Should Ravens Pursue DE Andre Carter?

Replacing a player the like of the Baltimore Ravens' Terrell Suggs is not an easy task and while the team believes it has enough depth on its roster to come up with guys to take his spot, are they really able to actually mirror or even come close to replicating his contributions? Losing the Defensive Player of the Year is no easy task, much less a veteran who is much more valuable than just what appears in the stats under the category of sack total.

Paul Kruger, Sergio Kindle and rookie Courtney Upshaw have nothing but potential, but also, nothing, but potential. Could a seasoned veteran like DE Andre Carter provide the veteran presence that could result in better stats than two of the three Ravens listed above? Either way, one of them will be playing opposite where Suggs normally lines up in place of veteran Jarret Johnson, who left via free agency.

Would a combination of Carter on one side and either Kruger or Upshaw on the other be preferable than Kruger and Upshaw, with only Kindle and/or Albert McClellan in reserve? Carter is an 11-year veteran, most recently with the New England Patriots, where he totalled 10 sacks in 14 games before tearing his patella tendon and missing the rest of the season, including the playoffs.

However, Carter insists he will be ready for the 2012 regular season and most veterans with a decade of playing experience do not need to much lead time to get ready, even if it comes with a new team. Carter has played for three teams over his career and has totaled over ten sacks four times, including three of the past five seasons.

He would certainly come at a relatively cheap price and definitely not cost the team a mid-to-high draft pick to come to Baltimore, as would the New York Giants' Osi Umenyiora, if the rumors are true.