The New England Patriots have signed free-agent DT Terdell Sands and waived LB Prescott Burgess, the team announced.

Sands, 6-7, 335 pounds, spent the last six seasons (2003-08) with the Oakland Raiders. He went to training camp with Oakland in 2009, but was waived prior to the start of the regular season. Sands originally entered the NFL as a seventh-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2001 out of the University Tennessee-Chattanooga. After missing his rookie season due to an injury, Sands spent part of his second season in 2002 on the practice squads of Kansas City and Green Bay. He began the 2003 season with Green Bay before being waived and signing with Oakland. During his eight NFL seasons, Sands has played in 76 games with 12 starts and has accumulated 95 total tackles, four sacks, two fumble recoveries, one interception and 10 passes defensed.

When motivated, Sands is capable of being a force against the run. Last year for Oakland, a league source said Sands played in roughly 44 percent of the defensive snaps.

Burgess, 6-3, 247 pounds, was acquired by New England on Sept. 22, 2009, in a trade with Baltimore for an undisclosed draft choice. He saw action in Baltimore’s first two games of the 2009 season and was inactive last Sunday against Atlanta for New England.

In other team news, the Patriots are expected to work out free-agent DE/OLB Bruce Davis on Tuesday, a league source told Scout.com. Davis, who was third-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008, was waived by Pittsburgh on September 5.

Davis had workouts for the Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, and Indianapolis Colts recently and scouts say he fits in more at defensive end than at outside linebacker.

For more on the Patriots, check out Patriots Insider.

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