Buccaneers officially sign two, waive two linebackers, activate Louis Murphy

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially announced signing defensive tackle Tony McDaniel and punter Karl Schmitz today.

McDaniel will compete at nose tackle in place of Akeem Spence, who suffered a months-long back injury this offseason. Given his $2.5 million contract and a long history of quality play, McDaniel has a good chance of making the roster and even making an impact this season. Schmitz will get the opportunity to kick out Michael Koenen in a competition with him and Spencer Lanning.

The Bucs waived linebackers Quinton Alston (injured) and Sammuel Lamur to make room for McDaniel and Schmitz.

The team also activated Louis Murphy today, who immediately participated in practice. Murphy had missed all of training camp with an ankle injury, but was finally able to get into the mix. And that is necessary in his case: backup receivers Kenny Bell, Robert Herron and Rannell Hall have been impressing in training camp, and Murphy's depth chart spot and perhaps even his roster spot aren't entirely secure.