New England Patriots Sign Andre Carter: What It Means for the Pass Defense

If anyone thought the New England Patriots were satisfied with who they had in the front seven before the 2011 NFL free agency period began, they've been proven dead wrong since that point.

Count me among those. Where's that humble pie Bill Belichick is always talking about?

On Sunday night, Andre Carter announced via Twitter that he had signed with the New England Patriots.

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"I am proud to announce that I will be playing for the New England Patriots for the 2011 season. Thanks you for your prayers and support."

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At 6'4" and 265 pounds, Carter is a little light for a defensive end in the 4-3, but that's where he has spent the majority of his career.

That's also where he's been most effective, having racked up 59 of his 66 career sacks in seasons where he played primarily at defensive end.

The Patriots could certainly use for him to be productive in that area, as they ranked 30th in pass defense and dead last in third down defense in the NFL last year. With only 36 sacks as a team, the Patriots clearly need to get after the quarterback more.

Carter played outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense last year with the Redskins, and was minimally effective in that role. The 49ers had tried him out at that role in the past with little success, and Shanahan's implementation of the 3-4 was Carter's loss.

With that in mind, it's fair to say that Carter will spend most of his time with his hand in the dirt on the end of a four-man front.

Much of the speculation since training camp has centered around the Patriots and their use of the 4-3. Although Bill Belichick has been known as a coach who believes in the 3-4 as the base defense, they have run almost exclusively 4-3 fronts throughout training camp.

Since the start of training camp, they have added Albert Haynesworth, Mark Anderson, Shaun Ellis and now Carter. All four players play their best as 4-3 defensive linemen, as it allows them to play to their strong suit.

Belichick has shrugged this off as simply a "media fabrication" but the recent rash of moves would all indicate a switch to the 4-3 defense.

The evidence may point that way, but let's not jump to conclusions.

Perhaps we're not witnessing a shift in defensive philosophy, though. Perhaps the Patriots are embracing the sub package as their base defense.

After all, the Patriots were in their sub package 57 percent of the time last year. These moves wouldn't indicate a change in philosophy as much as a commitment to improving on the current one. In today's pass-happy NFL, the sub package is becoming more of a base defense by default, with so many teams running a spread offense.

On a one-year deal, the signing of Carter may be little more than a boost to those sub packages which have become so important in the current pass-happy NFL.

Sure, the Patriots have run the 4-3 primarily in practice, but that could just be a teaching mechanism. In the "media fabrication" speech above, Belichick shed some light on that:

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“That is what consistent, techniques that are taught in different defensive systems, whether those teams go from three-man line to a four-man line, or a four-man line to an odd spacing line, or overs-to-unders, or unders-to-overs, or over-wides, whatever you want to call it. They will continue to play the same fundamental techniques as they’ve been teaching for the entire year, for the most part.

"It’s more the teaching, techniques and fundamentals you teach your defensive players, more than it is the 4-3, 3-4 lineup that is so important to put on the flip card.”

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So, while the early indications are a switch to a 4-3 in terms of both their formations in practice and their signings, there is some room for doubt here.

As mentioned this morning as it relates to Ellis, the Patriots are clearly looking to add disruptive forces on the defensive line that are capable of getting after the quarterback. They could just be picking up Carter as part of a multi-faceted defense that is capable of giving multiple looks in the same game.

We all know how much Belichick loves giving his opponent multiple looks.

In terms of indicators toward a shift in defensive philosophy, don't put all your eggs in one basket just yet. This is just another in a series of low-risk high-reward additions to a defensive front that had a hard time getting after the quarterback in 2010.

One thing is for certain: We now know why Belichick passed on taking a rookie pass rusher in the draft. He wanted a veteran one in free agency, instead. Now, he has four new ones on the mantle. How he uses them remains to be seen, but the possibilities are endless.

Erik Frenz is the co-host of the PatsPropaganda and Frenz podcast. Follow Erik on Twitter @erikfrenz.