Who is Duron Carter?
Entering week 13 of the 2014 season, the entire dynasty community is looking toward 2015 regardless of playoff aspirations. Though our Dynasty Scouts team has been providing analysis on the2015 rookie class for months, the discussion over the crop of young players is getting exponentially louder by the day. Unknown commodities tantalize owners with seemingly limitless ceilings, particularly following strong performances at the NFL Combine. This year, however, keep an eye on a soon-to-be 24-year old wide receiver with impressive measurables, on-field explosiveness and strong family roots in the NFL.
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Duron Carter, son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter, was highly recruited as a top-ten prospect from Fort Lauderdale in 2009. After choosing to play for Ohio State, Carter caught 13 passes for 176 yards and one touchdown as a freshman. Academic problems and off-field issues forced him out of the Big 10 and into Coffeyville Community College (CC) after only one season. A productive season at CC, including 44 receptions for 690 yards and ten touchdowns in nine games, was undermined by a terrible reputation as a teammate on and off the field. His quarterback at the time, Cayden Cochran, went on to be extremely vocal about his disdain for Carter, including how he would be a “complete cancer” to any team that drafted him.
A transfer to Alabama proved fruitless as academic issues again kept him off the field in 2011 and he was ruled ineligible after transferring again, this time to Florida Atlantic in 2012. Consecutive seasons off the field and poor publicity left Carter with no chance to be selected in the 2013 NFL Draft. Though he worked out for the Minnesota Vikings, he was not signed and opted to build his reputation back up with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
North of the border, Carter produced immediately with 49 receptions for 909 yards (nearly 19 yards per catch) and five touchdowns in only twelve games. Thus far in the 2014 season, the 23-year old receiver has been even more productive with 75 receptions for 1,030 yards and seven touchdowns. Set to become a free agent on Monday, December 1 following the conclusion of the CFL season, Carter is about to be free to negotiate with NFL teams. It is considered likely, if not a certainty, that he will look to move to the NFL this offseason as former Alouette Andrew Hawkins did following the 2010 season.
Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, Randall Cobb, Torrey Smith, Jeremy Maclin and Michael Crabtree headline an otherwise mediocre free agent wide receiver class, and there has been wide discussion that some of these players are likely to resign with their current teams. Carters’ reputed upside is more appealing than most of the remaining names on the list. Many teams have already expressed interest as discreetly and indirectly as possible (to avoid charges around tampering), indicating he will have no shortage of suitors come February when he can sign a contract. Teams with expected turnover at the position that are rumored to be interested include Seattle, San Francisco, Cincinnati and, perhaps most significantly, Indianapolis.
So aside from the name recognition, what’s the big deal about Carter?
At 6’5” and 205 pounds, the metrics are desirable. He has game-changing abilities and explosiveness, has great body control, good speed (he reportedly ran between a 4.46 and 4.53 40-yard dash at his 2013 Pro Day) and reliable hands. He is also versatile, having been used as a punt returner and out of the backfield, and is considered a very strong route runner. When he’s focused and not causing problems, there have been very few things to say negatively about Carter’s skill set.
The obvious question, and the reason he ended up in the CFL in the first place, is his current and projected maturity. League and team officials in the CFL have given Carter positive reviews, indicating he has a significantly improved attitude even if he can still be high-maintenance at times. He has been vocal about his past transgressions, citing many immature decisions and how they would keep him from reaching his NFL goals given his already short leash. Teams will continue to do their research before investing in Carter, but it’s a safe bet he will catch on somewhere. If he takes after his father both on the field and in the maturation process, a promising career could lay ahead.
The status of Carter as a player still in the CFL has triggered much discussion on Twitter and in our forums and inboxes. Given the interest in the topic, I’ll add to the player analysis to address the debate. Within the last two weeks, as news of his NFL eligibility and significant interest from many teams became more public, Carter was added by many forward-thinking dynasty owners if their league’s rules allow for free agents in the waiver pool.
One of most widely-used dynasty league platforms is MyFantasyLeague (MFL), on which I personally manage eight franchises, and whether Carter is available depends on whether the setting “Display NFL Free Agents on Fantasy Free Agent Lists” is marked as Yes or No. If your commissioner has this set to Yes, Carter was added to your free agent list. For platforms other than MFL, feel free to add in the comments section below whether the rules are similar.
Regardless of your platform, if an option is available to choose whether NFL Free Agents are available in the waiver pool, your league may need to have a discussion or poll following the regular season. Seven of my eight leagues were set to allow for Carter to be acquired, which he was and I have no problem with it despite only having one share, though in multiple leagues the waiver claim has triggered this very discussion. His availability, and those of other NFL Free Agents, is likely an option requiring a selection from your commissioner. It’s a conversation worth having as Carter won’t be the last CFL prospect generating buzz in our community.
Regardless, Carter is a player to keep an eye on or roster now if you can.
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