Troubled wide receiver Duron Carter, son of Hall of Fame pass catcher Cris Carter and formerly a top college recruit, is free to begin negotiating with NFL teams next month. And upward of 10 NFL teams are tracking the CFL standout closely. Several sources close to the player believe the Colts will quickly emerge as the favorites to land him, and Indianapolis has significant interest in the potential impact player.
NFL teams have watched Carter very closely as he helped turn around Montreal's season and lead them in an improbable surge to the CFL playoffs, and his contract expires when their season does. As per NFL rules, given the nature of Carter's contract, he can begin negotiating with and working out for NFL clubs on Dec. 1, per an NFL Management Council source, but can't formally sign a contract until February.
Roughly a third of the league has interest in bringing Carter in for a visit and numerous scouts who have watched him closely have told me he could start for many NFL teams right now. The timing couldn't be better as we're about to enter an offseason in which the receiver free agent class is expected to be very thin once the franchise tag and fifth-year options are extended. Carter is being seen as a top priority by some clubs.
Carter, 23, had significant off-field issues in the past – as did his father, Cris, who eventually became one of the dominant receivers of his era after going from Philadelphia to Minnesota – and according to CFL sources has matured and grown up considerably during his two years there. He still needs to be tended to closely at times, sources said, and can be high-maintenance for coaches, but also has game-changing ability as his father did, and is very explosive with a massive frame, possessing the height (6-5) NFL teams covet and weighing 205 pounds.
It took a series of wasted opportunities for Carter to end up in Montreal. A prized prospect out of Ft. Lauderdale, rated as one of the top 10 receivers in the country, he attended Alabama and Florida Atlantic but never played there, though he did play briefly at Ohio State as well as a community college. He was ruled academically ineligible several times and was suspended for spring practice one year while at Alabama. His off-field issues resulted in him not being drafted in 2013, and after a few NFL tryouts he signed a two-year contract with Montreal, a perennial contender in the CFL that has developed many NFL players over the years (former Montreal coach Marc Trestman now coaches the Bears and former NFL standout Chad Johnson is one of Carter's teammates on the team).
While there are no shortage of teams very interested in him (sources said the Seahawks and 49ers are likely to among his other suitors), numerous sources continued to point to the Colts as a team looking to make an immediate impression with him. Veteran receiver Reggie Wayne is a free agent at season's end, the team has been willing to gamble on receivers with red flags and character issues several times – with minimal success – but aggressive young general manager Ryan Grigson is not afraid to take chances, he has extensive connections in the CFL (he worked for three years for Saskatchewan of the CFL) and the Colts have been closely monitoring Carter for quite some time.
Numerous NFL executives declined to discuss Carter on the record, given that teams are awaiting an upcoming personnel notice from the NFL to all clubs indicating when it is permissible to formally pursue certain categories of CFL free agents. However, many of them acknowledge the substantial potential Carter has should he focus on football and dedicate himself to maximizing his talent.
“I hope Duron is ready to finally put on his big-boy pants and fully use what the good Lord intended,” one general manager said.
Sources close to the player said he understands that, despite being so young, he can't afford to waste any further opportunities and is prepared to come to the NFL humble and eager to get better. His past transgressions have led several teams not to consider him at all, but it's expected he will have at least five formal requests for free agent visits as soon as the NFL gives the OK via its memo.
Montreal hosts British Columbia in the quarterfinals of the CFL playoffs this afternoon and the Grey Cup will be played on Nov. 29, should it reach the finals. Carter finished third in the CFL with 1,030 yards and also caught 75 passes with seven touchdowns. In 2013 he averaged a staggering 19 yards a catch.
