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The Cardinals agreed to terms with Kurt Warner on a three-year contract Tuesday following a season in which the two-time MVP led the team to a 5-11 record.

"I think what it does demonstrate is that we're committed to building a strong nucleus for our football team, and part of that effort is making the right decision about the players you re-invest in," vice president for football operations Rod Graves said from the club's headquarters in Tempe. "We just consider Kurt Warner part of that process, to reinvest in quality people and quality players."

Although the team didn't announce financial details, ESPN.com insider John Clayton is reporting that Warner signed a three-year, $18 million contract that should be worth between $20 million and $24 million should he perform as he did last season.

After the season, Warner told head coach Dennis Green and the Cardinals that he wanted to return and stay as the starter. Negotiations for a contract began then and concluded Tuesday afternoon with a three-year deal. Warner signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Cardinals in 2005 and lived up to all expectations.

Warner will make $7 million this season not counting incentives.

"It was definitely a lot of work," Warner's agent, Mark Bartelstein told Arizona Republic staffer Kent Somers when asked about the contract Tuesday afternoon. "There was a whole lot of time spent. This was something both sides wanted and were determined to get it done.

"[Warner] views it as a great opportunity. He thinks there are a couple pieces away from being a dynamic team."

Meanwhile, the signing of Warner officially begins the NFL offseason and takes perhaps the top free-agent quarterback off the market. According to Clayton, new Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz was willing to sell Warner to his new team as an option to challenge Joey Harrington for the starting job after the two patched up their relationship last season.

Warner clearly resurrected his career in Arizona. He started 10 games last season, completed 242 of 375 passes for 2,713 yards and 11 touchdowns. When he was on the field, the Cardinals had the best passing numbers in the NFL -- and he did it despite an anemic rushing attack.

The Cardinals averaged only 71 rushing yards a game and only 3.2 yards a carry. The lack of a running game made the Cardinals one-dimensional and put more pressure on Warner to move the ball through the air.

It should be noted, however, that Warner has some ideas about that situation.

The veteran signal caller told Xtra Sports 910 from Detroit last Friday that he "would lobby the organization to go after Edgerrin James and do anything he could to bring him in," and that "any team in the league would want a guy like Edgerrin. ..."

Warner's signing all but guarantees that Josh McCown, who becomes an unrestricted free agent on March 3, will be playing elsewhere in 2006. In fact, McCown may feel that he's been sufficiently jacked around by Green that he's probably looking forward to putting Arizona in his rear-view mirror.

John Navarre is currently the backup quarterback. A seventh-round pick in 2004, he's played in two games in two years. According to the Sports Xchange, Navarre's potential lights up the eyes of Green, but Navarre is very inexperienced.

Rohan Davey was signed late in the year after Warner was injured and likely will be nothing more than camp arm if he is there at all.

Getting back to Warner. ... The one-time Arena League standout burst onto the NFL scene in 1999 for the Rams, earning MVP honors after throwing for 4,353 yards and a league-high 41 touchdowns.

Warner capped that outstanding campaign with an MVP performance in Super Bowl XXXIV, leading the Rams to a 23-16 win over the Tennessee Titans.

Two years later, Warner again was named league MVP after posting 4,830 passing yards and 36 touchdowns as St. Louis made a return visit to the Super Bowl.

After a six-year run with the Rams, the 34-year-old Warner spent 2004 with the New York Giants, holding down the starting job before rookie Eli Manning took over to finish the year.

Warner's 85.8 quarterback rating last season was the best QB rating for a Cardinals quarterback since Neil Lomax in 1988 (86.7) and his five 300-plus yard passing games in 2005 led the NFL and were the most 300-plus yard passing games he has had since his NFL MVP season of 2001.

Injuries between 2002-03 curbed Warner's totals, but the three-time Pro Bowler still owns the best completion percentage (65.7) in NFL history and his quarterback rating of 94.1 is second all-time to Hall of Famer Steve Young.

Bottom line?

Warner's return will be more than enough to keep Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin busy and Fantasy owners happy. In case you missed it, Fitzgerald ended the season with 103 receptions, breaking the franchise record of 101 held by Boldin and former fullback Larry Centers.

Boldin finished with 102 receptions. He and Fitzgerald became the second receiving tandem in NFL history to each have 100 receptions and more than 1,400 receiving yards.

Detroit's Herman Moore and Brett Perriman did it in 1995. Boldin had 1,402 yards, and Fitzgerald finished with 1,409.

And if the Cardinals don't land a high-end running back, don't be surprised if they continue to throw the ball at a pace similar to last year, when they threw 670 passes, sixth most in NFL history.

They completed 419, the second most in history.