LB Derrick Burgess

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots re-signed unrestricted free agent LB Derrick Burgess today. Terms of the contract were not announced. In addition, the Patriots announced that LB Bruce Davis and WR Isaiah Stanback have been released.

Burgess, 6-2, 260 pounds, is a veteran of nine NFL seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles (2001-2004), Oakland Raiders (2005-2008) and the Patriots (2009). The Patriots acquired Burgess in a trade with the Oakland Raiders on Aug. 6, 2009.

Last season, Burgess played in 16 games with six starts and finished with 35 total tackles, 5.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

Burgess originally joined the NFL as a third-round draft pick by Philadelphia (63rd overall) out of Mississippi in 2001. He has accumulated 262 total tackles, 52 sacks, seven forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries during his career. After a four-year career in Philadelphia, Burgess joined Oakland as an unrestricted free agent in 2005 and earned Pro Bowl honors in his first two seasons with the Raiders, registering 16 sacks in 2005 and 11 sacks in 2006.

Davis, 6-3, 252 pounds, joined the New England practice squad on Oct. 7, 2009. He was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round in 2008 out of UCLA. As a rookie, he played in five games, seeing action mainly on special teams. Davis was waived by Pittsburgh prior to the start of the 2009 regular season.

Stanback, 6-2, 208 pounds, joined the New England practice squad on Sept 7, 2009. He was signed from the practice squad to the 53-man roster on Nov. 14, 2009 and played in six games with two starts. Stanback finished the 2009 season with three receptions for 22 yards and one kickoff return for 22 yards. He originally joined the NFL as a fourth-round draft pick by Dallas in 2007 out of Washington. A quarterback in college, he was converted to a wide receiver with the Cowboys. Stanback was waived by Dallas prior to the start of the 2009 season