AP

Cowboys quarterbacks Jon Kitna (3) and Tony Romo (9) during minicamp.

When Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo missed three games last season, the offense suffered.

Brad Johnson failed to deliver, so now Dallas has Jon Kitna as their backup.

Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett says, so far, Kitna has made nothing but a positive impression on both his teammates and the coaching staff.

"He's everything we thought that he was coming here," Garrett said. "He was so highly recommended by so many different people who have been around him."

Kitna has been a backup quarterback before. In Cincinnati he served as a mentor for Carson Palmer.

Palmer says Kitna joining the Cowboys is the biggest move of the NFL offseason. He says Romo needs to follow what Kitna says, and if he does, Palmer predicts Romo will have a huge year.

But Kitna knows this is Romo's team.

"The hardest thing is that team already has a personality of one type of person," Kitna said. "You can't be that person. You just have to be who you are and manage the game. This is a good football team. They had a lot of injuries last year that affected a lot of different things.

"What I'm saying, I can't try to do what Tony does. I just have to play how I play and be the person that I am."

Wide receiver Roy Williams says he still has great chemistry with Kitna from their days together in Detroit. He hopes the 12-year veteran will be able to teach Romo some things.

"Me and him have that connection, we know each other," Williams said. "I know his family. He knows my family. We know what each other can do, he can throw the ball before I even come out of my break and the ball is already there, so that's a point I'm trying to get there with Romo."

Because of a back injury, Kitna finished last season on injured reserve, but so far he's been healthy and doing all the right things.

"This is what I do," Kitna said. "This is fun. Getting to compete and play for this football team, this organization, it's a blast."