Cards notebook: Davis snubs practice squad spot

The Cardinals formed their practice squad on Monday. But it was a player who didn’t join up who generated the most interest: Buster Davis, the late, lamented third-round draft pick whom the club released on Friday.

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At 5-foot-9, 240 pounds, Davis seemed undersized for a linebacker. But it wasn’t his physical attributes that got the attention of general manager Rod Graves on Monday.

Graves indicated he was particularly disappointed Davis didn’t agree to come back and redeem himself on the practice squad.

“To me that says something else about the player,” Graves said.

“I was certainly thinking Buster is the kind of guy who would carry a chip on his shoulder. I thought he would accept the challenge and want to come back and prove the decision to release him was a mistake.

“But yet he didn’t even want to accept that challenge,” Graves said.

More generally, “Buster didn’t come through for us the way we thought he would. It probably had something to do with attitude and commitment...

“He just didn’t meet our expectations in that way.”

Graves was asked if a Round 3 draft failure would cause him to take a second look at his team’s scouting.

“No, I think we are conscious about those things as we’ve always been.

“In this particular case, it just didn’t work out for us.”

He said backup linebackers Brandon Johnson and Monte Beisel outperformed Davis.

“It was always our intent to keep the best 53 players. I think it was the right decision.

“We’re disappointed Buster wasn’t in that 53. The things we identified in him as a player when he was at Florida State, we didn’t see those things in him this year.

“That’s as much a reflection on Buster as it is on the decision we made.”

Coach Ken Whisenhunt said, “I was disappointed that what I had seen on him in college didn’t translate to the field here. We talked about it a couple of times, and I told him he needed to pick up his level of play.

“It’s a bad situation but a good problem where you have competition.”

Davis got a $600,0000 signing bonus. Attempts to reach his agent were unsuccessful.

PRACTICE SQUAD NAMED

Among those who agreed to join the squad, most are familiar names.

Cornerback Michael Adams, running back Steve Baylark, quarterback Lang Campbell, linebacker David Holloway, wide receiver Matt Trannon and tackle Elliot Vallejo all spent training camp and the preseason with the Cardinals. They were signed to the practice squad after being released when the roster was cut down to 53 on Friday.

The Cardinals also added linebacker Cameron Vaughn to the practice squad. He spent the preseason with the Denver Broncos.

The Cards may sign tight end Ben Patrick, their Round 7 draft pick who was released Sunday, to the squad.

NEW PLAYERS PRACTICE

The two newest players on the 53-man roster — both added through waiver claims — practiced Monday: defensive end Quentin Moses from Oakland and receiver Jerheme Urban of Dallas.

Moses is the kind of pass rusher the Cards need in light of the loss of Chike Okeafor for the season (He was placed on injured reserve on Sunday).

Moses will play behind Bertrand Berry.

The Cardinals had him ranked in their top 120 entering the draft, Graves said. The Raiders took him in Round 3 but released him.

“Pass rush potential is his strong suit,” Graves said. “He’s an athlete who can run. We’re hoping he can develop into a good pass rushing end for us.”

Urban gives the Cardinals a sixth receiver, the number they had expected to have all along.

“If we have injuries, he’d be a perfect guy to fit right in,” particularly as a slot receiver, Graves said.