The Dallas Cowboys were licking their chops when they selected former North Carolina linebacker Bruce Carter in the second-round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
“(We) had him in our grading system literally up there in the first round as far as where his talent is and how he can run and his uniqueness as a player,” owner Jerry Jones said
Carter had first round talent, but a knee injury caused his stock to fall. Now less than three months after the draft, Carter is seeing vast improvement in his injured knee.
Carter tore his ACL in November, but now says his knee is about 85%.
“The knee’s doing well,” Carter said on the Galloway and Company radio show. “I’d probably say to myself that I’m about 85 percent. I will say that I am full speed, I’ve been cutting, it’s just kind of more like a mental thing more than it is physical. Just trying to get my feeling back and I feel pretty good about it. I’m ready to go.
“As soon as I get into Dallas I’m sure they’ll have some things for me to do and we can just work this whole thing out. I’m excited to get down there and show everybody what I can do.”
Carter will play middle linebacker in new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan’s scheme. Carter and Ryan were able to briefly discuss his role in the defense while the lockout was temporarily lifted in April and the former Tar Heel feels comfortable with his new position.
He has all of the ability to be a force across from DeMarcus Ware, so if Carter can get to 100% before the start of the season you could see him making a big impact immediately.