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'Consummate' pro arrives

New QB Brad Johnson visits One Buc Place, signs his deal and gets heaped with praise.

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By RICK STROUD

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 7, 2001

TAMPA -- Playing quarterback for Tampa Bay is such a dangerous proposition, it should come with a surgeon general's warning.

Next season the Bucs will trot out their third starter in as many years.

But the NFL is a quarterback-driven league, and team officials say Brad Johnson is the best quarterback they've had in a long, long time.

[Times photo: Toni L. Sandys] New Tampa Bay quarterback Brad Johnson poses in front of a locker at One Buc Place. "This was the perfect fit for me," he said.

"Football is a quarterback sport," offensive coordinator and former quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen said. "You go look at high school or Pop Warner, it's a quarterback sport. I'm partial to the position. But the best quarterback wins the high, high percentage of games in this league. Period."

Johnson, 32, made a return to his home state and the NFC Central on Tuesday, saying he hopes to lead the Bucs to their first Super Bowl after signing a five-year, $28-million contract.

In related moves, the Bucs traded backup Eric Zeier to the Falcons for a seventh-round draft pick. In response to Johnson's signing, quarterback Ryan Leaf, claimed off waivers from San Diego on Friday, has indefinitely postponed his trip to Tampa and has been given until next week to decide whether to report to the Bucs or ask for his release.

Johnson, a nine-year veteran who has been to the Pro Bowl and won playoff games, provides coach Tony Dungy with a quarterback not limited by the inconsistency of Trent Dilfer or the inexperience of Shaun King.

"I like a lot of things about Brad," Dungy said. "I like his work ethic, I like his accuracy, I like his leadership, his command of the huddle. I like how he responds to adversity, how he responds to success. I think he's going to be a consummate professional. I think he'll be good for Shaun; I think he'll be good for Ryan. I think he'll be good for our locker room. I see a lot of positives. And because I know him more than the other quarterbacks, I know exactly what he'll bring."

However, that does not mean you can expect the Bucs to become pass-happy.

Last season they ran the ball on 58 percent of their first-down plays, the seventh-highest rate in the league. Dungy does not plan to ask Johnson to beat teams with his arm, but he knows Johnson is capable of doing it if he has to.

[Times photo: Toni L. Sandys] On Brad Johnson's first visit to the locker room at One Buc Place, he is accompanied by a throng of reporters, cameras and microphones.

"It depends on what you mean by opening things up," Dungy said. "I don't think we'll be a lot different than we've been in the past.

"I don't know if he's the final piece. I think there's a danger in looking at it that way, saying this is what does it. ... We feel we've improved that position, and it's happened in ways we couldn't anticipate. We didn't anticipate Ryan Leaf being out there and being available. We didn't really anticipate getting Brad Johnson."

Johnson said Tuesday he had been leaning toward joining the Ravens and coach Brian Billick, his offensive coordinator in Minnesota, until discovering the Bucs' level of interest when the signing period began Friday.

"(Baltimore) was a place everyone assumed I would go," Johnson said. "And I think it would've been a great fit if I had gone there. But under the circumstances, with what took place and the goals I have and what I want to accomplish, this was the perfect fit for me, not only with the coaches and players but being back home. This is where I wanted to be."

Christensen, who called plays for Johnson at the Pro Bowl after the 1999 season, said the former Redskins and Vikings quarterback is accurate and accomplished at making the necessary throws.

"The interesting thing about him to me is he can do all of the above," Christensen said. "He's worn people out with checkdowns. He's worn people out upfield. And he's worn people out with the digs. If you say what jumped off the film, it's that. He's hit a few bombs; then he would hit a few digs on third and 14. Then all of a sudden the pass rush thinks they're getting to him and he dumps the ball off accurately. I think with him, being able to make all the throws well jumps out at you."

Johnson threw for more than 4,000 yards and 24 touchdowns with the Redskins in '99 and led them to their first playoff win in eight seasons. Last season he went 7-4 as a starter before being replaced by Jeff George. Johnson said he will be comfortable in any offensive plan the Bucs and Christensen settle on.

"I think when you look at what you're trying to accomplish, that's not my goal," Johnson said. "My goal is to win a Super Bowl before my time is up, hopefully this year. If not, I'll try again next year.

"I talked about leaving my ego behind. I'm going to do everything I can to win. If we run the ball to win games or kick field goals, I really don't care. I this point in my career, it's easy to say it wasn't about the money or about personal stats. It's about the team. There's no greater feeling than winning a game and going home and thinking about winning the next one."

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