Cowboys land CB Brandon Carr

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IRVING, Texas -- After wooing Brandon Carr underneath the bright lights of Cowboys Stadium, the Dallas Cowboys have agreed to a five-year deal worth $50.1 million with the free agent cornerback Wednesday.

Carr will receive $26.5 million guaranteed, including a $10 million signing bonus. His base salary will be $1.2 million in 2012, $14.3 million in 2013, $7.5 million in 2014, $8 million in 2015 and $9.1 million in 2016.

The Cowboys also agreed to a three-year contract with quarterback Kyle Orton. Both Carr and Orton played last season for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Carr met with owner and general manager Jerry Jones, executive vice president Stephen Jones, coach Jason Garrett and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan among others in Arlington as the team attempted to fill a desperate need.

The sales pitch worked and Carr will replace Terence Newman, who was cut Tuesday.

Carr, who turns 26 in May, started every game the previous four seasons since Kansas City took him in the fifth round of the 2008 draft. He has eight interceptions in his career and had four in 2011. The Chiefs' coaches credited him with 58 tackles and 13 pass deflections.

Carr will join Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick as the team's top three cornerbacks. The Cowboys signed Scandrick to a five-year, $27 million extension before last season, and owner and general manager Jerry Jones hinted that Scandrick might be best suited to be the slot corner rather than outside. Jenkins, who is coming off major shoulder surgery, is entering the final year of his contract.

Because Newman was designated a June 1 cut, the Cowboys created $6 million in salary-cap space.

Newman, who turns 34 in September, recorded 32 interceptions with the Cowboys, tying him for seventh in team history with Lee Roy Jordan. He played in two Pro Bowls (2007, '09) and started 131 of 133 career games.

The Cowboys attempted to sign Nnamdi Asomugha last year when free agency began after the lockout ended, but he ended up with Philadelphia.

With Jenkins entering his final year, the team could still look at cornerback early in next month's draft.

Orton, 29, has started 69 career games for Chicago, Denver and Kansas City and has 80 touchdown passes and 57 interceptions. He is 35-34 as a starter but struggled in Denver with a 4-9 record in 2010-11.

Since Garrett joined the organization in 2007, the Cowboys have had older backups, such as Brad Johnson and Jon Kitna. Johnson went 1-2 in 2008 when Tony Romo missed three games with a broken finger.

Kitna, who retired earlier this offseason, went 4-5 in 2010 after Romo suffered a season-ending collarbone injury.

The Cowboys had hoped to add Orton to the roster last year after Kitna suffered a back injury that ultimately ended his season. They made a waiver claim on Orton last year following his release from the Broncos, but they were beaten to the punch by Kansas City.

The Cowboys also kept busy making other free agency moves:

Fullback Lawrence Vickers, a six-year veteran who played for the Houston Texans, agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the Cowboys. Terms were not disclosed. Vickers played in 14 games last season as the lead blocker for Arian Foster.

Offensive lineman Mackenzy Bernadeau agreed to a four-year deal. The 6-4, 308-pound guard started 20 games over the past four seasons with the Panthers after being drafted in the seventh round of the 2008 draft out of Bentley College.

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Todd Archer

ESPNDallas.com

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Todd Archer joined ESPNDallas.com in November 2010. He's covered the NFL since 1997 and the Cowboys since 2003. He covered the Bengals and Dolphins before arriving in Dallas. A Massachusetts native, Archer lives in the Dallas area with his wife and two children.