The Redskins have added a veteran presence to the secondary with the signing of defensive back Troy Vincent on Monday.

Vincent is a 15-year NFL veteran who played with the Buffalo Bills last season. He was coached by Redskins secondary-cornerbacks coach Jerry Gray, who was the Bills' defensive coordinator in 2005.

"He understands the scheme and our [defensive] terminology," head coach Joe Gibbs said. "He's played corner, nickel corner and safety--all the way across the board in the secondary."

Vincent spent the 2006 training camp with Buffalo, but suffered a hamstring injury in the Bills' Week 1 game. The team decided to place him on injured reserve, ending his season.

A five-time Pro Bowler, Vincent produced a strong season last year for the Bills, logging a career-high 102 tackles and four interceptions in 16 starts.

Last week, the Bills released Vincent upon his request.

"I'm ready to go," he told the Associated Press last week. "To be fair, it was the right time for me. Now's the time for me look at where I'm at. And I still want to play some football."

If Vincent is active for this Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts, it will be his 200th career NFL game.

Vincent was a first-round pick by the Miami Dolphins in 1992. He played four seasons with the Dolphins before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles as a free agent in 1996. He played eight seasons with the Eagles before signing with the Bills in 2004.

With 47 career interceptions, Vincent ranked first among active players in that category heading into the 2006 season.

He has played cornerback most of his career, but in Buffalo he made the transition to free safety.

The Redskins are expected to use him in nickel packages at safety, and possibly at cornerback. To make room for Vincent, the team released safety Curry Burns.

Vincent, 35, also serves as the NFL Players Association president. The 6-3, 200-pounder played his college ball at Wisconsin. He is a native of Fallsington, Pa.