With defensive end Adrian Clayborn on the injured reserve after suffering a knee ligament injury on Sunday at Dallas, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced today that they have signed DE Jeff Charleston to provide depth across the defensive line.

Charleston is in his sixth season in the NFL after spending four seasons with the New Orleans Saints (2008-11) and one with the Indianapolis Colts (2007). He has played in 65 career games with four starts, recording 114 tackles, 8.0 sacks, four passes defensed, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Additionally, he has recorded 34 tackles on special teams.

As a member of the 2009 Super Bowl XLIV Championship team, Charleston saw action in all 16 regular season games and all three playoff contests that season. Charleston originally entered the league as a rookie free agent with the Houston Texans in 2006.

Clayborn led the Bucs with 7.5 sacks as a rookie in 2011, but had yet to make an impact through the first three games, totaling just three tackles before being injured on Sunday.

Earlier this year, during offseason workouts, most felt the defensive line was much better than last season in the event of a rash of injuries. Brian Price was expected to be in much better shape and health, and Tampa Bay had added veterans Amobi Okoye, Wallace Gilberry, Gary Gibson, and Jayme Mitchell to the roster.

But Da’Quan Bowers suffered an Achilles injury that required surgery in the spring, Price, Okoye and Gilberry were released, and Mitchell quit the team in training camp leaving the Buccaneers once again thin across the defensive line.

A notable free agent defensive end that could still be a possibility is Andre Carter, who finished last season with the Patriots. Carter was selected No. 7 overall in the 2001 NFL Draft by the 49ers and also spent time with the Redskins before joining the Patriots last season. Before being injured last December tallied 10 sacks, 52, tackles and two forced fumbles.