Mid-June Andre Carter update & contract watch

[Ron Sellers]

Carter says he could be ready by training camp

Carter told Patriots Insider Tom E. Curran in April that he had not heard from the Patriots but he was "optimistic" that something would work out.

"I could not have enjoyed that season any more than I did," Carter said of his year in New England. "I was working with guys who just love the game of football, the Patriots organization does things the right way, the city was awesome -- people wanted to know the players whether they were stars or not. It was such an amazing experience I'd love to experience it again."​

Pass rusher Carter just one vet coming off injury who may be a steal - NFL - CBSSports.com

Now, a little more than a month before the start of training camp, Carter's hard work is paying off again. With the free-agent market largely already picked clean, Carter is nearing a return -- he vows to be ready by camp -- and he is one of a handful of players who may have fallen off the overall NFL radar, but who are being monitored closely by executives.

"Overall, I feel great," Carter said between rehab sessions near his home in California. "As you know, this quad injury is something that is not too common; you always hear about ACLs or MCLs, but to have it pop off the bone like that, I was like, 'Damn, I must have been doing some big thangs out there,'" at which point Carter let out one of his Barry White-worthy deep chuckles.

"But I had a follow-up last week and the doctors are pretty impressed with how I've come along, and as you know when it comes to rehab there's a certain timetable where you're supposed to be, and I've surpassed that. I'm ahead of the game and headed in the right direction. Even though I know this injury takes a long time, my goal has been to be back for training camp. That's my focus."

Carter, the seventh overall pick in the 2001 draft, was having probably his best season since 2002. He was a perfect fit in Bill Belichick's defensive designs while toggling between the 3-4 and 4-3, a dynamic, hybrid edge presence, picking up 10 sacks in 14 starts, including four in one game, a Pats record. After years of struggling to find his way in Washington's changing schemes, and frankly being outright misused at times, to have his comeback season with New England cut short just before the playoffs was heartbreaking
​

link

"A few days after the injury I was like, 'I'm coming back, I'm not quite done yet'," he said.

He's always been a quick healer, and has a strong background in martial arts and MMA, open to trying new ways to stay limber and strong. Now he's doing substantial work with resistance bands, working all around his quad and knee, having to hold certain positions for a set period of time.

"From your quads to your glutes, everything's on fire, man!" Carter said, "but I tell you what, my legs are stronger than ever. The stuff you pick up in rehab, I always say, man, I wish I learned this a long time ago. I feel like I'm stronger now than ever."

Teams can never have too many pass rushers, something Belichick knows all too well. His sage moves to pick up Carter and Anderson a year ago point to that (a while back Belichick was trying to lure former sack-ace Kevin Carter out of retirement as well), so there will be a market for Carter, who made $2.25 million last season including a $500,000 signing bonus. Many expect he will end up back with the Pats.

"It would be great, it would be great," Carter said of a potential New England reunion. "But as you know it's a business as well. I'm just training my mind and body to prepare for another season, and hopefully a team will be interested in me and take a chance and I can go out and perform the best way I can. If it's New England, that would be awesome."​

 

[RayClay]

I love this guy.

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

Sign him and pup him till he's ready. I'd really like to see him back. Plus he could help with the youngins

 

[Marqui]

I love this guy.

Me too. Great to hear he thinks he'll be ready by TC.

 

[mayoclinic]

Pats' Pulpit had this on Carter earlier this week:

"One consensus around the league is that the free-agent Carter will more than likely re-join the Patriots, and return for a second season in New England. While there have been "preliminary discussions" between the two sides, no contract agreement has been reached (more than likely due to his health). Carter's agent, Carl Poston, is hopeful that his client and the Patriots will reunite for the upcoming season.

"He's rehabbing. He's in good shape. He wants to play," Poston said of Carter, who will turn 33 in May. "We're just kind of monitoring and tracking his injury, and when it's time to talk they're going to let me know. I just called them to see what their plans were, to see if they were interested, and I would have been surprised if they said they weren't interested. Obviously, they said they were interested, but it's a little premature, a little early, and I understood that. In terms of being a professional and doing my job, I just wanted to kind of call them and see where we stood."

Patriots Notebook 6/11/12: Andre Carter, Deion Branch, Shane Vereen - Pats Pulpit

Pretty frank stuff coming from an agent. Sounds like it's more a matter of "when" than "if".

 

[InRodWeRust]

Sign him and pup him till he's ready. I'd really like to see him back. Plus he could help with the youngins

Bill Belichick needs to read this post.

 

[Guimond3434]

I remember reading a few months ago that Carter wanted to come back and the Patriots wanted him back, and that the Pats/Carter were just waiting on his injury to heal. If that's true, its simply a matter of "when".

Carter will be back.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

2012's version of "The Decision"

 

[Patjew]

Re-sign the beast. The guy is an Adonis with a brain.

 

[PatriotDynasty_12]

As long as he gets healthy, he'll be back. No doubt about it.

 

[Why?PJ]

Bill Belichick needs to read this post.

except we were just shown that you can't do that. The pats stole a TE from the giants because they tried to do it.

It is safer as it is, and have him signed when he is healthy.

 

[spacecrime]

except we were just shown that you can't do that.

Sure you can. The Gints WAIVED Ballard. They should have done exactly as the OP said: kept him and PUPed him. Active PUP until final countdown, then reserve PUP. It's that simple.

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

Bill Belichick needs to read this post.

Its probably a good thing he doesnt read my posts. I've been wrong alot more than i've been right......:bricks:

 

[MrNathanDrake]

hopefully he is back by mid-season and has production like he did last year

 

[The Scrizz]

Lloyd, Carter... These guys aren't exactly making BB's job very difficult by announcing they want to be Pats.

G. Warren is another guy who seems to be Pats or nothing and I'd be shocked if Branch ever plays another snap for a team other that the Pats. These 2 are perfect shadow roster players.

Branch proved a few years ago that he could fall out of bed after years away and have that chemistry with TB. Let him rest that knee up and stay in shape and come in when we need him. Make him an asst WR coach or something to keep him busy, he certainly knows what it takes to play WR in this system.

Warren can rest up for the stretch run and inevitable DL injuries like he did last year.

 

[RobertWeathers]

As long as he is healthy, I have no doubts he'll be back. It's a perfect situation for him and Carter strikes me as a pretty smart man who knows when he has a good thing in front of him.

 

[mojocaster.com]

I interacted with Carter a bunch of times on Twitter. He's a pure class act. I'd love to see him back, for sure.

 

[Why?PJ]

Sure you can. The Gints WAIVED Ballard. They should have done exactly as the OP said: kept him and PUPed him. Active PUP until final countdown, then reserve PUP. It's that simple.

I refuse to believe the giants fo are morons. You don't win super bowls with dimwits running the team. So straight to pup seems to be not possible. Anyways, why have him here at all if he can't do anything? He's smart enough to rehab himself.

 

[Joker]

I refuse to believe the giants fo are morons. You don't win super bowls with dimwits running the team. So straight to pup seems to be not possible. Anyways, why have him here at all if he can't do anything? He's smart enough to rehab himself.

For the record, here are the parameters and rules of PUP courtesy NFLPlayers.com:

“Once they are designated as such (PUP), they are prohibited from practicing with the team. They can, however, rehabilitate and participate in team meetings. If a player begins training camp on the PUP list, they can be moved to the active roster at any time, even after one practice. A player is not allowed to be placed on the PUP list if they start training camp on the active roster, even if they take part in only the first few minutes of the first practice.

A player who begins the regular season on the PUP list must sit out his team’s first six games. After that point, a team has three weeks to start having the player practice; once the player begins practicing, the team has another three weeks to put the player on the active roster. If the player is not activated by that time, or if he does not begin practicing within that three week window, he must remain on the PUP list for the remainder of the season.”

 

[The Scrizz]

For the record, here are the parameters and rules of PUP courtesy NFLPlayers.com:

“Once they are designated as such (PUP), they are prohibited from practicing with the team. They can, however, rehabilitate and participate in team meetings. If a player begins training camp on the PUP list, they can be moved to the active roster at any time, even after one practice. A player is not allowed to be placed on the PUP list if they start training camp on the active roster, even if they take part in only the first few minutes of the first practice.

A player who begins the regular season on the PUP list must sit out his team’s first six games. After that point, a team has three weeks to start having the player practice; once the player begins practicing, the team has another three weeks to put the player on the active roster. If the player is not activated by that time, or if he does not begin practicing within that three week window, he must remain on the PUP list for the remainder of the season.”

I think the confusion lies however in the belief that the Giants could have just placed him on PUP right now and saved the roster spot. Because of Ballard's service time it seems they would have either had to wait and tie up one of those oh so important 90 roster spots, or waive him and hope he passed. Which they did.

They chose... foolishly.