Green Bay Packers free agent target: LB Bruce Carter

The Green Bay Packers will enter NFL free agency in 2015 with a cautious interest in upgrading a handful of positions before the draft in April. One of the more glaring deficiencies on the Green Bay Packers’ roster, the inside linebacker position, should be among the first to be addressed. Near the top of this free agent LB class is Bruce Carter of the Dallas Cowboys.

Carter, the 2011 second round pick, has just turned 27-years old and is among the league’s most athletic players at the linebacker position. Standing 6’2, 240lbs, the North Carolina alum has speed that flirts with the 4.4’s and has the versatility required to play multiple linebacker positions. In 13 games this past season, Carter recorded 68 tackles, 1.0 sack, 8 passes defended and a team-leading 5 INTs.

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Green Bay’s ILB position should come into focus soon, and it may do so with a crash and a bang. Longtime Packer A.J. Hawk could be a cap casualty following a year in which his game slowed to a halt, causing him to lose his starting job to a combination of Clay Matthews and Sam Barrington. Brad Jones will be in a similar situation after failing to live up to his salary, and releasing the pair would save GM Ted Thompson over $7M against the salary cap.

These moves have become more likely due to Green Bay’s internal free agents, beginning with Randall Cobb and Bryan Bulaga. Bruce Carter could arrive in free agency under similar circumstances, as the Dallas Cowboys may spread themselves too thin over the next month to fit Carter into their future plans. Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray are their big fish, along with Doug Free, Dwayne Harris, Jermey Parnell, Sterling Moore, Henry Melton, Rolando McClain and several others.

The first hurdle to overcome in a meeting of Carter and the Packers is positional fit. While he played inconsistently across a 4-3 scheme in recent seasons, it’s important to point to an earlier time in his career where he flashed potential on the inside of Rob Ryan’s 3-4 scheme. According to The Dallas Morning News, Carter was ranked as the #15 inside linebacker by Pro Football Focus in 2012 despite missing 5 games. The following season, when he kicked outside as part of Monte Kiffin’s new defense, he was ranked 90th out of 94 outside linebackers in 4-3 schemes.

Carter admitted that the switch hurt his game in an interview with Gina Miller, saying “I think that was it for me, just being more comfortable with the system and going from the previous year in the 3-4, playing Mike (inside linebacker), to the outside, playing Will (weakside linebacker), which is kind of like night and day.”

Aug 23, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker Bruce Carter (54) blocks the punt of Miami Dolphins punter Brandon Fields (2) during the first half at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s assume for a moment that Hawk and Jones do, in fact, get the axe. Sam Barrington would be the lone remaining starter at the position with 2014 rookie Carl Bradford behind him, although I wouldn’t rule out the Packers offering Hawk a very cheap 1-year contract to return as veteran depth. Addressing one roster need prior to the draft would allow the Packers to focus their energy more centrally on another area, and I see Carter as a strong compliment to someone like Barrington.

While Barrington has the physical tools to develop into a strong run-defender at the position, especially if a talented nose tackle appears in front of him, Carter’s athleticism could round out the ILB group with the potential for quality pass-coverage. His 5 INT in 2014 are an outlier, but that speed could be used to handle opposing tight ends and smother screen passes into the flat.

There’s a reason that a talented 27-year old might hit free agency, though. Carter does disappear for chunks of the game. Every offseason, the NFL Draft brings about chatter of prospects who are physically gifted, then there’s always a “but”. Carter is no different, and the team that signs him will hope that their scheme puts him in a position to impact the game consistently, instead of making one splash play followed by missing three.

Like any free agent ILB that the Packers have their eyes on, this would hinge heavily on dollars and cents. I would expect Carter to demand $3.5-4.5M on the open market, likely on a three or four year deal. Green Bay’s best course of action in the situation of a signing would be to front-load any guaranteed money on the contract. This would allow for them to part ways with a player like Carter should the transition into a 3-4 not go as planned, or if an incoming rookie outshines him through 2015.

Free agency is rarely Ted Thompson’s playground, but with two true needs on defense at ILB and NT, plugging one hole prior to the draft could be appealing. In the right situation and at the right number, Bruce Carter could be a valuable and athletic piece to add to the heart of the Packers’ front seven.

Next: Green Bay Packers free agent target: Dan Williams

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