ATLANTA (AP) -The Atlanta Falcons re-signed Joey Harrington on Wednesday, one week after cutting the six-year veteran quarterback.
General manager Thomas Dimitroff, who also has re-signed Chris Redman to a two-year deal, has said the team will take a quarterback in next month's NFL draft.
The 29-year-old Harrington started 10 games last season, but he returns as a probable backup - the role he would have played before Michael Vick's legal troubles.
Also returning with Harrington and Redman is D.J. Shockley, who missed last season with a knee injury.
Though the names of the quarterbacks haven't changed, they presumably will be listed in a different order than at the beginning of last season, when Harrington was the starter.
Redman started the last four games and, according to Dimitroff and Smith, will have the first shot at the starting job in 2008. Redman was selected NFC offensive player of the week after passing for four touchdowns and 251 yards against Seattle in the final game of the season.
Even after re-signing Harrington, the Falcons are expected to add a quarterback to the competition as early as the No. 3 overall pick in the April 26 draft.
The Falcons have released Byron Leftwich, who signed with Atlanta in September and joined Harrington and Redman in the procession of 2007 starters as the team struggled to replace Vick.
Harrington completed 215 of 348 passes for 2,215 yards with seven touchdowns and eight interceptions in 12 games. He set a career high by completing 61.8 percent of his passes, but the Falcons were only 3-7 in his starts.
Detroit drafted Harrington No. 3 overall in 2002.
Following five seasons with the Lions and one year in Miami, Harrington signed a two-year, $6 million contract to become Vick's backup. He moved into the starting role when Vick's legal problems began.
Vick is serving a 23-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to federal charges in a dogfighting operation.
Harrington was released last week to clear about $3.5 million in salary cap space for 2008. Terms of his new contract were not released.
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