Free agent Nate Wayne, released earlier this week by the Green Bay Packers for salary cap reasons, has reached contract agreement with the Philadelphia Eagles and will be the team's new starting weakside linebacker.

The five-year veteran visited in Philadelphia on Tuesday and Wednesday and then met Thursday with Detroit Lions officials. He turned down an offer from the Lions that would have paid him more than the Eagles deal, mostly because Philadelphia will deploy him at his natural weakside spot.

Detroit coaches wanted Wayne to play inside linebacker in their scheme.

Wayne, 28, will sign a four-year, $13.23 million contract that includes a $4 million signing bonus. His base salaries are $530,000 (for 2003), $2 million (2004), $2.2 million (2005) and $4.5 million (2006). The structure of the deal all but dictates that Wayne will rework the contract before 2006.

Under his contract with the Packers, he was scheduled to earn $2.25 million in 2003 between his base salary and a roster bonus. Instead he will collect $4.53 million this year from the Eagles. His roster bonus with the Packers is still in dispute because of the timing of his release.

Despite leading the Packers in tackles last season, with a career-high 132 stops, some Green Bay coaches did not feel Wayne was as productive as he had been in 2001. He started 15 games, played in all 16 contests, and also had 2½ sacks, three interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Green Bay officials had attempted several times over the past month to reach an accord on a restructured contract but Wayne rebuffed all of the overtures. The former Mississippi standout began his career as a seventh-round pick of the Denver Broncos in 1998. He played as a backup for the Broncos in two seasons and was traded to Green Bay in 2000 for a mid-round draft pick.

For his career, Wayne has 370 tackles, 12 sacks, six interceptions and 19 passes defensed in 60 appearances and 40 starts.

The addition of Wayne means former Atlanta linebacker Mark Simoneau, who was slated to play on the weak side, will now move to the middle. A three-year veteran, Simoneau was acquired from the Falcons two weeks ago for a pair of draft choices.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.