What Went Right, No. 5: Bruce Carter

January, 7, 2013
Jan 7
12:00
PM CT
IRVING, Texas -- The Cowboys entered 2012 hoping Bruce Carter would be able to develop into a starter on the defense, but they didn’t know he would.

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Bruce Carter, Sean Lee
Ron Jenkins/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/MCT/Getty ImagesBruce Carter (right) was a suitable replacement for Sean Lee as the Cowboys' defensive signal caller, but he too would fall victim to injury.
How unsure were they? They signed veteran Dan Connor to a two-year, $7 million deal as insurance.

The Cowboys are no longer unsure, but there is worry about Carter’s ability to stay healthy. They got him in the second round in 2011 because of a knee injury suffered at North Carolina, and he missed the final five games in 2012 because of a left elbow injury.

In between, however, Carter showed he has long-term ability if not Pro Bowl potential.

He finished with 80 tackles, good for third on the team, and his nine tackles for loss were a team high. He also had three quarterback pressures and three pass deflections.

The best part of Carter’s season came after Sean Lee went down with a season-ending toe injury at Carolina on Oct. 21. Carter took over as the defensive signal-caller and played better even as he received more attention from opposing offenses.
Todd Archer joined ESPNDallas.com in November 2010. He's covered the NFL since 1997 and the Cowboys since 2003. He covered the Bengals and Dolphins before arriving in Dallas. A Massachusetts native, Archer lives in the Dallas area with his wife and two children.

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