Cowboys Waive 17-Year Veteran QB Brad Johnson
Nick Eatman - Email
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
February 26, 2009 2:39 PM
IRVING, Texas - The Cowboys will indeed have a new backup quarterback to spell Tony Romo next season.
As expected, the team released veteran Brad Johnson on Thursday, a move that saves the team nearly $2 million in cap space.
The 40-year-old Johnson has played 17 pro seasons, including the last two in Dallas. But this very well could be the end of his career. The market for Johnson, even as a backup, might be limited considering his performance in three starts last season when he subbed for an injured Romo.
When a fractured pinkie on his right throwing hand prevented Romo from playing in mid-season, Johnson was less than stellar. The Cowboys went 1-2 in that stretch, which included an embarrassing 34-14 loss to the Rams, who finished just 2-14 last year.
In three games, Johnson had a 50.5 quarterback rating, passing for 427 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions in three games.
In fact, Johnson was replaced by Brooks Bollinger in the second half against the Giants on Nov. 2. Bollinger, an unrestricted free agent, could get re-signed by the Cowboys and compete for the No. 2 spot.
Earlier this week at the scouting combine, owner Jerry Jones said adding another quarterback in the off-season is a "real priority," but said the Cowboys might not rely on signing a veteran.
"Not necessarily. A veteran may be too much of a veteran," said Jones, who reiterated the importance of the Cowboys' 1-2 record in Romo's absence. "It could have meant that much to us to have won one of those game that we didn't win when we didn't have Tony. We were lucky to have won the one we did without Tony, frankly. We have to have improvement there."
With nine draft picks and the possibility of receiving two more compensatory picks, the Cowboys should have plenty of chances to draft a quarterback, possibly somewhere in the middle rounds. The Cowboys have four picks total in the fourth and fifth round.
As for Johnson, his future remains unclear. The Cowboys were his fourth different team, although he did have two stints in Minnesota, where he started his career as a backup in 1994 but eventually became a starter for the Vikings. After five seasons in Minnesota, Johnson signed with the Redskins in 1999 and played two years before ending up in Tampa Bay, where he helped the Bucs win Super Bowl XXXVII.
A two-time Pro Bowler, Johnson currently ranks 35th on the NFL's all-time passing list with 29,054 yards. He still holds the NFL record for consecutive seasons with a completion percentage higher than 60.0 with 12.
However, that streak ended this season with the Cowboys when he completed only 52.6 of his passes.
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
February 26, 2009 2:39 PM
IRVING, Texas - The Cowboys will indeed have a new backup quarterback to spell Tony Romo next season.
As expected, the team released veteran Brad Johnson on Thursday, a move that saves the team nearly $2 million in cap space.
The 40-year-old Johnson has played 17 pro seasons, including the last two in Dallas. But this very well could be the end of his career. The market for Johnson, even as a backup, might be limited considering his performance in three starts last season when he subbed for an injured Romo.
When a fractured pinkie on his right throwing hand prevented Romo from playing in mid-season, Johnson was less than stellar. The Cowboys went 1-2 in that stretch, which included an embarrassing 34-14 loss to the Rams, who finished just 2-14 last year.
In three games, Johnson had a 50.5 quarterback rating, passing for 427 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions in three games.
In fact, Johnson was replaced by Brooks Bollinger in the second half against the Giants on Nov. 2. Bollinger, an unrestricted free agent, could get re-signed by the Cowboys and compete for the No. 2 spot.
Earlier this week at the scouting combine, owner Jerry Jones said adding another quarterback in the off-season is a "real priority," but said the Cowboys might not rely on signing a veteran.
"Not necessarily. A veteran may be too much of a veteran," said Jones, who reiterated the importance of the Cowboys' 1-2 record in Romo's absence. "It could have meant that much to us to have won one of those game that we didn't win when we didn't have Tony. We were lucky to have won the one we did without Tony, frankly. We have to have improvement there."
With nine draft picks and the possibility of receiving two more compensatory picks, the Cowboys should have plenty of chances to draft a quarterback, possibly somewhere in the middle rounds. The Cowboys have four picks total in the fourth and fifth round.
As for Johnson, his future remains unclear. The Cowboys were his fourth different team, although he did have two stints in Minnesota, where he started his career as a backup in 1994 but eventually became a starter for the Vikings. After five seasons in Minnesota, Johnson signed with the Redskins in 1999 and played two years before ending up in Tampa Bay, where he helped the Bucs win Super Bowl XXXVII.
A two-time Pro Bowler, Johnson currently ranks 35th on the NFL's all-time passing list with 29,054 yards. He still holds the NFL record for consecutive seasons with a completion percentage higher than 60.0 with 12.
However, that streak ended this season with the Cowboys when he completed only 52.6 of his passes.
posted by The Gryphon at 4:32 PM
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