Lions Sign Josh McCown and Arlen Harris

Allen Park, Mich.- The Detroit Lions announced today that they have signed QB Josh McCown to a two-year deal and RB Arlen Harris to a one-year deal. Additional

Allen Park, Mich.- The Detroit Lions announced today that they have signed QB Josh McCown to a two-year deal and RB Arlen Harris to a one-year deal. Additional contract terms were not disclosed.

McCown (6-4, 213) joins the Lions after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Cardinals. He was drafted by Arizona in the third round (81st overall) of the 2002 draft and has played in 33 games with 22 starts, completing 498-of-862 passes for 5,431 yards and 25 touchdowns.

In 2005, McCown started to realize his potential as a NFL quarterback while combining with Cardinals QB Kurt Warner to lead Arizona to the best passing attack in the league. With 398 passing yards against Carolina (10/9) and 385 passing yards the previous week against San Francisco (10/2), McCown posted two of the top five passing games in the NFL last season. In nine games (six starts), he threw for 1,836 yards and nine touchdowns while completing a career-high 60.3-percent (163-of-270) of his passes.

McCown was the Cardinals' starter for most of the 2004 season and threw for a career-high 2,511 yards and 11 touchdowns through 14 games (13 starts). In 2003 he played in eight games, starting the final three, and finished the season with 1,018 passing yards and six touchdowns (5 passing, 1 rushing).

After three collegiate seasons at Southern Methodist, McCown transferred to Sam Houston State and passed for 3,481 yards and 32 touchdowns in his lone season as a Bearkat. In the prior three seasons at SMU, he passed for 4,022 yards and 24 touchdowns. McCown was one of 16 players considered for the Walter Payton Award as a senior, given to the top performer in the NCAA Division 1-AA ranks.

Harris (5-10, 212) has played in 46 games (three starts) during his first three seasons in the NFL. He spent those three seasons in St. Louis where he played for Lions Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz, the Rams head coach at the time. In his three seasons, Harris has recorded 118 rushing attempts for 339 yards with five touchdowns and has caught 23 passes for 180 yards. He has also returned seven punts for 36 yards and 99 kickoffs for 2,147.

St. Louis originally signed the power back as an undrafted rookie free agent following the 2003 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Harris had 85 rushes for 255 yards and four touchdowns. His season was highlight with his first NFL start at Pittsburgh October 26 and scored three touchdowns in his first NFL scored, becoming the first rookie to accomplish the feat since Travis Prentice in 2000.

Harris began his college career playing three seasons at Virginia before transferring to Hofstra.