Scouting Report: Buster Davis

Scouting Report: Buster Davis
by Tom Kowalski
Wednesday May 28, 2008, 12:01 AM
Buster Davis

2008 Scouting Report


When discussing the size of Buster Davis, Lions head coach Rod Marinelli will make sure you get it right. "He's short, he's not small,'' says Marinelli of the 5-9, 240-pound linebacker.

Davis was a third-round pick last year by the Arizona Cardinals and eyebrows were raised when he was cut. The problem wasn't with Davis' football ability, it was with his attitude. He came into camp with a swagger he hadn't earned and didn't hit the playbook like he should have. He made too many mistakes and the Cardinals quickly ran out of patience.

Davis doesn't have great speed and his lack of size might cause him to get lost in traffic, but Marinelli really likes his instincts and hitting ability. The Lions will try him at middle linebacker were he'll have to win a backup role - and excel on special teams.

The Lions still aren't sure what they've got in Davis because he was on the practice squad for most of last season. That meant that Davis worked almost exclusively with the scout team and ran the opponent's defense. During this off-season, the coaches will see how quickly he can pick up the Tampa Two scheme and then, when camp hits and the preseason games arrive, evaluate how productive he can be on the field.