[CBFF] Vikings release Brad Johnson

[Victor Waldron]

(he'll end up somewhere, no doubt.)

MINNEAPOLIS -- In a long-expected move, the Minnesota Vikings released
quarterback Brad Johnson on Wednesday and made the 15-year veteran an
unrestricted free agent.

	Brad Johnson
	Johnson

Tarvaris Jackson, who started the final two games of last season as a
rookie, and Brooks Bollinger are the only quarterbacks remaining on
the roster.

After the Vikings had recurring problems on offense and finished 6-10,
coach Brad Childress ruled Johnson out of the running for the job in
2007 and declared the position an open competition between Jackson and
Bollinger. At the time, Childress indicated he was confident in
finding a starter between them.

At the NFL's scouting combine last week, however, Childress
acknowledged that he spoke with Jackson about the chance that
Minnesota could use the seventh overall draft pick on a quarterback --
or perhaps in a later round. Notre Dame's Brady Quinn might be
available when the Vikings are up at No. 7.

The league's free-agent signing period opens Friday, but the team has
all but eliminated -- at least publicly -- the possibility of pursuing
a quarterback through that avenue. They have plenty of other positions
in need of an upgrade.

When the season ended, Childress indicated that Johnson would be
welcomed back in a mentoring role, but the 38-year-old -- who has a
fierce competitive drive that belies his easygoing demeanor -- said
that he still believes he can be a starter.

A ninth-round draft pick by Minnesota in 1992 out of Florida State who
spent nine years with the team spanning two stints, Johnson revived
his career in 2005 when he took over as the starter following a
season-ending injury to Daunte Culpepper's knee.

Helped by an improved defense, the Vikings went 7-2 with Johnson under
center and just missed the playoffs at 9-7. Johnson looked like the
ideal player to run the low-risk, grind-it-out offense that Childress
installed when he was named head coach in 2006.

But he made uncharacteristic mistakes, throwing 15 interceptions
against only nine touchdown passes and drawing criticism from
Childress after more than one bad game.

Johnson, who won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in the 2002-03 season, is
fifth in franchise history with 11,093 yards passing behind Fran
Tarkenton, Tommy Kramer, Culpepper and Wade Wilson.

"Brad has been a true pro throughout his career, and we wish him the
best as he moves forward," Childress said in a prepared statement
released by the club. "Brad was an important part of the team and a
guy who led by example on and off the field. He's a class act and a
guy younger players could learn a lot from about what it takes to play
in the NFL."