The Buffalo Bills have retained a key element of their young secondary, reaching contract accord with three-year veteran cornerback Chris Watson, a restricted free agent.

By re-signing Watson, the No. 3 cornerback on the roster, the Bills keep intact one of the NFL's best young corner corps. Watson is a top "nickel" player and the prime backup to starters Antoine Winfield and Nate Clements. None of the three is older than 24 and all are excellent in coverage.

Details of the agreement were not immediately available, but the contract is believed for two or three years, at an average of about $700,000. Buffalo had made Watson a qualifying offer of $563,000 to retain his rights as a restricted free agent but team officials wanted to make a longer commitment than just one year to him.

Watson played in 14 games in 2001, and had 17 tackles, an interception and five passes defensed.

For the first time in his career, the former Eastern Illinois star did not have to return kickoffs or punts full-time and that helped his defensive performance. In his two previous seasons, Watson had returned 92 kickoffs and 77 punts, but he was relieved of those duties when his value as the No. 3 cornerback was established.

He returned just five kickoffs for 96 yards.

Watson was a third-round draft choice of the Denver Broncos in 1999 and, despite making some all-rookie teams as a kickoff return specialist, was traded to Buffalo in 2000 for a fourth-round pick in that year's draft. In three seasons overall, he has appeared in 44 games and started six of them, and has 63 tackles from scrimmage and 11 on special teams.

He has returned 97 kickoffs for a 21.9-yard average and 77 punt for an average of 6.5 yards.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.