Two years after Hall of Famer wide receiver Cris Carter's son, Duron, was released by the Minnesota Vikings, the Montreal Alouettes star is back on the radar of NFL teams.
Carter is working out for the Vikings on Friday, per ESPN.com, after having visited the Buccaneers, Colts and Chiefs. The 49ers, Browns, Panthers are among a host of other teams reported to have interest.
Carter went undrafted in 2013 after bouncing from Ohio State to Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College to Alabama to Florida Atlantic. Beyond a reputation for immaturity that contributed to his original release by the Vikings, Carter faced questions about his work ethic and academic track record.
His quarterback at Coffeyville went so far as to trash him on Twitter prior to the 2013 NFL Draft.
By all accounts, though, Carter is ready for a second chance after gaining a semblance of maturity and 1,939 yards in two CFL seasons.
"Every NFL team should be after Cris Carter's son," Alouettes general manager Jim Popp said last June. "Duron Carter is a phenomenal athlete. He's got every measurable. He's fast, 6-foot-4, can be a punt returner in the NFL with his size, can run with the ball, has got tremendous body control. ... He'll be a highly, highly sought after, Cam Wake kind of guy."
Popp acknowledged to Yahoo! Sports last month that Carter "might be unconventional and maybe a little stubborn," but insists the talented wide receiver can help an NFL team.
Popp isn't alone in that opinion.
According to CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora, former Cincinnati Bengals star Chad Johnson, a teammate with the Alouettes, recently asserted that Carter is "easily, a No. 1 NFL receiver right now."
Johnson's gift for hyperbole is well-documented.
Carter is more physically gifted than recent CFL transplants such as Andrew Hawkins (Browns), Dontrelle Inman (Chargers) and Emmanuel Arceneaux (Vikings). His height, hands, balance and high-point ability are assets, but he's going to have to bulk up to beat the jam in the NFL.
Unable to sign until Feb. 10, Carter is likely to land a reserve/future contract with no guarantees of a roster spot.
If he takes advantage of the opportunity, he can join his father as another NFL redemption story.
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