ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Redskins signed veteran punter Dirk Johnson on Thursday. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed.
Johnson has played seven NFL seasons with the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals. He struggled with the Cardinals last year, ranking near the bottom of the league in average (41.8 yards) and net average (35.2 yards) before he was cut with four games remaining in the regular season.
Johnson has a 41.7-yard career average and a career net average of 35.9. He punted for the Eagles during their loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX following the 2004 season.
The Redskins ranked last in the NFL in net average last season. Draft pick Durant Brooks won the job over incumbent Derrick Frost during training camp, then was cut and replaced by Ryan Plackemeier in October. Plackemeier was released last month.
The only other punter on Washington's roster is first-year pro Zac Atterberry, who was signed as a free agent in January and has never punted in an NFL game.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
