INDIANAPOLIS -- Separated from the New York Jets for only three days, middle linebacker Marvin Jones didn't stay grounded for long.

	Jones

ESPN.com learned late Saturday that the nine-year veteran, released by the Jets on Wednesday for salary cap consideration, has reached an agreement to return to the team. The agreement was confirmed by agent Drew Rosenhaus, who has clearly been the most proactive of the player reps here for the annual combine workouts.

Jones, 29, will sign a five-year, $12 million contract. It includes a $3 million signing bonus and base salaries of $650,000 (2002), $1 million (2003), $1.65 million (2004), $2.2 million (2005) and $3.5 million (2006). In 2003 and 2004 each, $500,000 of Jones' salaries is guaranteed. So with the $3 million signing bonus, the deal includes $4 million of fully guaranteed compensation.

By guaranteeing a portion of the base salaries, Rosenhaus made it more difficult for the Jets to release his client in those seasons.

"We said the day Marvin was released that we would identify the market very quickly for him and, if we sensed it wasn't good for him elsewhere, he could return to the Jets," Rosenhaus said. "As we talked to other teams, there was good interest, but we sensed that the best situation for him was back in New York."

The Jets' first-round choice in the 1993 draft and a former Florida State star, Jones has played in 110 games and started 97 in his career.

He has 798 tackles, 8½ sacks, nine forced fumbles, four interceptions and 24 passes defensed for his career. In 2001, he started all 16 games and registered 132 tackles. He also had a career-best three interceptions.

Pasquarelli is a senior writer at ESPN.com.