T Anthony Davis saw his first regular-season action at left tackle in the 2004 season finale at Arizona
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced two roster moves on Wednesday, bringing back one promising young player and adding another.
The Buccaneers have re-signed second-year offensive tackle Anthony Davis, who had become an "exclusive rights" free agent on March 2. In addition, they have signed first-year linebacker Josh Buhl, a former Kansas State star who entered the NFL with Cleveland last April.
Davis was one of three Tampa Bay free agents in the exclusive rights category, which applies to players with less than three seasons of free agency credit. Players in this category can only negotiate with the team for which they played the previous season, as long as that team extended the necessary tender offer at the beginning of free agency. The Bucs' other two exclusive rights free agents are tight end Will Heller and wide receiver Edell Shepherd.
Since the beginning of free agency, the Bucs have re-signed three unrestricted free agents (Jameel Cook, Joey Galloway and Dave Moore), their only restricted free agent (Ryan Nece) and one exclusive rights free agent (Davis).
Originally an undrafted free agent in 2003, Davis was one of the Bucs' most pleasant surprises in last summer's training camp. While starter Derrick Deese recovered from early-August foot surgery, Davis took over at left tackle with the first unit and drew praise from the coaching staff. He spent the 2004 regular season in a reserve role as Deese started every game, seeing his first action with the offense in the season finale at Arizona.
After starting for two seasons at Virginia Tech and earning second-team all-conference honors, Davis signed with the Buccaneers on April 28, 2003. He spent most of his rookie season on Tampa Bay's practice squad before being elevated to the active roster for the season finale. One of the Bucs' biggest lineman at 6-4 and 322 pounds, Davis will battle for significant playing time this season.
Buhl also entered the league as an undrafted free agent, signed last year by the Browns. He was then waived in late August and signed in January by Baltimore. The Ravens released Buhl on March 23 and he signed with the Buccaneers after clearing waivers.
One of the top defenders in K-State history, Buhl set a Wildcat record in 2003 with 184 tackles. His 398 career stops rank fourth in the Kansas State annals and sixth in Big 12 history. A team captain, Buhl finished his senior season as a first-team All-America choice by The Sporting News. He was one of 11 national semi-finalists for the Butkus Award, given annually to the best linebacker in college football.
The 23-year-old Buhl hails from Mesquite, Texas.
