IRVING, Texas - So much for the Cowboys staying quiet early in free agency.
Hours after trading cornerback Anthony Henry to Detroit for backup quarterback Jon Kitna, the Cowboys signed free-agent linebacker Keith Brooking to a three-year contract worth roughly $6 million with $2.5 million guaranteed.
Brooking, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, led the Atlanta in tackles for the last eight seasons (2001-08). The 11-year veteran became a free agent Thursday night when he and the Falcons couldn't come to terms on a new contract.
Brooking (6-2, 241) fills a potential hole at inside linebacker with Zach Thomas and Kevin Burnett entering unrestricted free agency.
He played for Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips from 2002-03 when Phillips was the Falcons' defensive coordinator/interim head coach. Brooking's agent, Pat Dye Jr., also represents Pro Bowl outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, whom the Cowboys are negotiating with on a long-term extension.
Brooking, 33, started all 16 games for the Falcons in 2008, recording a team-high 133 tackles (80 solo) and adding three pass breakups. He made the Pro Bowl five straight times from 2001-05 and was the last link to Atlanta's 1998 Super Bowl roster.
Brooking's signing doesn't necessarily preclude the Cowboys from re-signing Burnett. The Cowboys' chances of retaining Thomas, however, looked slim immediately after the season when the veteran linebacker indicated he wouldn't be back. Thomas later said he'd be open to returning, but it appears he might prefer to play a 4-3 scheme again somewhere else.
Burnett, meanwhile, flourished as a nickel linebacker last season but would like the opportunity to start. The three-year veteran had 38 tackles, three pass deflections and two sacks on defense and ranked second with 19 special teams tackles.
The Cowboys have allowed Burnett, Thomas and their other six unrestricted free agents to test the market. Defensive end Chris Canty, in particular, has attracted interest from the Giants, 49ers, Seahawks, Titans and Packers and might command a contract too large for the Cowboys to match. The club's first priority is re-signing Ware, who still has one year left on his deal.
Brooking and Kitna, however, fill two immediate needs. Kitna, 36, is expected to replace Brad Johnson as Tony Romo's backup. The Cowboys' other backup quarterback, Brooks Bollinger, is a free agent. And Brooking's arrival is yet another indication the Cowboys aren't pursuing linebacker Ray Lewis despite his apparent interest in Dallas.
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