Meet Andre Carter

[SmootSmack]

5th in a series of new player profiles

Andre Carter

Postion: LB/DE
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 265 lbs.
Born: 05/12/1979
College: California
NFL Experience: 5

Scout's Inc. Profile

Carter made the conversion from DE to ROLB in the 49ers' 3-4 defensive scheme. He played in 14 games with 12 starts. He plays in regular sets as an OLB and sub as a rush DE. He is a tall muscular OLB with good overall athletic skills for the position. He is a competitive player with a good motor. In the running game, he has the size and strength to set the edge when aligning over the tight end on the line of scrimmage. He has good initial shock with his hands and the ability to hold the point and disengage and get off blocks. He can bend and play with leverage but at times doesn't play with very good recognition skills when reacting to blocking patterns. He has the speed to chase and close down off the backside. In the passing game, he is a high-cut player that struggles to lower his hips and change direction in open space. He has the ability to drop in underneath zones and understands coverage concepts, but doesn't play with a lot of zone awareness. He is a limited match-up player when covering the TE in one-on-one situations. As a pass rusher, he has good initial quickness and first-step explosion off the edge. He has good technique and pass rush skills. He has a long stride which enables him to cover a lot of ground. He has the speed and quickness to bend the edge and close on the quarterback. He has good active hands and relies on counter moves to gain separation. Overall, Carter is a starting OLB whose physical and athletic traits best suite a 3-4 defense. He is an interesting player that could fill a lot of different roles within a defensive scheme. He has some durability concerns after suffering a back injury in 2004

Extra Tidbit: Father Rubin was a former NFL DT (played with the Broncos in Super Bowl XXII) who also served as DL coach under Norv in 1999 and 2000 with the Washington Redskins. Rubin Carter was also a coach with Howard University and the University of Maryland.

Career Stats

Defensive Stats

2001: 46 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles
2002: 54 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles
2003: 34 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble
2004 (7 games played): 10 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble
2005: 44 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 0 forced fumbles