Buster

Davis

The Cardinals drafted Davis in the third round, gave him a $600,000 bonus, and cut him. He refused to join their practice squad. Whoops! With the Lions’ beat-up D, Davis has a real shot to be signed to the team this season.

That’s quite a surprise for a third-round pick; we had Davis pegged as a potential IDP sleeper in Arizona’s 3-4 as an inside ‘backer. He could be claimed off waivers by the 49ers, who loved Davis at the Senior Bowl.

A third-round pick, Davis went unclaimed on waivers. “I’m disappointed he didn’t want to come in and prove himself, but the fact that he didn’t I think is indicative of the way he performed throughout training camp and the preseason,” general manager Rod Graves said. While the Cardinals are now doing their best to make Davis look bad through the media, the fact is that their talent evaluators saw fit to use a third-round pick and spend a $600,000 bonus on him just a few months ago.

With Arizona transitioning to a 3-4 alignment, the former Florida State Seminole should be the team’s No. 3 inside linebacker, behind Gerald Hayes and Karlos Dansby. If Dansby sees snaps outside to maximize his pass-rushing ability, Davis would likely be first in line to play next to Hayes.

Davis, a third-round pick who was cut by the Cardinals in camp, takes Roy Williams’ roster spot. He will work primarily on special teams, although it’s possible he could see time on defense as the Lions begin evaluating for next season.

The timing is odd considering Davis was just re-signed two weeks ago, but Davis was a disappointment while filling in for Gary Brackett late in the season. He’s going to have to battle for a roster spot no matter where he lands next.

Davis has been dropped by three teams in two years since getting taken by the Cardinals in the third-round of the 2007 draft. There’s no reason to think Davis will make an impact on his fourth stop.

Their price tags figure to be cheaper than Cato June’s, who Houston hosted for a visit on Wednesday. Davis was cut by Indianapolis earlier this week. Hagler can play special teams and either outside linebacker position.

The Texans worked out four veteran linebackers as replacements on Tuesday. Davis will try to catch on as a special teamer elsewhere.

Lehman, who was fighting for a backup job, reportedly suffered a minor hamstring injury, but the Lions are cutting bait. Under the terms of the minor list, he’ll be released as soon as he’s healthy to play again. Buster Davis could become a backup on the strong side.