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News | Washington Commanders - Commanders.com

Carter Optimistic About Moving to Linebacker

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Andre Carter is on board with the Redskins' new defense.

Carter said on Wednesday he feels "really comfortable" moving to outside linebacker when the Redskins line up in a 3-4 defense.

Carter, who is rehabbing from off-season biceps surgery, suggested that he is basically a "stand-up [defensive] end" in Jim Haslett's scheme.

"This type of defense is really attacking," he said. "There'll be times when I drop back in coverage, but what I like about this scheme is that you don't know where the pressure is coming from.

"You could have three linemen and four guys rushing, or there could be five guys rushing. There'll be a lot of disguises."

Carter has played defensive end for the Redskins since signing with the club as an unrestricted free agent in 2006.

In 2005, Carter played linebacker in the San Francisco 49ers' 3-4 defense and he made it known that he did not like his role. He cited it as one of the reasons he decided to leave the 49ers via free agency.

Carter said the Redskins' 3-4 is different from the one he played in San Francisco in that there's less responsibility to read offenses at the line of scrimmage.

"I felt that in San Francisco there was a lot of reading, especially when we were in Cover 2," Carter said. "You had to jam a receiver and then get in a certain position between the two hash marks so that when the ball was thrown you had to be in the way of the receiver.

"In this scheme, there's no comparison. Sometimes you line up against a tight end and attack, sometimes you're outside doing a wide rush, forcing the ball back inside or forcing the ball outside depending on the call."

Of course, Carter has not had even a practice rep yet this offseason.

During mini-camp and OTAs, Carter spends his time on the sidelines working with athletic trainers to strengthen his biceps.

"The rehab is going along great, we're optimistic that we can gradually get in the flow of things," Carter said. "Hopefully by the June mini-camp I'll be able to take some reps. My strength is good and my mobility is good. And the most important thing is, no setbacks."

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