The Green Bay Packers finally found a backup to veteran running back Ahman Green as the club reached agreement Friday with Ki-Jana Carter.

The six-year veteran played for the Washington Redskins in 2001 and logged 63 carries for 308 yards and three touchdowns, while also catching 13 passes for 83 yards. The 308 rushing yards represented the second-highest output of Carter's injury-marred career.

Carter, 28, will sign a one-year contract for $525,000. Because of a new rule instituted this season, he will count just $450,000 against the Green Bay 2002 salary cap. The contract also includes $25,000 in potential incentives.

The former Penn State standout, and the first player selected overall in the 1995 draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, Carter visited with Packers officials earlier this spring. He was one of several veteran backs to audition for the team, which was seeking a contingency, in the event free agent Dorsey Levens opted not to re-sign.

Apparently the Packers ran out of patience with Levens, who had deflected all Packers' offers this spring, and who may wait until just before training camps open to sign with another team. Three weeks ago, the Packers signed former Baltimore Ravens backup Jason Brookins to a two-year contract, but Carter provides a more veteran presence.

Agent Joel Segal, who had been speaking off-and-on with Green Bay officials for the past few months, wrapped up the deal for his client on Friday afternoon.

Once viewed as a potential "franchise" back, Carter's career has been a frustrating series of injuries, including a torn knee ligament that sidelined him for his entire rookie year. In 1995, 1998 and 1999, he totaled just four appearances because of injuries.

Only once in his career has Carter played a full, 16-game schedule and he has started 10 games or more in just one season. His best season came with Cincinnati in 1997, when he rushed for 464 yards and seven touchdowns on 128 carries.

But after sitting out the entire 2000 season, Carter resurrected his career last season, when he signed with Washington and proved to be a more than capable No. 2 tailback, behind starter Stephen Davis.

For his career, Carter has played in 49 games and started 14 of them, and has not started in a regular-season contest since 1997. He has carried 290 times for 1,055 yards and 19 touchdowns and has 65 receptions for 458 yards and one score.

In other Friday roster moves by the Packers, the team released veteran linebacker Robert Jones and former Oklahoma standout quarterback Josh Heupel.

The release of Jones, a 10-year veteran, came just two days after the Packers signed free agent Hardy Nickerson to take over the starting middle linebacker job. It now marks the second time in less than a month that Jones has been released.

The former Dallas first-rounder, who played for Washington in 2001, signed with the Houston Texans in March, then was released when the expansion team added veteran linebacker Allen Aldridge. Jones subsequently joined the Packers, but the addition of Nickerson made him expendable.

Heupel has been bothered by wrist injuries during his professional career.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.