ATLANTA -- Moving quickly to fill the void created by the Monday departure of weakside linebacker Shawn Barber in free agency, ESPN.com has learned that the Philadelphia Eagles have acquired Mark Simoneau, a three-year veteran from the Atlanta Falcons.

The trade, in which the Falcons will receive a sixth-round choice in the 2003 draft and a fourth-round pick in 2004, was completed just hours after Barber signed a seven-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Philadelphia has already agreed to a new, five-year contract with Simoneau, a deal that includes a $1.5 million signing bonus and will pay him more than $3 million in the first two years. The trade will be announced on Tuesday and Simoneau will be introduced at a news conference.

The swap is a win-win for all sides. Simoneau will have an opportunity to start in Philadelphia, something he would not have been afforded with the Falcons. The Eagles get help at a position of need, and Atlanta receives two draft choices for a player who no longer fit into its plans.

A third-round draft choice in 2000, Simoneau, 26, had seen his role reduced under defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who was not part of the Atlanta staff when the linebacker was selected. Simoneau started nine games in his first two seasons but was used exclusively as a reserve in 2002.

Last season, he played in 15 games, and had a career-low 10 tackles. Over his first two seasons, he had 96 tackles and four passes defensed.

The career of the former Kansas State standout was hindered somewhat by injuries, but he is bright player with excellent quickness, and Eagles coaches have been watching him for a while now. The exit of Barber, the starter at the weakside linebacker spot in '02, heightened their interest.

ESPN.com has learned that the Falcons actually pitched Simoneau to the Buffalo Bills last week as part of the teams' discussions about a trade that would bring wide receiver Peerless Price to the Falcons.

Sensing that he no longer fit into the plans in Atlanta, where the Falcons are very deep at linebacker, Simoneau visited the team's training complex on Monday to request a trade. By that time, the swap was already in the works.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.