain the idea of signing Foster, it’ll have to be because (a) they believe his is 100 percent healthy and (b) he’s willing to come play on the cheap.

If he had remained with the Texans, Foster would have counted for $8.9 million against the cap, fourth most in the league. In Denver, they’re not paying him any more than $4 million, which would put him in the range of guys like Ryan Mathews, Frank Gore and Mark Ingram, and even that might be a bit high.

Foster may claim that he’s healthy, so may the doctors, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to remain healthy. While we remember the torn Achilles, it’s been pulled hamstrings and quads that have been the real problem; those can return at any time.

On one hand, that may be reason enough to let Foster drift on by to another team. On the other hand, it could drive his price down to level that makes sense for the Broncos.

Remember, C.J. Anderson, in all likelihood, will and should be a major factor in Denver next season, so Foster would be a 1A or 1B option at best. But maybe that’s exactly what he needs to get back on track. As we’ve seen over the years, Foster can wear down on 20-25 carries a game. If he’s coming in for 15-carry spurts, though, maybe he can stay healthy for a whole season.

Bringing Foster in will come with a substantial risk, but his presence also lifts the proverbial ceiling of the Denver Broncos offense to a whole new level. Whether it’s Brock Osweiler or someone else behind center, a strong running game is going to be his best friend.