Report: Former Lions DB Alex Carter earns tryout with the Bengals

It has been just over two weeks since the Detroit Lions cut ties with defensive back Alex Carter, the team’s former third-round pick in 2015. The Lions decided to forego adding Carter to their practice squad after he cleared waivers, immediately making him a free agent.

So far, Carter has yet to find a team, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been garnering interest. On Monday, Carter was in Cincinnati to try out for the Bengals, according to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell and seemingly verified by Carter’s Instagram account:

This isn’t Carter’s first tryout post-Lions. In fact, this is at least his third tryout for an NFL team. He has previously worked out for the Bears and Chiefs, according to two separate reports.

At age 22, it’s reasonable to believe Carter may still have untapped potential. The Lions couldn’t fit him on their crowded defensive back depth chart, but Carter was left mid-transition from cornerback to safety. If a team believes he’s worth the resources to develop and eventually play, Carter is still practice squad eligible.

However, Carter is anything but a proven commodity at this point in his career. In his two years with the Lions, he was never healthy or good enough to play a single defensive snap with Detroit. He only appeared in one game, as a special teams player late in the 2016 season.

We’ll see if the Bengals, who are desperate for some playmakers on both sides of the ball, decide to take a chance on Carter.