What Can Newly Signed Duron Carter Offer the Indianapolis Colts Offense?

As much as any team in the National Football League, the Indianapolis Colts have been active north of the border in recent years. It's where they found inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman, who has become arguably the team's best defensive player.

Well, the Colts have struck a deal with another former CFL star, this time one with a Hall of Fame bloodline. And while it may not be reasonable to expect wide receiver Duron Carter to follow in his famous father's footsteps, the youngster is still an intriguing addition.

As Kevin Bowen of Indianapolis' website reports, Carter signed on the dotted line Monday:

This ended a two-week period of pretty intense speculation regarding the 23-year-old. Blame the lack of non-Super Bowl news. Blame his famous father. Blame the Secret Society of the Seventh Seal of Sunshine.

Hey, it could be real.

Whatever the cause, the hype surrounding Carter's one-man free-agent tour was pretty intense for a kid who bounced from college to college and washed out of his first NFL camp:

Sarcasm aside, Page has a point. Even if you give Carter a pass for everything that happened before he arrived in Montreal back in 2013, there are causes for concern.

In Carter's last CFL game (a playoff loss), cornerback Delvin Breaux (who recently signed an NFL deal of his own with the New Orleans Saints) completely shut him down. Carter had only three catches that day, one more than the number of 15-yard penalties he picked up.

If Carter struggled against a borderline NFL talent, it's fair to wonder how he'll fare against the league's best.

There are also critics who point to Carter's slender build as a potential worry:

Still, if there's a downside to this for the Colts, I'm having a hard time seeing it.

For starters, there's the blend of size and athleticism that Alouettes general manager Jim Popp raved about to Peter King of The MMQB last year:

"

He’s got every measurable. He’s fast, 6-foot-4, can be a punt returner in the NFL with his size, can run with the ball, has got tremendous body control. When he got on the field last year for us he was just phenomenal. And hopefully he stays healthy this year. He’ll be a highly, highly sought after, Cam Wake kind of guy.

"

Also, as Alouettes College Scouting Director Russ Lande points out, the depth of the Indy receiving corps means the pressure on Carter will be minimal in the early going:

Of course, Nick Shook of NFL.com posits that Carter might not have to wait long:

"

Indianapolis beat out a quartet of fellow suitors -- the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings were also interested in signing the wideout -- to add another receiving talent to a corps that includes T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief and tight ends Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen.

With veteran Reggie Wayne now an unrestricted free agent, it's not outrageous to think that Carter could slide into a role previously occupied by Wayne and emerge as the best receiving talent in that group. His pedigree certainly lends itself to that outcome.

"

OK, there's that hype again. Let's just everyone settle down. Not everyone can be Super Bowl surprise star Chris Matthews, who, like Carter, is a CFL transplant.

Kidding aside, Matthews' big game in the big game does offer a glimmer into the type of impact Carter could have for the Colts in 2015. Given his combination of size and speed, it wouldn't be unreasonable to envision Carter functioning at the very least as a situational deep threat and red-zone target.

If Carter can acclimate to the NFL—and depending on the contract statuses of Wayne and fellow free agent Hakeem Nicks—the door may open for Carter to do more. If he does awesomely. Expecting more, on the other hand, could be asking for trouble, as there remain as many questions as answers with the youngster.

At the end of the day, though, Matthews also shows why this is a shrewd signing by general manager Ryan Grigson. There's next to no financial risk. Carter is essentially an extra Day 3 pick for the team. A lottery ticket of sorts.

If Carter can fulfill his considerable potential and do a fraction of what his father did with his second chance in the NFL, that lottery ticket will play off big time for Indy.

Gary Davenport is an NFL Analyst at Bleacher Report and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and the Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow Gary on Twitter @IDPManor.