San Francisco homecoming for Andre Carter

SANTA CLARA — In one of the last draft-day maneuvers of his career, the late Bill Walsh traded up two spots in the 2001 draft to select a pass-rusher.

The 49ers had a lot of success during the 1980s and the early 1990s finding disruptive, game-changing players to make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks.

Andre Carter was not Fred Dean or Tim Harris or Charles Haley. But there was a point it looked as if he would get a lot of sacks for a long time with the 49ers.

On Sunday, he plays against the 49ers as a member of the Washington Redskins. It will be the defensive end’s first game against his former team since signing with the Redskins as a free agent in 2006.

“It’s going to be weird just being the opponent of the 49ers,” Carter said this week on a conference call with Bay Area reporters. “Honestly, I thought toward the beginning of my career in San Fran that this was always going to be my home.

“But, as you can see, nothing’s ever promised.”

Carter, selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the draft, recorded 25.5 sacks in his first three seasons with the 49ers before a back injury and a position change reduced him to just 6.5 sacks in 23 games over his final two seasons.

Carter picked up 12.5 sacks in 2002. He is the last 49ers player to produce a double-digit sack season. Parys Haralson leads the 49ers with eight sacks entering this weekend’s final game.

In his last season with the 49ers, Carter was moved to outside linebacker in the team’s new 3-4 scheme under Mike Nolan. “It just wasn’t me,” Carter said. “I held my own to a certain degree, but I think all that I’ve known was to put my hand in the dirt and go.”

After that season, the 49ers bid adieu to Carter, who signed a lucrative contract with the Redskins. Carter recorded 10.5 sacks last season. He’s experienced nagging injuries this season and has just three sacks to his credit.

“This year, granted my sack total isn’t high, but as far as just a developmental standpoint, I feel like I’m the best so far in my career,” Carter said. “If there was a stat for almost-sacks, I would lead the league.”

Carter was a high-school All-American at Oak Grove High in San Jose before recording a school-record 31 sacks during his four-year career at Cal. He said the best part of his 49ers experience was meeting so many influential people.

“I’ve been very privileged to work with a lot of great people up in San Francisco and apply it here,” Carter said. “Just with Bill Walsh and (Bill McPherson) and Mike Singletary, just learning the key elements of being a great football player — a good football player but a great football player — and studying film and bringing it play-in and play-out.”

Singletary said he sat down and talked with Carter after the decision had been made for him to sign with the Redskins.

“He didn’t want to go,” Singletary said. “He wanted to stay here. But it just didn’t work out, for whatever reason. He’s an ultimate team guy, great team guy, great locker-room guy and great practice guy.”

GORE PROBABLE

Running back Frank Gore went through limited practice and there appears to be a strong chance he’ll have an opportunity to gain 22 yards to become the first player in 49ers history to rush for 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons.

Gore has missed the past two games with a left ankle sprain. Singletary said he will not take into account Gore’s chance to reach the milestone.

“It’s not just the ankle I think about,” Singletary said. “It’s overcompensating for that and you hurt something else.”

Safety Mark Roman (knee), center Eric Heitmann (abdomen), safety Michael Lewis (abdomen), tackle Adam Snyder (ankle) and linebacker Ahmad Brooks (knee) are also listed as probable.

Singletary said Barry Sims is likely to start at right tackle in place of Snyder, while Brooks will not be active. Brooks has not played in a game this season.

MARTZ DISTRACTION

Singletary declined to comment on a Sacramento Bee report that he plans to fire offensive coordinator Mike Martz after becoming 49ers head coach.

Said Singletary: “Because of all of the controversy about it and all of the distractions that it’s had on our team already, I just came in this morning and I got our team together first thing this morning and just told them ‘You know what, guys? All the speculation, all of the talk, whatever, we want to focus on Washington, and all of the other things we’ll talk about and think about later.’”

Singletary said he briefly discussed the matter with Martz, but it was “no big deal.”

For more on the 49ers, go to Instant 49ers at http://blog.pressdemocrat.com/49ers. You can reach Staff Writer Matt Maiocco at 521-5492 or matt.maiocco@press

democrat.com.