The Green Bay Packers and center Scott Wells agreed to a five-year, $15 million contract extension, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced, said Wells' new contract includes $5 million in bonuses.

The deal will take effect after this season. Wells' current contract, a three-year deal he signed as a rookie that included a signing bonus of only $22,250, expires at the end of the year.

Wells was a seventh-round draft pick out of Tennessee in 2004. He played center in college, but shuffled between guard and center in his first two years with the Packers.

Wells became the team's full-time starting center this season after Mike Flanagan left as a free agent.

By signing Wells now, the Packers can count some of the money against this year's salary cap.

Wells took the blame for two fumbled snaps in the Packers' loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday but has earned praise from coaches in his first full season as a starting center in the NFL.

"Scott Wells is as dependable and trustworthy a player as we've got on offense," offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski said Monday.

Veal's Deal Through 2008: The Denver Broncos locked up one of their key, young defensive players by extending the contract of former UT defensive tackle Demetrin Veal.

Veal, who has taken over for injured defensive tackle Gerard Warren the past two weeks, is committed to the Broncos through 2008 after signing the two-year extension. Veal was scheduled to be a restricted free agent in the offseason and an unrestricted free agent in 2008. Had not Veal extended his contract, teams could have signed him this spring, but the Broncos could have matched other offers.

Both sides decided to get the deal done now.

"It's a good deal for both sides," said Veal's agent, Al Irby told The Denver Post. "Demetrin loves it there and loves being a part of things there."

Irby declined to disclose the terms of the contract. Veal, 25, was signed off Baltimore's practice squad in December 2004. He became a key reserve last season, and is Denver's third defensive tackle. Veal started against Indianapolis last Sunday.