IRVING, Texas, Oct. 12 (UPI) -- A little more than a month after failing a physical with the Dallas Cowboys, Ryan Leaf made enough of an impression to land a three-year contract with the team Friday.
The embattled quarterback was expected to be in uniform for Dallas' Monday night game against the Washington Redskins.
Holding no leverage in negotiations since he was waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in September, following a disastrous three-year stay with the San Diego Chargers, Leaf will receive the fourth-year veteran minimum of $418,000 with no signing bonus. He will get the minimum again next season before his salary jumps to $1 million in 2003.
"This is what we wanted," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "We were able to do this because of the opportunity we have at quarterback."
With rookie quarterback Quincy Carter sidelined four to six weeks with a torn hamstring, Dallas contacted Leaf, who was expected to sign with the Cowboys on Sept. 5 but failed his physical due to an injured right wrist.
The 24-year-old Leaf passed a physical this time and worked out for the team Thursday.
"We had him throw and we felt real good about what we saw," coach Dave Campo said. "So there is a possibility that we could have a third quarterback for Monday night."
Leaf will serve as third quarterback behind Anthony Wright, who replaces Carter as the starter, and backup Clint Stoerner.
A major disappointment in his brief NFL career, Leaf has been hampered by wrist and shoulder problems and was waived by the Chargers after the 2000 season. Tampa Bay was the only one of the 31 teams in the league to submit a claim, but Leaf failed to beat out Joe Hamilton for the third-string quarterback job.
The Chargers paid a king's ransom to select Leaf in the 1998 draft, sending two players and a pair of first-round picks to Arizona before signing him to a five-year, $31.25 million contract.
But Leaf was a bust on and off the field. As a rookie, he threw 15 interceptions and three touchdowns before losing his starting job. Off the field, he turned off teammates with his defiant attitude and was caught on camera berating a reporter.
His second season was wiped out after he underwent surgery on his right shoulder in July 1999. While rehabilitating, Leaf was suspended four games for detrimental conduct. The team claimed Leaf refused to do a workout exercise and that he cursed former general manager Bobby Beathard and strength and conditioning coach John Hastings.
Following the 1999 season, a few of San Diego's defensive players expressed their displeasure with Leaf's immature antics and urged he be traded.
But Leaf returned last season. He continued to struggle, ranking second to last in quarterback rating (56.2), ahead of only Cincinnati's Akili Smith. He threw 11 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, completing 50 percent of his passes.
