For Bruce Carter, the time is now.
Carter, an offseason free agent signee, was quickly beaten out for the middle linebacker job by Kwon Alexander, the Tampa Bay Bucs’ fourth-round draft. And although Alexander has gone on to be thought of as a solid defensive rookie of the year candidate before testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, Carter has slipped from focus.
This week, however, Carter will start in the place of Alexander against the Saints and quarterback Drew Brees.
“I’m very excited,” Carter said. “It’s an opportunity, with that being said you have to be prepared and you have to be ready. Coach Lovie (Smith), the whole defense, the entire coaching staff expects me to go in there and make plays. They don’t want any drop-off from when Kwon was in there and that’s what I expect to do — go in there and make plays. I’m a vet, I’ve been around for a while. I know what’s expected of me and I’m go in there and do it.”
Except for Alexander, Smith expects his defense to play as normal. LaVonte David returned to practice, and Gerald McCoy should be cleared medically in time to play.
“A good player isn’t playing for us for a while, but you do have to move on,” Smith said. “We didn’t have a great defensive lineman play for us last week in McCoy. Guys stepped up. Carter is a good football player. We brought him here to play good football for us. Normally if you keep doing things the right way you get an opportunity. He’s getting his opportunity. Again, he’s had a good week of practice, we’re excited about what he’s going to do.”
David said that not lining up next to Alexander will take some adjustment.
“When you get used to a guy like Kwon, his attitude, his mentality when he’s out there on the field, it’s going to be difficult to adjust to somebody else you’re going to be out there with, but I have all the trust and faith in the world in Bruce,” David said. “He’s a veteran guy, he knows what he is doing so I don’t think there is going to be any drop-off and the main thing we really have to work on is just our communication when we are out there — just talk to each other to make the game easier for both of us.”
Game time between the Bucs and Saints is 1 p.m. Sunday, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
