Rams : In Lion Offense, Tight End Became Left Out

In business, they simply terminate your position and clear out your desk. It’s painful but clean. In football, they sometimes bring in a new offense, hand you a playbook with everyone’s name in it but yours, let you sit in on meetings, invite you to watch practice, and then let you figure out the rest.

At least that’s what happened to Pat Carter, a tight end the Rams acquired from the Detroit Lions Friday.

He was the Lions’ second-round pick in 1988, a man with a bright future. Then came a coaching change in Detroit, Wayne Fontes replacing Darryl Rogers. Fontes, in turn, hired Mouse Davis, architect of the run-and-shoot offense, which operates on high-octane fuel. In the scheme, tight ends are leaded gasoline.

“Oh, I felt pretty left out,” Carter said Saturday, his first full day as a Ram. “Everyone’s in the huddle and I’m like, standing over there. I basically ran the look (opponent’s) squad.”

Seeing how he was no longer needed, Carter expected a trade before training camp started.

“When they first installed it, they said they had intentions of putting a tight end in,” Carter said of the new offense. “Then that never materialized.”

So Carter came to camp without a position for which to compete. The Lions told him he could take a shot at one of the receiver spots, knowing full well that wide-outs in the run-and-shoot usually go about 170 pounds and run the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds. Carter is 6-feet-4 and 250 pounds.

But he came to camp anyway, and mostly stood around.

“They said they would try to trade me,” Carter said. “But it got to the point where they were going to keep me around. I guess they wanted to see how the offense was going to work.”

When the Lions met the Cleveland Browns in an exhibition game last week, Carter didn’t play.

“I didn’t even hit the field,” he said.

The Lions finally cut Carter loose this week, trading him to the Rams for a fourth-round choice.

Carter was the 32nd selection in last year’s draft. But his rookie year left some doubts. The three-year starter at Florida State caught only 13 passes for 145 yards.

“He hasn’t been a ball of fire,” Coach John Robinson said. “It isn’t like we got (Keith) Jackson out of Philadelphia. This is a guy that’s largely unproven, who has potential. We’re probably getting him at the right time in his career.”

Carter’s problems last year could be traced to a back injury suffered in a weightlifting workout before rookie camp.

“Terrible,” Carter said of 1988. “I like to think there are numerous reasons. My problems with my back slowed down my adjusting to the NFL slightly. Also, I didn’t think our offense was that good.”

With Ram starter Damone Johnson out of camp in a contract dispute, Carter has come to the right team at the right time.

“The way I’m taking it is that there’s a job opening,” he said. “There’s an opportunity for me to come in and take over.”

Carter said he respects Johnson’s right to hold out, but also knows it’s his right to take advantage.

“I can understand his position,” Carter said. “He’s in a tough position. If he feels he’s worth the money . . . . Isn’t that his beef--he wants more money? It’s an opportunity, definitely. I hate to get it at his expense, but if it’s there, I’m going to try to make the best of it.”

Standing on the sideline in Detroit gave Carter plenty of time to evaluate Lion rookie quarterback Rodney Peete.

“He’s the best sixth-round choice I’ve ever seen,” Carter said of the former USC star. “I didn’t know he threw the ball as hard as he did. But he throws the ball real hard.”

Ram Notes

Coach John Robinson officially ruled tailback Gaston Green, who has a thigh bruise, out of Monday night’s exhibition game against the Phoenix Cardinals at Anaheim Stadium. Robert Delpino and rookie free agent Richard Calvin will share duties, with Delpino playing the first half. . . . Lingering injuries will also keep guard Tom Newberry, receiver Aaron Cox and tight end Pete Holohan out of the game. . . . If rookie guard Warren Wheat (neck injury) can’t play, Navy Tuiasasopo would take over at starting left guard. . . . How much could tight end Pat Carter play in the game? “I don’t know,” Robinson said, “quite a bit, if we run the same play over and over again.” . . . Carter doesn’t know many Rams, though he played against first-round choice Bill Hawkins in college when Florida State played Miami. “We’ve had our encounters,” Carter said. “I did all right. I think he did well, too.”