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SportsLine confirmed through league and team officials that the Denver Broncos reached accord with seven-year pro Gus Frerotte on a one-year contract worth $1 million. His departure from the Lions prompted Detroit officials to quickly consummate a two-year, $2.2 million agreement with former Steelers backup Mike Tomczak, with that deal confirmed by agent Paul Sheehey.

"We've said all along it was like musical chairs and this proved it," said Sheehey, whose client was nudged from his backup job in Pittsburgh when the Steelers on Monday signed Kent Graham to a three-year, $5.1 million contract. "Nobody wanted to be the team left standing without what it considered a quality backup."

The fates of Frerotte and Tomczak obviously have been intertwined for several days.

Ralph Cindrich, the agent for Frerotte, has been negotiating for more than a week with the Lions. And at the same time, Detroit officials kept Tomczak on hold as their contingency quarterback in the event Frerotte opted to not return to the Lions. In the end, it was Cindrich's ability to forge a one-year contract, a deal that means Frerotte will be in the unrestricted market in 2001 for the third spring in a row, which helped push the seven-year veteran to Denver.

Coincidentally, Cindrich also represents Broncos starter Brian Griese. The agent kept Griese apprised of the negotiations with Frerotte throughout. Said Cindrich earlier in the week: "Brian's attitude is `Hey, bring it on.' He's fine with this and confident in his status."

Despite the addition of Frerotte, insiders still believe Denver coach Mike Shanahan will attempt to acquire 49ers star Steve Young, if possible.

In addition to the Lions, who from the outset emphasized they wanted him back, Frerotte was courted by the Cincinnati Bengals and the Steelers. He visited Pittsburgh last week, stopping by the team's offices on the way to see his hospitalized father. On Monday and Tuesday, he was in Denver to meet with Shanahan.

The six-year veteran started six games last year for Detroit in place of the injured Charlie Batch. He completed 175 of 288 passes for 2,117 yards, with nine touchdowns and seven interceptions. A former Tulsa standout, Frerotte began his career as a seventh-round pick of the Redskins in the 1994 draft. By his second season, he beat out first-round choice Heath Shuler for the starting job and was the toast of the nation's capital. Between 1995-98, he started 40 games in Washington.

But in 1998, Frerotte lost the No. 1 job to Trent Green and started only two games. He was cut at the end of that season for salary cap reasons and subsequently signed with the Lions. Although he signed a three-year contract in Detroit last spring, Cindrich cleverly structured the deal to allow Frerotte to opt out of it after only one season.

Gus Frerotte signs a one-year, $1 million deal with the Broncos. (AP)

For his career, Frerotte, 28, has played in 62 regular-season games, 52 of them as a starter. He has 919 completions in 1,710 attempts for 11,886 yards. Frerotte has thrown 57 touchdown passes and has been intercepted 51 times.

Tomczak, 37, replaced the slumping Kordell Stewart as the Steelers' starter for the final month of the '99 season and completed 139 of 258 passes for 1,625 yards. He now becomes the backup to Batch. The 15-year veteran last served as a full-time starter in 1996, when he replaced Jim Miller one game into the season and started the final 15 contests for the Steelers.

It is obvious, though, that Tomczak has developed the temperament to accept a backup role while still remaining competitive. "He's not complacent, certainly not satisfied with being the backup, but he knows his role," said Steelers coach Bill Cowher.

Only a week ago, it appeared Tomczak was headed to Tennessee as the backup replacement to Neil O'Donnell. But then O'Donnell surprised NFL observers by rejecting a more lucrative offer from Tampa Bay to return to the Titans.

He began his career in 1985, making the Chicago Bears roster as an undrafted free agent from Ohio State. Tomczak played six seasons in Chicago before signing with Green Bay in 1991 as an unrestricted free agent. After being released by the Packers in the summer of '92, he went to the Cleveland Browns as a free agent, then signed with the Steelers in 1993.

Tomczak has played in 185 regular-season games and has 72 starts on his resume. He has 1,248 completions in 2,337 attempts for 16,079 yards, with 88 touchdowns and 106 interceptions.