Team and league officials, and sources close to David Carr, confirmed to ESPN.com on Tuesday morning that the Houston Texans have reached a seven-year contract agreement which will officially make the Fresno State quarterback the first choice in the draft.

Texans owner Bob McNair announced last week that, with the two sides in accord on most of the parameters of a deal, Carr would be first player drafted by the expansion club. The agreement was reached Monday night by phone and fax, and agent Mike Sullivan of Octagon will fly to Houston on Tuesday to work on some final details.

Although the NFL Management Council must still approve the contract -- and that branch of the league office, a source said, was busy dissecting the deal on Tuesday -- some basic details are in place.

ESPN.com has learned that Carr will receive an initial signing bonus of about $11 million and a 2002 base salary of approximately $1 million. There is second bonus, worth about $3 million, payable in March of 2003. And Carr will earn base salaries of $550,000 for the 2003 season and $660,000 for 2004.

The contract essentially ensures a guaranteed payout of $16.25 million over the first three years of the deal, more than the $15.3 million guaranteed in the first three seasons of the contract signed by last year's top pick, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. It will be the top guaranteed payout in NFL history for the first three years of a contract.

Sullivan also negotiated the Vick contract last spring.

In terms of signing bonuses and base salaries, the contract totals $46.25 million for seven years. There are escalators and other bonuses that could push its value to $60 million.

The Texans have tentatively scheduled a press conference for Wednesday, but whether it takes place or not could depend on how long it takes the Management Council to approve the contract. Even without Management Council approval, the Texans could convene the news conference and simply announce they have an agreement. But the preference of club officials is to have Carr officially sign the contract on Wednesday.

Carr, 22, completed 587 of 934 passes in four seasons at Fresno State, totaling 7,849 yards, 70 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions. Last season, he threw for 4,839 yards, with 46 touchdown passes and only nine interceptions while leading his team to an 11-3 record.

If the Management Council approves the contract the Carolina Panthers, who own the second overall choice in the draft, would then be permitted to commence negotiations with any prospects of their choice.

With Carr almost aboard and a good base of players from the expansion draft, general manager Charley Casserly is looking to the future in the college draft.

"We could line up right now and go play," Casserly said. "The draft will supplement that. We want to take the best player available. So, would we take an offensive tackle with the first pick of the second round? Sure.

"One of the objectives we had going into this was to be able to line up before the draft."

After taking Carr in the first round, Casserly made it clear the Texans would be ready to deal.

"Once people see what they can get at the top of the second round, then I think that's when we will start getting calls," Casserly said. "Obviously with 13 picks, we're going to get a lot of phone calls.

"We will be flexible about moving up and down in the draft.

"Right now we feel good about the nucleus that we have but we have only a couple of players under contract for four years so the key thing is getting a nucleus of players you can build on and reload every year."

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.