2012 Dallas Cowboys: Can Bruce Carter Replicate Success of Sean Lee ?

The Dallas Cowboys are expected to insert their 2011 second-round pick Bruce Carter into the starting lineup in 2012 to play alongside Sean Lee with the anticipated departures of Bradie James and Keith Brooking. 

At first glance, the combination of Carter and Lee appears to give Dallas one of the most athletic sets of 3-4 inside linebackers in football. However, with Carter missing a portion of his rookie year recovering from an ACL injury he sustained in college, he's still considered a mystery at this point. When you look at both Lee and Carter, their stories are almost identical as both players slipped in the draft because of their injuries. Lee suffered his injury in 2008 while Carter's occurred in 2010.

Carter and Lee represent what the franchise has done in the second round of the past two drafts. The question for the Cowboys is whether Carter can have the same impact in 2012 that Lee had in 2011. 

When you look back at scouting reports and his overall body of work at North Carolina you get a sense of the type of athlete he is touted to be. He started 49 games at North Carolina and was responsible for 215 tackles with 24 for losses, 9.5 sacks, three interceptions (two for touchdowns) and an uncanny seven blocked kicks. When I went back and looked at some footage from his last year at North Carolina, it's not hard to envision the impact he can have on this defense. He is athletic, versatile and can pursue plays sideline to sideline. At 6'3" and 245 pounds, he also has the versatility to play outside if the linebacking corps gets crowded.

But does that translate to how he will perform when pressed into the full time role? Not only is this question significant, but it also impacts what the Cowboys might need to do in free agency and the draft. 

When you examine the impact Sean Lee had on this defense in 2011, it is truly remarkable. He was able to step in and basically be the leader of the group along with DeMarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff. Lee is arguably one of the key building blocks of the future that this team needs to start thinking of locking up long-term. He has rare instincts, he's hard-nosed, he reads the plays before they unfold, he's fundamentally sound, and he's by far the surest tackler on the team. 

Because Lee gets such tremendous depth in his drops he's been able to intercept six passes in two seasons and was tied for the team lead with four in 2011 to go along with 105 tackles. Not even a dislocated wrist could keep him off the field in 2011. Lee clearly shows the toughness it takes to play the position and displays a throwback mentality.

Is it safe to assume we can get a similar or greater contribution from Carter in 2012 ? It's very hard to say given the fact Carter only played 10 games in 2011 and mostly on special teams. He wound up with eight tackles and one pass defended while playing sparingly in Rob Ryan's base defense and sub packages.

What I envision for Carter in 2012 is for Rob Ryan to maximize his athletic ability.  Whether it be covering tight ends or running backs, utilizing his speed to get to the quarterback, dropping into passing lanes or taking on linemen and pursuing gaps, Carter has the ability to make a similar impact as Lee. In 2012 not only can Bruce Carter duplicate the success of Sean Lee, but he might just be the key to the defense.