Markell Carter?

[MossWelkowski]

Do you guys think Belichick had something up his sleeve with this pick?
Guy looks fast from video highlights. He was running over people in D1. Granted it was a crappy conference...

 

[supafly]

Possible ST-only competition for the 'bigger' LB spot that has generally gone to White/Murrell etc???

I think there's a decent shot IF Tracy White does not stay here in FA. If he does stay however, I think the spot is Tracy White's.

 

[Sciz]

It's pretty fascinating, but Carter has basically everything that Bill looks for in a base 3-4 OLB. He's tall (6' 4 3/8"), has solid size (252) with room to grow, runs 4.7 in the 40, is explosive (35" vert, 10'1" broad jump), has long arms (34.5"), put up a lot of TFLs in college (19), and has experience dropping into coverage.

It's not going to be this year, but Carter is going to get some serious playing time in a year or two.

 

[Ron Sellers]

From everything I read about him he seems like a very intelligent kid and good athlete. I have no idea why one of the bigger schools didn't recruit him or try to get him to transfer. Based on no minicamps and the level of competition he played at in college, he's facing long odds at making the roster though; I think his most likely destination for 2011 is on the Practice Squad, and then compete for playing time at OLB in 2012.

 

[satz]

I remember the Lua threads here !!! atleast this guy is not getting Lua treatment.

 

[spacecrime]

I remember the Lua threads here !!! atleast this guy is not getting Lua treatment.

Oh, man, did I have high hopes for Oscar

 

[patchick]

I remember the Lua threads here !!!

Umm...then you remember that Oscar Lua was an undersized, athletically challenged ILB from a major college program. Not sure I see the parallel to Carter!

From everything I read about him he seems like a very intelligent kid and good athlete. I have no idea why one of the bigger schools didn't recruit him or try to get him to transfer.

Per NFLdraftscout.com: "Despite being ranked a four-star high school recruit (at 215 pounds), Carter ended up at Division II Central Arkansas. He chose UCA over Oklahoma State and Tulsa to get away from home for life experience"

 

[Froob]

Future hall of famer :rocker: .

 

[townes]

This answers the Jermaine Cunningham Conundrum, now Belichik can go young at OLB and end the Cunningham era. The Patriots are a few years away and Belichik can't afford to stick with vets like Cunningham when he has this kind of young potential on the bench.


YOUTH FTW.

 

[Ron Sellers]

Actually I think I will revise my earlier comment. I know a lot of people want the Pats to go after a pass rusher in free agency, but I think because FA will start so late this year the Pats are not likely to go that route. Someone like Cullen Jenkins is going to be too pricey, and converting a 4-3 DE like Ray Edwards or Mathias Kiwanuka to a 3-4 OLB doesn't make sense given the shortened off-season.

That leaves incumbents Jermaine Cunningham, Rob Ninkovich, Tully Banta-Cain and Eric Moore. A fifth and final OLB roster spot would be up for grabs between Carter, Marques Murrell and possibly a UDFA or veteran free agent. In that scenario Carter has an excellent chance of making the roster, and those chance improve dramatically if either one of those first four is injured, or if TBC becomes a cap casualty.

I still don't expect much of any production from Carter this year, but hopefully he can contribute in 2012.

 

[NEGoldenAge]

Actually I think I will revise my earlier comment. I know a lot of people want the Pats to go after a pass rusher in free agency, but I think because FA will start so late this year the Pats are not likely to go that route. Someone like Cullen Jenkins is going to be too pricey, and converting a 4-3 DE like Ray Edwards or Mathias Kiwanuka to a 3-4 OLB doesn't make sense given the shortened off-season.

That leaves incumbents Jermaine Cunningham, Rob Ninkovich, Tully Banta-Cain and Eric Moore. A fifth and final OLB roster spot would be up for grabs between Carter, Marques Murrell and possibly a UDFA or veteran free agent. In that scenario Carter has an excellent chance of making the roster, and those chance improve dramatically if either one of those first four is injured, or if TBC becomes a cap casualty.

I still don't expect much of any production from Carter this year, but hopefully he can contribute in 2012.

Maybe, but this year is pretty unique. There is going to be a lot of teams in cap hell, which will likely result in some serious discounts on free agents after the initial rush.

 

[Ron Sellers]

Maybe, but this year is pretty unique. There is going to be a lot of teams in cap hell, which will likely result in some serious discounts on free agents after the initial rush.

If that's the case then perhaps the Patriots can capitalize on the misfortune of other teams. From what I read a couple days ago the Pats are in very good cap shape right now.

 

[FCB02062]

Markell Carter, Oscar Lua, Ryan Claridge, Jeremy Mincey, Jermaine Cunningham, Eric Moore, Eric Alexander, Pierre Woods, Shawn Crable, Tyrone McKenzie....

I would venture that each of these guys, at one point either when they drafted/signed him, was going to be "the answer" according to patsfans.com forumites.....

Personally I thought Claridge would be a factor....

 

[Sciz]

Markell Carter, Oscar Lua, Ryan Claridge, Jeremy Mincey, Jermaine Cunningham, Eric Moore, Eric Alexander, Pierre Woods, Shawn Crable, Tyrone McKenzie....

I would venture that each of these guys, at one point either when they drafted/signed him, was going to be "the answer" according to patsfans.com forumites.....

Personally I thought Claridge would be a factor....

Lua, Claridge, Alexander, and McKenzie were ILBs, so I don't think anybody thought they were going to solve a problem at OLB...

 

[BaltimorePatsFan]

Hopefully he'll be better than Pierre Woods.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Markell Carter, Oscar Lua, Ryan Claridge, Jeremy Mincey, Jermaine Cunningham, Eric Moore, Eric Alexander, Pierre Woods, Shawn Crable, Tyrone McKenzie....

I would venture that each of these guys, at one point either when they drafted/signed him, was going to be "the answer" according to patsfans.com forumites.....

Personally I thought Claridge would be a factor....

Not really. A few of us thought Woods was serviceable as a rotational guy, and most of us have high hopes for Cunningham, but that was it really. Of the others, Shawn Crable was the only one who for, some bizarre reason, people latched on to. Never really understood that.

 

[Shelterdog]

Not really. A few of us thought Woods was serviceable as a rotational guy, and most of us have high hopes for Cunningham, but that was it really. Of the others, Shawn Crable was the only one who for, some bizarre reason, people latched on to. Never really understood that.

Well Crable was a third round pick who looks the part.


If Carter is as good as Woods we should all be thrilled; if he's any better we should be amazed. He's a 6th round pick so it's unlikely that he's even on the team in two years.

 

[s3antana5757]

This answers the Jermaine Cunningham Conundrum, now Belichik can go young at OLB and end the Cunningham era. The Patriots are a few years away and Belichik can't afford to stick with vets like Cunningham when he has this kind of young potential on the bench.


YOUTH FTW.

Cunningham was drafted two years or so ago no? How is he old? In anyway?

 

[jmt57]

Cunningham was drafted two years or so ago no? How is he old? In anyway?

Pretty sure he was being sarcastic there.

 

[s3antana5757]

Pretty sure he was being sarcastic there.

Kind of tough to tell on a website. Lol.