AP

As the Buccaneers try to cobble together the kind of pass rush that they had when they were one of the best teams in the league, a guy who was believed to be one of the best prospects in the 2009 draft has joined the cause.

The Bucs have announced that former Chargers linebacker Larry English has agreed to terms.

In Tampa, the 16th pick in 2009 will become a 4-3 defensive end, joining a depth chart that includes Adrian Clayborn and Michael Johnson.

English, who failed to become a free agent earlier this year because he didn’t meet the playing-time trigger that would have voided the final year of his rookie deal, was cut on July 22.

English was selected one spot before the Bucs picked former starting quarterback Josh Freeman, who currently is where English was before today: Not employed by an NFL team.

The first round in 2009 has become a mixed bag of busts and stars, with English, Freeman, Jason Smith (No. 2 overall), Aaron Curry (No. 4), Mark Sanchez (No. 5), Darrius Heyward-Bey (No. 7), and Aaron Maybin (No. 11) headlining the guys who didn’t work out and Matthew Stafford (No. 1), Michael Crabtree (No. 10), Brian Orakpo (No. 13), Brian Cushing (No. 15), Jeremy Maclin (No. 19), Alex Mack (No. 21), Percy Harvin (No. 22), and Clay Matthews (No. 26) occupying the other end of the spectrum.

English has 11 sacks in five NFL seasons. He has started only nine games.