Even after selecting Charles Rogers with the second overall choice in this year's draft, Detroit Lions officials insisted they wanted to add a veteran wide receiver, and the team did just that with the acquisition of Shawn Jefferson.

Released by the Atlanta Falcons three months ago, in part for salary cap considerations, Jefferson joins Az-Zahir Hakim, Bill Schroeder and Scotty Anderson as the only veteran wide receivers of note on the Detroit roster.

Jefferson, 34, agreed to a one-year contract that includes a $25,000 signing bonus and base salary of $755,000.

Because of a rule implemented last year, which provides a salary cap discount for teams that sign veteran players to minimum-salary contracts, Jefferson will count just $475,000 against the Lions' 2003 spending limit. He received a similar offer from Buffalo and took nearly a week deliberating between the two teams.

Always regarded as a high-character player and a leader in the locker room, Jefferson will be expected to help speed the progress of Rogers, and to serve as an elder statesman of sorts in the first season of the Steve Mariucci tenure. It is likely that Jefferson will be no better than the No. 4 wide receiver on the roster.

Despite his age, though, Jefferson still runs pretty well and averaged 14.6 yards per catch with the Falcons in 2002. His savvy and ability to get open between the hashes could earn him some playing time. He might also have to play on special teams to get a roster spot.

The Lions will be the fourth team for which Jefferson has played, after stints with San Diego (1991-95), New England (1996-99) and Atlanta (2000-2002). He actually entered the league as a ninth-round choice of the Houston Oilers in 1991, but was traded to the Chargers that summer.

Jefferson has appeared in 188 games and started 127 of them. His resume includes 464 catches for 6,977 yards and 29 touchdowns, and he has at least one scoring catch in all 12 of his previous NFL seasons. But as successful as the former Central Florida star has been, Jefferson has never caught more than 60 passes in a season or come close to the 1,000-yard mark in a campaign.

He notched a career-best 60 receptions in 2000, his first season with the Falcons, but then totaled only 64 catches over the ensuing two years. Jefferson began last year as a starter but then lost his job as Atlanta coaches relied more on younger players. He finished with 27 catches for 394 yards and one touchdown, playing in 13 games, and starting six.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.