Third-round draft choice Coy Wire, a versatile performer who figures to earn considerable playing time with the Buffalo Bills in his rookie season, on Friday reached a four-year contract agreement with the club.

The deal, hammered out Friday afternoon by agent Steve Baker, is worth $1.84 million. It includes a signing bonus of $480,000 and base salaries of $225,000 (for 2002), $300,000 (2003), $380,000 (2004) and $455,000 (2005). Wire's cap value for 2002 is $345,000.

The contract also includes a so-called "escalator" which, based on his performance, can earn Wire, the 97th player selected overall, an additional $1 million.

"I just want to get on the field and help any way I can," Wire said recently. "I've played a lot of different places in my (college) career, so wherever they want to put me, that's fine with me. I feel like I can make plays."

A former Stanford star, Wire is the fourth of Buffalo's 10 draft choices to reach a contract accord. Also Tuesday, Jarrett Ferguson of Virginia Tech and linebacker Dominique Stevenson from Tennessee -- two of the teams' four choices in the seventh round -- reached deals with the team. Both will sign three-year deals with the rookie minimum base salaries. Stevenson received a $21,250 signing bonus. The signing bonus for Ferguson was not yet available.

Earlier, fifth-round defensive tackle Justin Bannan signed a four-year contract worth $1.52 million.

Wire is one of just seven third-round choices to have reached an agreement and one of only a dozen players in the first three rounds to have come to contract terms.

Buffalo has a rookie pool allocation of $5.139 million, the second largest in the league.

Wire, 23, drew excellent reviews from coach Gregg Williams and his staff during the Bills' minicamps and offseason conditioning program. Because of his inexperience, he probably won't challenge immediately for a starting job, but should at least play in some "dime" situations in a Buffalo secondary still in flux at the safety spots.

The Buffalo coaches certainly consider Wire a prospect who eventually will start. Wire was recommended to several NFL teams by former Stanford coach Tyrone Willingham, now the Notre Dame head coach.

An all-around gifted athlete, Wire actually led Stanford in rushing as a freshman, began his sophomore season as the team's starting tailback, but subsequently moved over to the defensive side of the ball. In seven career starts at tailback, he rushed for 615 yards and six touchdowns on 173 carries and added 19 catches for 115 yards.

He started 21 games at linebacker and safety his final two seasons, and finished with 177 tackles, 11 sacks, one interception, two fumbled recoveries and six passes defensed. He becomes the latest standout Pac 10 linebacker to project to safety in the NFL, following such players as Pat Tillman and Adam Archuleta.

Wire is believed to be the only player in the modern history of Stanford football to lead the team in both rushing and tackles during his career.

Given his speed (mid-4.5s), instincts, high energy level, and ability to play close to the line of scrimmage, Wire seems a good fit for the "46" scheme deployed by Williams and could provide the Bills with a number of intriguing ways to use him.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.