Two of the picks will be in this year's draft and another one next year.

McGahee, with whom the Bills had become dissatisfied, is to travel to Baltimore to meet with team officials later in the day. The Ravens expected him to take a physical either late today or tomorrow.

McGahee had one year left on his five-year contract with Buffalo, and had been seeking an extension.

"This is a runner who can make people miss and has the explosion and speed to take it the distance," Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said. "He also has the power and size to run inside. He's a viable receiver out of the backfield and is a good pass blocker, not something every back can do.

"He also plays physical and with toughness, which are things we pride ourselves on here."

Lewis, whose productivity had been declining, was released last week by the Ravens.

McGahee will take over as the No. 1, ahead of sparingly used backup Mike Anderson and Musa Smith, who has primarily been used on special teams.

"We're getting a dynamic back who has the potential to diversify our running game," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "We've studied him, and he brings the same passion and preparation that is common to Miami players, like our Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Getting a player as good as Willis is another example of how Ozzie and his department size up the market and use our resources well."

Said Ray Lewis: "From what I've seen of Willis, he is a heck of a warrior. The way he runs and the passion he plays with is contagious. He plays the game the way it's supposed to be played. I'm truly excited to have him as a teammate."

The Bills were not immediately available for comment.

Buffalo's first-round pick out of Miami in 2003, McGahee is coming off a down season in which he finished with a career-low 990 yards rushing, but led the team with six touchdowns rushing in 14 starts.

In 2005, he had 1,247 yards rushing and five touchdowns in 15 starts. He established himself as the Bills starter in 2004 with 1,128 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns in 11 starts. That performance led the team to trade former starter Travis Henry to Tennessee the following summer.

McGahee sat out his rookie season recovering from major knee surgery.

The Bills are now left searching for a starting running back to play in front of a revamped offensive line that features two new starters — guard Derrick Dockery and tackle Langston Walker — signed on the first day of free agency last week.

Third-stringer Shaud Williams is the only experienced running back currently on the team's depth chart.