Dallas doesn’t need a Tank

By Carlos Zepeda  |   Monday, July 02, 2007  |  Comments( 10 )

Dallas Cowboys
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ESPN's Matt Mosley reported that a member of the Dallas Cowboys organization told him that recently released defensive tackle Tank Johnson, formerly of the Bears, would be a perfect fit for Wade Phillips' 3-4 defense.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is known for bringing in players as rebuilding projects, like Charles Haley, Dimitrius Underwood and Marcus Coleman. Haley panned out, solidifying the pass rush for three Super Bowl championship teams in 1992, 1993 and 1995. Unlike Haley, neither Underwood nor Coleman panned out for Dallas.

In '96, star wide receiver Michael Irvin pleaded no contest to cocaine possession charges and was suspended by the league for violating the substance-abuse policy. Infamous defensive tackle Leon Lett was suspended for the '96 season for substance-abuse problems. And in 1997, head coach Barry Switzer was arrested at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport for carrying a loaded handgun in his bag.

That's all in the past, though. Right now, the Cowboys are weak at the defensive tackle position and they didn't address the problem during the draft or free agency. Jason Ferguson had a solid year in 2006, but if he gets injured Dallas will have to scramble for a replacement.

Johnson was given an eight-game suspension for the beginning of the upcoming season by new NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who has been cracking down hard on player conduct. Johnson, a three-year veteran, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in 2005 and received probation after an arrest in Chicago, when a nightclub valet reported seeing him with a handgun in his SUV.

Police raided his house in 2006 and found six unregistered weapons, a violation of his probation. Two days later Johnson's bodyguard, Willie B. Posey, was shot and killed during an altercation outside a Chicago nightclub, and the Bears suspended Johnson one game simply for being at the club.

Johnson was released in May from a Cook County jail after serving 60 days for violating his probation, and last Monday he was stopped in Arizona and arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence.

Johnson will get a second chance with some team this upcoming season. The Cowboys definitely have a pressing need for depth at DT, but Johnson seems like too much of a risk.

The Bears drafted Johnson with high hopes of a productive defender, which they got, but they were stuck with a major off-field distraction. Therefore, like Chicago, Dallas should make the right decision and opt not to have Johnson on its roster.

RealFootball365.com: Where there's no such thing as an offseason for Dallas Cowboys football.
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No.1
Jesse		04:19 PM
07/02/2007
Tank would be a good and risky fit. But then again Wade should turn the Cowboys into another defensive powerhouse with or...
No.2
John Ingmanson		09:25 PM
07/02/2007
NO WAY! That's the last thing the Boys need. Another troubled self centered moron. No freakin way. T.O. is more than enough.
No.3
Bdizzle		09:52 PM
07/02/2007
I say take a risk with Tank. We did with T.O. I think the Tank would be a great fit for the boys. Besides Tank wants to be the...
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