Patriots' smart pickup of vet DE Carter paying off

By Nick St. Denis

The New England Patriots' defense has lost a bunch of veteran leaders over the past half decade, but coach Bill Belichick has been quietly reloading.

That's where Andre Carter comes in.

The veteran defensive end was released by the Washington Redskins a month and a half before turning 32-years-old, and the Patriots were more than happy to pick him up in the 2011 offseason.

Carter has since led New England in sacks (9) and recorded a career-high four quarterback takedowns three weeks ago against the New York Jets. Carter also has a forced fumble and 45 tackles so far this year.

Defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, who is a veteran himself, said the energy and work ethic Carter brought to the Patriots had a special impact on the defense's younger players.

"[He's] a hard worker. It makes it easier for guys that haven't been in the league or are just now getting here, to see how this guy works," Wilfork told the media Thursday. "It makes it easy for you to go out and work. That's one thing that I've taken from him, as a veteran myself, just being able to work every day, however your body feels, just fighting through. That's what he's brought and it shows. It shows. On Sunday, it shows.

"He's 100 miles per hour. The guy never gets tired. We all have to pull our own weight, but just by seeing a guy work like that, however long he's been in the league, makes it easier for us to go out and contribute. There's definitely some leadership there."

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