6:26pm: The four-year deal will be worth $17MM, with $4.2MM guaranteed, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Wilson notes (on Twitter) that Carter’s entire 2015 salary of $3MM is guaranteed.
4:19pm: It’s a four-year deal worth $5MM per season, according to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter).
4:11pm: The Buccaneers are set to sign former Cowboys linebacker Bruce Carter, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’ll be a four-year deal for Carter, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (via Twitter). Smith reports that Carter has already inked his contract.
Carter was given a negative grade by Pro Football Focus (subscription required) in 2014 and ranked as just the 34th best outside linebacker in a 4-3 scheme out of 40 qualified players. In 13 games (with eight starts), the 27-year-old recorded 82 total tackles with an eye-popping five interceptions and one sack.
The Bucs were slated to be Carter’s first visit with another trip to the Texans afterwards, but it’s not immediately clear if he ever got to sit down with Houston brass. With Sean Lee and Anthony Hitchens under contract, the Cowboys apparently felt like they had enough flexibility to let Carter go elsewhere. Carter, a former first-round choice, hasn’t lived up to his expectations, but he does boast freakish athleticism and the Bucs likely feel that they can utilize him better than Dallas has.