Buccaneers re-sign Orie Lemon, add practice squadders

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have re-signed linebacker Orie Lemon to replace the waived-with-injury James-Michael Johnson. The choice to re-sign Lemon is a curious one, given that he was waived well before final cuts and the Bucs could instead have chosen to re-sign Jason Williams or Khaseem Greene, both of whom were on the roster until final cuts.

Still, Lemon knows the Bucs' system, does well on special teams and has the speedy athleticism the team likes out of their linebackers. He should come in as the fifth backer, the second man off the bench -- though he may be forced to actually play, given that both Bruce Carter and Danny Lansanah had to leave Sunday's game with an injury.

The team also signed cornerback Isaiah Frey, defensive tackle Derrick Lott and linebacker Julian Stanford to the practice squad, the latter two signings having earlier been reported by Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. Frey spent most of the preseason with the Bucs as a slot cornerback, but Lott and Stanford are new to the team. They come in to replace tight end Cameron Brate, receiver Kaelin Clay and guard Martin Wallace, who were released from the practice squad yesterday.

Stanford actually has a decent amount of NFL experience, starting six games and playing in 34 over the past three years. Don't be surprised if the Bucs add him to the roster at the last minute if it turns out that either Bruce Carter or Danny Lansanah can't suit up against the Saints.