Sleeper Watch

Winston Churchill once said that “It’s not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what’s required.” As the injuries continue to pile up on both sides of the ball for many teams, players that typically ride the pine have been called into action. Their role: to do what is required. Brad Johnson is one of these players.

With the injury to Daunte Culpepper, many owners will be forced to find an alternative to start on occasion. The desperate nature of these owners may lead them to Brad Johnson … the former starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Johnson has played in only two games this year, and in those games he has only made 29 pass attempts. Although his completion percentage of only 44% in these 29 attempts may initially scare you, do not let it frighten you away from taking a closer look at Johnson.

In his 12th year in the NFL, Johnson might actually be able to do some good for his team. In light of the horrendous boat scandal and the constant trouble that the Vikings are undergoing, Johnson may be able to step into the starting role and provide some leadership. His Vikings are surprisingly only two games out of the NFC North lead, and if they pull it together they could make a push for the playoffs.

Johnson has an average quarterback rating of 83.9 in all his years in the NFL, which is certainly respectable. In fact, in his previous year as a starter in Minnesota (1999), Johnson threw for just over 4,000 yards and 24 touchdowns, with only 13 interceptions.

Yes, that may seem like a long time ago, but if you are desperate at quarterback, Johnson deserves a closer look from you. Remember, it’s not always enough to just make the best calls in fantasy football; sometimes we are required to make certain calls. Could grabbing Johnson be one of those calls?

Daniel Gilford is a weekly columnist for the Café and an aspiring young writer. He currently attends St. Petersburg College, and when neglecting his homework can be found posting in the forums as danleroi22.