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Michael Carter (North Carolina)

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/21/24

December 21st, 2024 at 7:34pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions and standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

After being activated from injured reserve in early November, Bates only played two games before suffering a concussion. The 27-year-old has not played since Week 11 and will now miss the remainder of the season on IR. Bates is under contract through 2025.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC West

August 28th, 2024 at 9:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These 49ers, Cardinals, Rams and Seahawks moves are noted below.

Arizona Cardinals

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Los Angeles Rams

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

San Francisco 49ers

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Seattle Seahawks

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Cardinals Get Down To 53

August 27th, 2024 at 6:37pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cardinals finalized their initial 53-man roster with the following moves:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on IR:

Placed on IR (designated for return):

We’ve already reported on the most notable name, Ridder. The Cardinals instead opted to rely on second-year passer Clayton Tune to back up Kyler Murray behind center. There’s still a chance Ridder could remain on the practice squad as QB3.

Robinson and Jones will miss the first four games of the season, but both have been designated to return from IR eventually. Jones Jr. will miss the 2024 season, though.

Two rookie draft picks failed to make the 53-man. Alabama Birmingham receiver Palmer (sixth-round) and Miami (FL) cornerback Davis (seventh-round) both hit the waiver wire following the preseason. Undrafted receiver Xavier Weaver out of Colorado, does make the roster, though.

Other surprises were the cutting of Carter and Barnes. Carter struggled last year before parting ways with the Jets, who drafted him in the fourth round in 2021. Six games in Arizona last year were not enough to warrant a return in 2024 on the active roster. Carter had been shopped around a bit as of late, but with no buyers, he hits the waiver wire. Barnes started six games for the team last year after three years in Green Bay, where he started 24 games.

AFC East Rumors: Lazard, Carter, Jackson, Montgomery

November 24th, 2023 at 8:30pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jets lost to the Dolphins today in Tim Boyle‘s first start since 2021, and while Boyle failed to provide the offensive spark the team has been searching so desperately for, his arsenal of weapons hardly set him up for success. Part of that was the absence of veteran wide receiver Allen Lazard, who, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, was a healthy scratch from today’s game.

Florio relays that Lazard reportedly believes that it is “a one-game thing,” but after only being target once last week, Florio isn’t quite as sure. The report claims that, despite his existing history with injured quarterback Aaron Rodgers and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, “the internal assessment of Lazard is far from flattering.”

Still, without him, Garrett Wilson saw 10 targets. Jason Brownlee and Xavier Gipson were the only other wide receivers to see targets, while the rest of Boyle’s attempts targeted tight ends and running backs. With Randall Cobb already out for the past four games, New York can hardly afford more missed time from Lazard, as well.

Here are a few other rumors from the AFC East, with another coming from Gang Green:

  • New York waived a former starter in running back Michael Carter a couple weeks ago. The young rusher had been benched after getting penalized for a chop block and had been buried on the depth chart behind Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook. The hope was that rookie fifth-round pick Israel Abanikanda would be able to step into the third-down role and provide a spark with his speed, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, but in today’s loss, Abanikanda didn’t register a touch. Hall instead took over the passing downs role, registering nine targets as the Jets were in catch-up mode for most of the contest.
  • A new update on the drama with Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson comes straight from Jackson himself, through Mark Daniels of Mass Live. After reports that Jackson failed to show up to the team hotel the night before their game with the Commanders and then subsequently was kept home during the team’s trip to Germany, Jackson explained the situation. Jackson tole Daniels that he had “missed multiple ‘bed checks'” on the night before the Washington game. He was told to stay home from Germany as a punishment, which he claims to have accepted, learned from, and apologized for. In fact, Jackson claims to now be even more appreciative of head coach Bill Belichick, as a result.
  • We saw New England pick up running back JaMycal Hasty off waivers a couple weeks ago, and with that addition, Mike Reiss of ESPN thinks veteran dual-threat back Ty Montgomery‘s job could be in danger. Hasty has a very similar skill set to Montgomery’s and is three years his junior. Montgomery, on the other hand, spent nearly all of last year on the team’s injured reserve and has seen his offensive contributions dwindle in 2023. Reiss could be right in thinking that Hasty has been brought in to replace Montgomery in the Patriots’ running backs room.

Cardinals Claim RB Michael Carter

November 15th, 2023 at 5:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

5:19pm: The Buccaneers and Commanders also put in Carter claims, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Both four-win teams reside behind the Cardinals in the waiver order, leading the young running back to the desert.

3:47pm: Michael Carter did not advance far down the waiver priority list. His name stopped at the Cardinals, who submitted a successful claim, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. The 2-8 team will move see what the third-year back can provide.

The Jets made the surprising decision to waive the backup running back Tuesday. The 2021 draftee is signed through 2024. This marks another reserve RB addition for the Cardinals, who have cycled through a few this season. Carter, 24, is due a nonguaranteed $1.1MM next year.

Both Damien Williams and Tony Jones Jr. emerged as backups during the Cardinals’ stretch without James Conner. The team moved on from both last week, with Conner back in the fold after a four-week IR stay. Despite Conner’s return to the 53-man roster, Arizona will still gauge Carter’s fit in Drew Petzing‘s offense.

One of two Michael Carters the Jets drafted in 2021, the North Carolina alum showed some promise as a rookie. In the Joe Douglas–Robert Saleh regime’s first offseason, the Jets chose Carter in Round 4. Carter proceeded to lead the Jets in rushing that season, totaling 639 yards (4.3 per carry) and four touchdowns. The former Javonte Williams Tar Heels teammate nearly reached 1,000 scrimmage yards as a rookie, contributing 325 through the air as well. Carter’s scrimmage-yards total that year paced the Jets by more than 300.

Carter enjoyed that notable rookie season despite missing three games, but with the Jets finishing 4-13, it did not generate too much acclaim. The Jets drafted Breece Hall in the 2022 second round, demoting Carter. The team also signed Dalvin Cook this offseason, bringing in the ex-Vikings Pro Bowler as Hall insurance. While Carter held off Bam Knight for a roster spot this year, the team is expected to give more playing time to rookie fifth-rounder Israel Abanikanda. Carter averaged just 3.5 yards per carry last season, filling in as one of the Jets’ solutions following Hall’s ACL tear.

The Cardinals have kept Keaontay Ingram and rookie UDFA Emari Demercado in place as Conner’s backups. Carter will join the roster as a fourth running back, potentially providing aid on passing downs. That said, Demercado has missed the past two games with a toe injury. Carter will supply more depth to a Cardinals team that could look to him as a multiyear contributor. This regime did not authorize Conner’s three-year, $21MM extension, calling the veteran’s 2024 status into question. For now, Carter profiles as a Conner backup in the again-Kyler Murray-led Cards attack.

Jets Cut RB Michael Carter

November 14th, 2023 at 5:49pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jets have moved on from their former starting running back. The team announced that they’ve waived RB Michael Carter.

The 2021 fourth-round pick led the Jets backfield as a rookie, collecting 964 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns. He was expected to take a back seat to Breece Hall in 2022 but was inserted back into the starting lineup following his teammate’s season-ending injury. While he started 10 of his 16 appearances last season, Carter wasn’t nearly as productive during his second season in the NFL, finishing the year with only 690 yards from scrimmage.

With Hall healthy and the Jets signing Dalvin Cook, Carter was buried on the depth chart this year. He saw most of his work on third downs, hauling in 15 receptions for 68 yards. Carter also had another 38 yards on the ground. As ESPN’s Rich Cimini notes, Carter was benched during Sunday’s loss to the Raiders after being penalized for a chop-block.

After that game, coach Robert Saleh hinted that changes could be coming to the offense. And as Cimini notes, cutting Carter sends a clear message to a struggling offense that no one is safe.

“We’re looking at some things, some different personnel changes, which I’m going to keep here with me, but we’re looking across the board to see if we can find a way to generate some offense,” Saleh said.

Still, considering Carter’s production during his rookie campaign, it shouldn’t take long for the running back to find his next squad. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Carter should have some suitors on the waiver wire.

With Carter now out of the picture, the Jets are likely going to give fifth-round rookie Israel Abanikanda any leftover snaps at the position. The Pitt product is known for his elite speed and could add a spark to an offense that’s struggling to find the end zone.

AFC Notes: Raiders, Pats, Jets, Bengals

August 25th, 2023 at 9:48pm CST by Ely Allen

As we inch closer to the start of the regular season, the Raiders‘ eventual 53-man roster is starting to come into focus. Two players in particular appear to be securing their positions for the team’s lineup come Week 1, according to Tashan Reed of The Athletic.

Wide receiver DeAndre Carter has definitely taken advantage of his opportunities throughout camp this preseason. In the team’s second preseason game, Carter started in the slot in place of Hunter Renfrow, who sat out for the game. He didn’t put up notable stats from the position, but he really shined in a special teams role. He had a strong opening kick return and was inches away from a punt return for a touchdown, as well. The coaches’ faith in him to start in place of Renfrow combined with his return ability has virtually cemented his spot on the roster, according to Reed.

Another player on the rise is veteran guard Greg Van Roten, who seems to have surpassed Alex Bars for the starting job at right guard. Van Roten started the team’s most recent preseason game at right guard for a single series before being replaced by Bars, signifying the changing of the guard, pun not intended. Bars, who started most of last season for the team at right guard, may be in danger of failing to make the 53-man roster if he keeps sliding down the depth chart.

Here are a few more roster rumors from around the league as the preseason begins its close:

  • The Patriots have struggled as of late with drafting wide receivers. They’re looking to buck that trend this season. In a room that was originally looking weak when the team missed out on free agent De’Andre Hopkins, New England is newly flushed with possibilities. The team lacks elite top end talent, but behind JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker, the Patriots have a surprising number of options. Kendrick Bourne has seemingly secured a role as the team’s third wideout with a great camp, according to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe, and behind Bourne, rookie sixth-round picks Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte have made strong cases for roster spots themselves with impressive camps. Even undrafted rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham has reportedly shown enough versatility and promise on offense and special teams to make a case for a roster spot.
  • With the recent acquisition of free agent Dalvin Cook, the Jets top-two running backs are clear as day, but in the process, the extra body has made things a bit crowded in the position room. Brian Costello of the New York Post believes that rookie fifth-round pick Israel Abanikanda is likely safe, leading to a battle for the likely last roster spot between Michael Carter and Zonovan Knight. Seemingly, Carter is safe. He’s got more starting experience on the team than Knight and didn’t suit up for the Jets’ most recent preseason game, a likely indication that the coaches have seen what they need to see. Knight played last week and fumbled. He’s had good moments throughout training camp, but his future may lie on the practice squad this season.
  • The Bengals have a clear TE1 and a likely TE2 coming into the end of the preseason in Irv Smith Jr. and Drew Sample, but there’s a chance that TE3 isn’t on the roster, according to The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. Last season’s TE3 Mitchell Wilcox has a decent shot at a roster spot, as does the undersized Tanner Hudson, who has impressed with some nice hands throughout camp. Devin Asiasi, Nick Bowers, and Christian Trahan remain as options, as well, but don’t have the strongest chances at a roster spot. Dehner predicts that Cincinnati may take to the open market after cut day, aiming to pull in any of several experienced tight ends that may find themselves on the roster bubble.

Jets Set To Hold RB2 Battle

June 28th, 2023 at 7:10pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jets are working with a deep, young running backs room, forcing each back to prove his mettle early and often. Michael Carter answered that call as a fourth-round rookie in 2021. Last year was supposed to be the takeover of rookie second-round pick Breece Hall, but a torn ACL ended his season after only seven weeks. Hall should return to the starting role, but with their No. 1 coming back from a serious injury, the RB2 spot becomes that much more important.

Despite falling off a bit in production last season after a strong rookie year, Carter is currently in line to enter training camp as the No. 2 back, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. Carter started 11 games in his rookie year, racking up 639 rushing yards and four touchdowns, along with 325 yards receiving. He had seized a lead-back role, and many expected him to take a step forward in his sophomore season. This led to a bit of a surprise when New York took Hall 36th overall in last year’s draft.

Carter started off the 2022 season splitting carries with Hall but taking the majority of the workload. Eventually, Hall took the reins and became a bell-cow back for the four remaining healthy games of his season. Hall’s injury opened the door for Carter to return to the spotlight. Instead, Carter’s usage stayed stagnant as backs like James Robinson and Ty Johnson were given opportunities to split the load with him. Eventually, undrafted rookie Zonovan Knight was elevated from the practice squad and took the majority of the carriers for the final seven weeks of the season.

Knight should be one of Carter’s competitors for the primary backup role. Knight came in last year and, over his first four games, ran the ball 59 times for 253 yards, ending his season with 300 total rushing yards and a touchdown. Costello posits that Carter’s confidence was shaken a bit when the team traded for Robinson and then turned to Knight. Regardless, Knight outperformed Carter in that final stretch of the season, and if that’s any indication of how the position battle will go, Carter has his work cut out for him.

The other name competing for the spot is a newcomer. The Jets selected Pittsburgh running back Israel Abanikanda in the fifth-round of the draft this year. Abanikanda declared for the draft after a breakout junior year in which he rushed for 1,431 yards for an incredible 20 rushing touchdowns for the Panthers. He’ll be green to the game at the professional level, but he’s got plenty of tread left on the tires after only starting 17 games in his college career.

Carter should have a bit of a leg up on Knight and Abanikanda. He has more experience than Knight and Abanikanda to begin with. He also offers a bit more to his game. Throughout their careers, both college and NFL for Knight, the two younger backs have not had near the success receiving out of the backfield as Carter has. Carter’s ability to catch the ball may have pigeon-holed him into a third-down back role only in some situations, but combined with his early success rushing the football in New York, it should set him up nicely for a solid chance to regain his footing as the team’s No. 2 back.

AFC East Rumors: Carter, Scarlett, Armstead, Dolphins

July 20th, 2022 at 7:57pm CST by Ely Allen

In addition to three first-round picks, the Jets also selected the first running back of the 2022 NFL Draft, taking Iowa State’s Breece Hall in the second round at 36th overall. After New York finished the 2021 NFL season as a bottom-10 team in rushing yards, last year’s starter, Michael Carter, is expected to take a back seat to Hall in 2022, according to Mike Kaye of Pro Football Network.

After watching Tevin Coleman and Ty Johnson start in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively, Carter got his turn in Week 3 and held on to become the team’s leading rusher. The fourth-round rookie carried the ball 147 times (63 more times than the next closest back) for 639 yards and 4 touchdowns.

With Hall expected to take over as the starter, Carter is “likely to be the change-of-pace back” for the Jets. Coleman and Johnson return and will compete with La’Mical Perine and undrafted rookie Zonovan Knight for the remaining roster spots behind Hall and Carter.

Here are a few more rumors from the AFC East, all hailing from South Beach:

  • After spending his first season in Miami working with the linebackers, former Texan Brennan Scarlett has been working with the defensive ends more this offseason, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. This could open the door for a bit more playing time for Scarlett, as he returns to the role he had some success with in Houston. In his two most successful seasons with the Texans, Scarlett totaled 5.5 sacks and 9.0 tackles for loss to go along with 80 total tackles. The Dolphins would love to see that production return in 2022.
  • After only appearing in eight games last year with the Saints, offensive tackle Terron Armstead is not guaranteed to start the 2022 season healthy for the Dolphins, according to Adam H. Beasley of Pro Football Network. Armstead was shut down in mid-December with arm and knee injuries, undergoing surgery for his knees. Miami has been careful with Armstead, who’s dealt with plenty of health issues in his past, holding him out for all spring activities. Beasley points out that a healthy Armstead could be crucial for the development of young quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, considering “the Dolphins were last in pass-block win rate (47%) and 18th in sack rate (6.5%)” in the NFL last year.
  • The Dolphins added to their front office last week with the hire of new football analytics staff assistant Jeremy Stabile. He announced the hiring, himself, on his Twitter last Thursday. Stabile’s first job in football came with Syracuse University as a recruiting/analytics intern. He’s also spent time with football analytics websites working as an analyst with Pro Football Focus and PlayerProfiler.com. This is Stabile’s first job in the NFL.

Jets’ Michael Carter To Miss Time

November 22nd, 2021 at 3:27pm CST by Zachary Links

Jets rookie running back Michael Carter has been diagnosed with a low-grade high ankle sprain (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Carter is expected to miss 2-3 weeks, but there’s no word yet on whether the Jets will move him to the injured reserve list.

Carter — not to be confused with the Jets’ rookie fifth-round defensive back of the same name — was a fourth-round selection in this year’s draft. This Carter split time with Broncos second-round pick Javonte Williams at UNC and registered back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons in 2019 and 2020. His senior year was particularly efficient — the 5-foot-7, 201-pounder averaged 8.0 yards per tote en route to 1,245 yards and nine touchdowns.

So far this year, he’s got 430 yards off of 111 carries (3.9 ypc average). In an all-around flat Jets offense, he’s emerged as the top option ahead of veteran Tevin Coleman and the rest of the bunch.

Without Carter, the Jets will lean more on Coleman, Ty Johnson, La’mical Perine, and Nick Bawden when they take on the Texans this week.

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