With Tony Romo coming off back surgery and top backup Kyle Orton absent from the start of the offseason workout program, the Cowboys have added some needed quarterback depth.
The club has signed veteran backup Caleb Hanie to a one-year contract, Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago reported on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old Hanie had stints with Denver, Baltimore and Cleveland in 2013. He has appeared in 10 regular season games, all with Chicago from 2009 through 2011. Overall, he has completed 59-of-116 passes for 679 yards with three touchdowns and 10 interceptions in regular season play.
Hanie is perhaps most famous for relieving the injured Jay Cutler and the ineffective Todd Collins in the 2010 NFC title game. While Hanie completed 13-of-20 passes for 153 yards and threw a touchdown pass, he was intercepted twice in the Packers’ 21-14 victory vs. the Bears.
In the short term, Hanie’s ability to take practice reps could be his greatest value to Dallas. If the Cowboys don’t draft a quarterback, and if Orton retires, it’s possible Hanie could compete to stick as the third option on the depth chart behind Romo and Brandon Weeden.