Unrestricted free agent David Sloan, arguably the top player still available in a thinning tight end market, reached a contract agreement with the New Orleans Saints, ESPN.com has learned.

The agreement, which ends Sloan's seven-year stint in Detroit, came after a day of discussions between agent Gary Wichard and the Lions and Saints, both of whom were seeking a starter at the position. The contract is for four years, totals $7.05 million, and includes a signing bonus of $1.2 million. There are various incentive clauses as well.

Sloan signed the deal Tuesday.

"David is an every-down tight end that can run, catch and block. That consistency is something we have lacked for the past few years," Saints general manager Randy Mueller said. "He has been to the Pro Bowl and has been one of the league's best at his position, so he will be a great addition to our offense."

It marked the second major tight end contract negotiated by Wichard in the past two weeks. He landed a five-year, $15 million contract with San Diego for former Washington Redskins starter Stephen Alexander. That essentially created a run on tight ends and basically the lone viable player left in the market now is former Indianapolis starter Ken Dilger.

The Saints earlier this week lost unrestricted tight end Cam Cleeland, who signed with the New England Patriots, and that left them perilously shy of experience at the position. Sloan will solve that problem, as the former New Mexico star is a solid all-around player.

Sloan, 29, has been a consistent performer for the Lions, his productivity affected only by those seasons in which he was injured. Even in 2001, when he played with a broken hand, he caught 37 passes for 409 yards and scored seven touchdowns, third-most among tight ends.

"His size and his speed will make him a threat in our offense," Saints coach Jim Haslett said. "David will have an impact with his blocking and should be a weapon in the red zone."

Selected by the Lions in the third round of the 1995 draft, Sloan became a starter halfway through his rookie season. Injuries limited him to six combined starts in 1996 and 1998 when he battled knee problems. But over the past three seasons, he averaged 38.7 catches, sixth-best in the league over that period.

He has played in 90 games and started 66 of them. Sloan has 180 receptions for 2,024 yards and 15 touchdowns. His best performance came in 1999, when he posted 47 catches for 591 yards.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.