The contract accord came less than 12 hours after Mark Carrier, the Lions' starter the last three seasons, agreed to a five-year contract with the Washington Redskins.

Schulz, 31, will sign a five-year contract worth $10 million, with a $2 million signing bonus and a first-year base salary of $600,000. The switch for the Lions is indicative of the kind of domino effect free agency has, with teams scrambling to replace departing veterans.

The departure of Schulz means the Bills now have lost half their starting secondary from 1999 in free agency. Cornerback Thomas Sanders, another unrestricted free agent, signed over the weekend with the Chicago Bears.

A seventh-round draft pick of the Bills in 1992, Schulz played primarily as a "nickel" defender and on special teams early in his career, then moved into the starting lineup in 1995. He started at least 12 games in every season since then. For his career, Schulz has appeared in 107 games with 72 starts. He has 21 career interceptions, including three in '99.