Updated: September 18, 2007, 2:04 AM ET
Tank Johnson said Monday night he expects to play for the Dallas Cowboys upon returning from his eight-game NFL suspension.
"I'm here to work some things out. I'm looking here for a fresh start," Johnson said when reached in his room at the hotel where the Cowboys stay before home games.
Earlier on Monday, a high-ranking team source said there have been lengthy discussions among members of the team's coaching staff and owner Jerry Jones about Johnson's off-field problems and his playing ability.
The Cowboys or any team would be able to sign Johnson during his suspension but he cannot work out or have contact with a team until he serves his suspension in its entirety.
Although Johnson has never played nose tackle, Phillips has extolled the flexibility of his 3-4 defensive scheme to accommodate players of different sizes and styles. The Cowboys lost starter Jason Ferguson for the season when the nose tackle suffered a torn right biceps tendon in Dallas' season-opening win against the Giants.
Johnson was waived by the Chicago Bears on June 25, three days after he was stopped by police in Arizona driving 40 mph in a 25-mph zone. Johnson was not charged with any crime. He was suspended by the league for violating probation on a gun charge that stemmed from a raid on his home. Johnson served a two-month jail term in the spring.
Ed Werder covers the NFL for ESPN.
