Johnson is joining his fourth franchise
Hoping to create competition for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, the Cleveland Browns on Monday signed free agent quarterback Doug Johnson to a one-year contract.
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Financial details were not immediately available, but it is believed that the journeyman Johnson, who is joining his fourth different team in two years, signed for the league minimum base salary of $540,000.
Johnson, 27, auditioned earlier this month for Browns coaches and personnel officials and threw the ball well.
Given the youthful composition of the Browns' backup quarterback corps, Johnson certainly has a legitimate chance to seize the No. 2 spot, behind starter Trent Dilfer. The other quarterbacks on the roster are second-year veteran Josh Harris and rookie Charlie Frye. Originally a sixth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2004, Harris was claimed on waivers by the Browns late last year, and has yet to play in a regular-season game. Frye was the team's third-round pick this year.
Cleveland coaches like the potential of both young quarterbacks but fear that neither is prepared to play if Dilfer is injured and sidelined.
General manager Phil Savage suggested last week the Browns might sign a young veteran who would compete for the No. 2 spot. "You don't want to give [the job] away," Savage said. "You want somebody to earn it."
A five-year veteran, Johnson entered the league with the Atlanta Falcons in 2000 as an undrafted college free agent. The former University of Florida standout started eight game for the Falcons in 2003, when Michael Vick was injured, but was mostly ineffective.
He signed with Jacksonville last year, was released, then joined the Tennessee Titans late in the season, appearing in two games. For his career, Johnson has played in 26 games, including 11 starts. He has completed 218 of 384 passes for 2,600 yards, with 13 touchdown passes and 18 interceptions, and a passer rating of 69.4. Although possessing a strong arm, Johnson has never been a very accurate passer and is prone to turnovers.
In other roster moves, the Browns waived running back Adimchinobe Echemandu, along with rookie free agent defensive backs Justin Fraley and Charles Byrd, receivers Bill Flowers and Bradley Chavez, and defensive lineman Larry Burt.
Echemandu, a seventh-round draft selection from 2004 out of Cal, played four games for the Browns during his rookie season after starting the year on the non-football injury list. He rushed eight times for 25 yards and caught three passes for 25 yards during his tenure with the club.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's chat archive, click here 
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