Image courtesy of MontrealAlouettes.com
Per Matt Miller of the Bleacher Report (who has been on-point on this Duron Carter story all year), Duron Carter—son of Vikings legend Cris Carter—will be visiting four teams, the Vikings among them. He has already visited the Colts and the Chiefs, and the Vikings are the next on the list.
Carter will be visiting the team today and having dinner with receivers coach George Stewart and working out tomorrow in the facility. In May, he identified Coach Stewart as a primary reason he was interested in the Vikings and knows of his work around the NFL, including with Terrell Owens and Roddy White. According to Vikings Update, the Vikings are a frontrunner to sign Duron Carter, and may close in on a deal as soon as Friday.
Duron, the son of former Vikings receiver Cris Carter, is scheduled have dinner with receivers coach George Stewart and a member of the team’s front office Thursday and work out for the team on Friday morning. According to a source, the Vikings “have a very competitive offer on the table” and “if his workout goes well, he’ll agree to a contract.”
Duron Carter has identified Minnesota as one of his favorites for some time (for relatively obvious reasons—his father played for the franchise and the Vikings did his father a favor by providing him a tryout), though Matt Miller has heard Indianapolis was a favorite earlier in the process. I’m not sure why; the Colts have quite the accomplished receiver corps with T.Y. Hilton and Reggie Wayne, and they’ve been producing more this year than the Vikings’ corps has. Beyond that, it seems like the bottom of the receiver roster is a little bit more accomplished than the bottom of the Vikings’ roster (Donte Moncrief and Hakeem Nicks against Jarius Wright and Adam Thielen) so it would be tougher to crack.
If Carter would rather play with Andrew Luck over Teddy Bridgewater or Pep Hamilton over Norv Turner, that might also explain why the Colts were his top choice at one point. It may even be something that would be difficult to predict; he could have been impressed with their handling of Da’Rick Rogers (a receiver on their roster last year who was very talented but like Carter had off-field concerns) or he knows someone on the Colts staff that he trusts.
Carter has had a checkered college history and openly expressed a distaste for school. He started out at Cris Carter’s alma mater, Ohio State, and saw the field enough for 13 receptions before transferring to Coffeyville Community College, likely related to the same reason he was barred from the 2009 Rose Bowl—academic problems. He moved on to Alabama, but never played in a game because of the same eligibility concerns and moved on to Florida Atlantic. At FAU, same story: he didn’t play because of academic issues.
I’ll get a scouting report on Duron Carter up as soon as I can, but for now know that he’s likely quite a bit raw, and his hands aren’t as good as you’d hope given his background—which isn’t to say they’re bad, so much as inconsistent. He’s not a traditional burner, but he might be the kind of player who doesn’t have to have blazing speed to get open deep, having led the CFL in yards per catch. In 2012, with the Alouettes, he worked with recently fired Chicago coach Marc Trestman to lead the CFL in yards per game (ranked 11th in total receiving yards, but he only played 11 of 19 games).
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I thought he couldn't sign with a team until February?
Yawn
The Vikes or Colts would be the best fits because they have QBs who spread the ball around. I'd say the Vikes would be the best because he'd fill a huge niche as a tall receiver who can go up for it. He could fit Buddy Ryan's description of his Dad: "All he does is catch TDs". I think he'd be a great fit with the team.
The trouble is, Cris carter was great because he worked at his craft, very hard- the same reason that Larry Fitzgerald is great. Both drilled and drilled, and devoured film, devoted time to the little things. That kind of concentration is what leads to great hands demonstrated in games.
If you don't like drudgery, hard work, and concentration, you don't have "consistent hands". Duron's record so far is a distaste for the drudgery of drill and concentration.
Yep, besides I 'd rather have Maxx Williams or DeVonte Parker.
I'd rather have them too, but you do know Maxx plays te... Still, why not bring Carter in for frre.
Your comparing a free agent signing to a first round draft pick?
If one imagines Carter taking up a spot on the roster so that we don't draft one of those two when/if available, yes...
I think Maxx is a beast who will be very successful in the NFL but can you really see the Vikes drafting him after signing Rudolph to a big contract and with very cheap and effective options such as Ellison and Ford? We'll be stacked at TE if they do draft him though.
Rudolph with Williams is a pass-catching TE show; the other guys can be good plug ins -- besides what are the chances all 4 actually stay healthy all year? It's kinda like Gronk AND somebody else just as good.
And Ellison can play FB
Good point. I wouldn't object to that. It would create a lot of mismatches. I guess we'll see.
I wouldn't object. I guess we'll see.
100% agree. I like Maxx and hope he does well; for that reason I hope he goes to New England and plays a aaron hernandez rule (on the field that is).
Yep Gronk/Hernandez. If not us, then who? If not now, then when? Just for a change up like maybe for 3rd and medium, we could even introduce the 3 tight end package. 111!!!!11
three shallow
Hope they don't sign him!Sorry Chris,we don't need any bs right now.
North Dakota State plays ISUr tomorrow, at 12 central, for the FCS championship. NDSU is going for its 4th straight FCS Championship. Game is on ESPN2.
GO BISON!!! BISON PRIDE!!!
Ya know, if Cris Carter had instilled into his son as much discipline as AP, upon whom Cris pronounced officious and lengthy imprecations, maybe he wouldn't be such a minor league f&ckup. Just sayin'
I'll take him as long as we keep Thelin. I don't wanna lose a Minnesotan who worked his a$$ off and overcame well everything to earn his spot on this team for a troubled kid with a silver spoon up his...
But if we kept him as a 6th wr, or dumped Jennings then heck yeah.
Interesting...
Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College quarterback Cayden Cochran tweeted Saturday afternoon that the son of former Minnesota Vikings receiver Cris Carter was not fit for any NFL team.
“The team that drafts Duron Carter will get the most lazy, whiny and non-work ethic player the NFL has ever seen,” said Cochran. “I played with him. Horrible person, and will be a complete cancer to any team on the board.”
As Spock would say: "Indeed ... fascinating."