Andre Carter Cut By Raiders: Could He Return to New England?
Yesterday, our own Liam Cunningham wrote on the ideal but unfortunately unlikely possibility of Richard Seymour returning to the Patriots.
Seymour isn't the only ex-Patriot turned ex-Raider to hit the market this offseason, as Oakland released defensive end Andre Carter yesterday. The 34 year old Carter is a 13 year veteran who had 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble in Oakland last year.
Pats fans remember Carter fondly for 2011, his lone season with the team. Carter was in the midst of a fantastic season (10 sacks, sound run defense and excellent leadership in the locker room) in 2011 until Week 14 when a gruesome quadriceps injury ended his season and Patriots tenure. For those who don't remember, he tore the entire quad off the bone. Gross.
Carter went on to sign with Oakland last year, but didn't exactly set the world on fire with his work as a situational pass rusher. The fact that he was cut from a team that ranked 31st in the league in sacks last year certainly doesn't bode well for his future.
I admittedly haven't seen Carter play in Oakland; perhaps he really is done. However, if he has enough left in the tank to provide a little depth at defensive end, it's a move the Patriots should consider. New England's surprising decisions to release Justin Francis, Marcus Benard and Jermaine Cunningham leave the team with only unproven Jake Bequette and rookie Michael Buchanan backing up the starters. Should anything happen to Chandler Jones or Rob Ninkovich, the team could find itself facing a steep drop off in pass rush.
By the way, only in the NFL can someone who looks like this be considered physically "done".
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At the very least, bringing in Carter would put another strong, veteran leader in the locker room. Carter could serve as a mentor to the much younger Bequette, Buchanan and Jones while also being another body who can take up snaps if need be. As it currently stands, the roster is at 51 players; moves will be made in the coming days. It remains to be see if Carter's name will come up.
Do you want the Patriots to bring back Carter? Or do you think he's done? Let us know in the comments.
