DALLAS — It’s human nature to focus on what Bobby Carpenter hasn’t done.
He will share his thoughts on that topic in a moment.

But if you can, put away the knives. The start of training camp is time to project what a player can be, not dwell on promise that has yet to be fulfilled.
Carpenter hasn’t lived up to his expectations or yours in three seasons with the Cowboys. That doesn’t mean he’s stopped trying. When camp opens in San Antonio next week, Carpenter will report in a good frame of mind with the belief that the coaching staff has finally carved a niche that will allow him to contribute.
“I’m excited at this point,” Carpenter said during the team’s last minicamp. “If you’re a little kid and you go to Six Flags for the first time, do you worry about having a good time or do you go out there and have a good time? That’s the way I’m looking at it.
“There are a lot of players in various sports that, for some reason or another, didn’t have success early. Then they are granted an opportunity to be able to get better, and come in and play well again. Was it that they were a good player at one point and a bad player the next, or that they didn’t have the opportunity?”
Carpenter has started only one regular-season game since being taken with the 18th pick of the 2006 draft. The former Ohio State star has yet to force a fumble or pick off a pass and hasn’t recorded a sack since his rookie season.
He knows what people say. He’s a bust.
“It’s something that has been brought up a lot the past couple of years, and probably deservedly so,” Carpenter said. “But no one is tougher on me than myself. I come out every day with the desire and motivation to get better so that I can prove I’m a good player, because I know I am.”
The knock is that Carpenter lacks the physical ability to take on an offensive lineman and shed him to make the tackle. Defensive coordinator Brian Stewart was never a big fan of Carpenter’s work.
He’s gone. So is Kevin Burnett, who was ahead of Carpenter on the depth chart.
Now, Carpenter is part of the team’s third-down packages. He enters camp as one of the inside linebackers in nickel and dime situations, a role that could put him on the field up to 40 percent of the game. This is the opportunity he didn’t receive his first three seasons. It’s his responsibility to hold off third-round pick Jason Williams and do something with it.
“You’re always fighting for your spot,” said Carpenter, who began his Cowboys career as an outside linebacker. “But I think the position is mine to lose.
“I’m not trying to lose it. I’m trying to advance it and hopefully make our team better.”
Head coach Wade Phillips has been complimentary of the linebacker’s work this off-season. But then, Carpenter looked good in training camp and preseason games last year, and it didn’t translate into regular-season success.
“He’s done everything we’ve asked, and more,” Phillips said. “”For Bobby, he’s just got to do it in the ballgames for us. We’ll see what happens, but I have a good feeling about it because partly, it’s how you practice. He’s gotten better.”
The time is now for Carpenter to step up and perform. He accurately points out the same can be said for the entire team. And while his role on this defense is limited, it’s larger than any he’s held his first three seasons.
“You always want more. You’re never satisfied,” Carpenter said. “But right now, I’m happy with what I’m doing. I’m trying to get better. Hopefully, I’ll get to play more and more throughout the season, but that remains to be seen.”