Both acquisitions were confirmed for SportsLine through league and NFL Players Association sources.

While not normally so aggressive, Atlanta used its favorable status on the salary cap to jump out of the pack on the first day of free agency signing period. The two deals fill huge needs for a club that slumped to a 5-11 record in 1999 after advancing to the Super Bowl the previous season. The Falcons were about $14 million under the salary cap earlier this week.

Ambrose, 29, will sign a five-year contract worth $22.5 million. The signing bonus is believed to be $7.5 million, with a base salary of $500,000 for the 2000 season. Jefferson will get a four-year contract totaling $14.2 million, with a signing bonus of $4.5 million.

The deals could be announced by the weekend.

An eight-year veteran, Ambrose has played in 119 regular-season games, with 75 starts. He has 24 career interceptions, including six in 1999. He began his career as a second-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 1992 and played four seasons there. In 1996, he signed with Cincinnati as an unrestricted free agent and played three years for the Bengals. His best season came there, in '96, when he had eight interceptions.

Ashley Ambrose is apparently set to rejoin good buddy Ray Buchanan.(AP)

Ambrose signed a two-year deal with the Saints in '99, but the club voided the second season last week. New Orleans still hoped to re-sign him but talks broke down earlier this week.

The irony to Ambrose's acquisition by the Falcons is that the team desperately wanted add him in 1999 but lacked sufficient salary cap room. Ambrose is the best friend of Buchanan, the two having played together with the Colts. Last year, Buchanan worked hard to try to recruit Ambrose for the Falcons. In his only season in New Orleans, Ambrose started all 16 games and had 57 tackles and two fumble recoveries.

Jefferson, who will turn 31 later this month, has lost a half-step over the last few seasons but will afford Atlanta the long ball threat it sorely lacked in 1999 after the release of Tony Martin. He is a nine-year veteran who played the last four seasons with the Patriots.

For his career, Jefferson has 340 catches for 5,222 yards and 24 touchdowns. Despite his speed, he never has caught more than 54 passes in a season and never had 1,000 yards in single year. He is also noted for having inconsistent hands.