The Buccaneers have hired former NFL head coach Butch Davis, who’ll serve as a senior defensive assistant.

According to Stephen Holder of the Tampa Bay Times, the deal is not complete, but talks continue.

Davis, 60, coached at the University of North Carolina from 2007-10 before he was fired last July following an NCAA investigation into Tar Heels players receiving improper benefits from agents. Davis spent last season on the NFL Network’s “NFL Playbook” program.

Davis has coached at the NFL level with the Dallas Cowboys (1989-94) and was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2001-04. In between, Davis worked as the head coach at the University of Miami, with Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano serving as his defensive coordinator for two seasons.

The Rams possible new general manager list is down to the final two or three – that at least according to Steve Wyche of NFL.com.

So far 9 men have come in to talk to the Rams about the job, and the club is still trying to figure out who will be the man to replace Billy Devaney, who was canned after the 2011 season ended.

Wyche says that the final candidates will meet with owner Stan Kroenke over the next few days.

Over the last few weeks, the Rams have have had interviews with New York Jets Vice President of College Scouting Joey Clinkscales, Minnesota Vikings Director of Player Personnel George Paton, San Francisco 49ers Director of Player Personnel Tom Gamble, Miami Dolphins Director of Player Personnel Brian Gaine, Arizona Cardinals Director of Player Personnel Steve Keim, Atlanta Falcons Director of Player Personnel Les Snead, former NFL executive and league office employee Ron Hill and Pittsburgh Steelers Director of Business Administration Omar Khan.

Another Steelers linebacker has had his contract restructured to clear up cap space.

Just a few days after it was announced that LaMarr Woodley had his deal redone, it’s being reported that LB Lawrence Timmons’ contract has also been restructured to give the Steelers salary cap space.

The new deal for Timmons frees up $5.14 million in space on their 2012 salary cap.

Signed to a five-year, $47.8 million contract extension in August, Timmons was scheduled to earn $2.625 million in base salary and a $4.5 million roster bonus, which was due on the fifth day of the 2012 league year, for a 2012 cap number of $9.125 million.

According to a league source, earlier this week, Timmons signed a restructured contract that reduced his 2012 base salary to $700,000, with the Steelers combining the $1.925 million in base salary and $4.5 million roster bonus into a $6.425 million signing bonus that will be prorated from 2012 through the 2016 season at $1.285 million annually.

The restructure reduces Timmons’ 2012 cap number to $3.985 million, a a cap savings of $5.14 million.

By TMZ:

Say goodbye to Chad Ochocinco … the Patriots star is telling friends, he plans to change his last name BACK to Johnson in time for his wedding this summer — because he doesn’t want his wife to have a made-up last name.

Ocho’s wedding to his “Basketball Wives” fiancee Evelyn Lozada is set for July in Florida — and sources tell TMZ, the wide receiver plans to legally change his last name back to the one he was born with before he ties the knot.

Despite hedging last month, we’re told Evelyn doesn’t care what name she ends up with — Johnson or Ochocinco — the choice is entirely up to Chad … but it appears he’s already made up his mind.

Too bad … we literally JUST bought his Pats jersey.

First Peyton Manning – now Kyle Orton.

Seems like the Redskins are going to do whatever it takes to get a QB, and now reports say the team has serious interest in Orton, who wrapped up the 2012 season with the KC Chiefs after getting released by the Denver Broncos midseason.

According to John Keim of the Washington Examiner, the Redskins were interested in Orton when he was on waivers, but did not claim him. CSNWashington reported it was because of potential locker-room friction with current Redskins and former Bears QB Rex Grossman.

One league source said it was much salary related (Orton would have been owed $3 million for one month’s work). By signing Orton, clearly a cheaper alternative than Manning, it would enable the Redskins to focus elsewhere in the draft – and still have a good chunk of change to spend in free agency.

They likely would still draft a quarterback. If they view Orton as a one or two year guy, then maybe it could work – especially if they upgraded the receiving corps to pair with a less error-prone QB.

If Peyton Manning can’t throw to his left – what good is he?

That’s the word from NFL Network’s Mike Lombardi, who on a podcast on the website Grantland with Bill Simmons said that Manning isn’t close to his old form after three neck surgeries.

“He can’t throw the ball,” Lombardi said. “I’ve talked to people who’ve caught the ball for him. He can’t throw the ball to his left. He can’t throw the ball across his body, because he doesn’t feel it. People that catch the ball for him say he doesn’t really have velocity on the ball yet.”

Doctors have said for months that Manning nerves must regenerate before he will be back to full strength. They have said no one can predict when that will happen.

If he can’t throw across his body, forget about where Manning will end up in 2012 – he won’t be going anywhere, except back at home to sit and enjoy retirement.

Mike Holmgren is confident that former Vikings head coach Brad Childress is the right man for the Browns’ offensive coordinator position.

“Brad’s an outstanding coach,” the Browns’ president said on the team’s radio show Wednesday night on ESPN850 WKNR.

“I’ve known him a long time. When I first met him, I had just arrived in Green Bay and Brad was on the staff at the University of Wisconsin with Barry Alvarez and he had been friends with [Eagles coach] Andy Reid and so we knew some people and became pretty close. So that’s about 20 years ago. [We had a] connection over the years because he worked for Andy in Philadelphia and Andy and I are very close.

“I thought he did a really great job in Minnesota in an unusual set of circumstances at the end. He came close to going to the Super Bowl. He’s an excellent football coach, a very bright guy, knows how to coach quarterbacks. He’s a tough guy, he demands a lot and I think it was a great hire for Pat [Shurmur].”

Duke Blue Devils’ offensive lineman Matt Skura tweeted that Peyton Manning is working out in Durham on Duke’s campus according to Duke Hoop Blog. Skura tweeted, “Got to stretch next to Peyton Manning today and say hello #OnlyAtDuke”

Duke head coach David Cutcliffe was Manning’s offensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee.

He has remained close to the Manning family for nearly 20 years, also coaching two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli at Ole Miss.

Kahn (far left) to talk to the Rams about their GM job

Another name has popped up for the Rams as far as candidates for the GM spot.

The team will speak to Steelers Director of Business Administration Omar Khan for the position on Thursday.

While Khan handles the salary cap and contract negotiations for the Steelers, he’s a well-respected personnel man who was a finalist for the Seattle Seahawks’ general manager position in 2010.

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