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Report: Tampa Bay Buccaneers considering Ron Turner, Bill Lazor for offensive coordinator

 
TROPHY TIME: From left, Giants co-owner Steve Tisch, players Justin Tuck and Eli Manning, and Ann Mara ride on the Super Bowl victory parade through New York with the Lombardi and Halas trophies.
TROPHY TIME: From left, Giants co-owner Steve Tisch, players Justin Tuck and Eli Manning, and Ann Mara ride on the Super Bowl victory parade through New York with the Lombardi and Halas trophies.
Published Feb. 8, 2012

TAMPA — The Bucs' search that landed coach Greg Schiano was exhaustive and hiring a coaching staff is taking some extra effort.

But Schiano appears to be closing in on an offensive coordinator. The Bucs are considering Ron Turner and Bill Lazor, according to Alex Marvez on FOXSports.com on Tuesday.

Turner, 58, spent last season as the Colts' quarterbacks coach, has had two stints as Bears offensive coordinator and was head coach at Illinois.

Lazor is the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Virginia and has coached QBs with the Redskins and Seahawks.

The Bucs' plans for defensive coordinator is unknown. They were turned down by Florida defensive coordinator Dan Quinn after interviewing over the weekend. The Bucs have been denied permission to talk to Cardinals receivers coach John McNulty and Packers tight ends coach Ben McAdoo.

It appears Schiano will hire at least four members of his Rutgers coaching staff: P.J. Fleck (receivers), Bob Fraser (linebackers), Brian Angelichio (tight ends) and Jeff Haley (defensive backs).

Hiring Turner would be interesting. Former Bucs coach Tony Dungy wanted to make him offensive coordinator in 1996, but he was already working for the Bears. Turner recommended his quarterbacks coach at Chicago at the time: Mike Shula.

Ricky Williams re-retires

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ricky Williams is retiring from the NFL.

Again.

Williams, 34, told the Ravens he won't be back to fulfill the second year of a contract signed in August.

He became the 26th player in league history with 10,000 yards rushing, reaching the plateau in the finale at Cincinnati.

"The NFL has been an amazing page in this chapter of my life," Williams said. "I pray that all successive adventures offer me the same potential for growth, success and most importantly, fun."

Williams retired before the 2004 season when facing a four-game suspension for violating the league's drug policy. He returned in 2005, thenspent the 2006 season with Toronto of the CFL.

He was the 1998 Heisman Trophy winner at Texas. Mike Ditka, then the Saints' coach, traded all of their 1999 draft picks plus their and first- and third-round picks in 2000 to pick Williams fifth overall.

BILLS: Kicker Rian Lindell signed a contract worth about $11 million over four years. Also, Pete Metzelaars, a former tight end who played 10 of his 16 NFL seasons in Buffalo, was named tight ends coach.

GIANTS: Tight end Jake Ballard tore his left ACL in the second half of Sunday's Super Bowl.

PATRIOTS: The team re-signed receiver Tiquan Underwood, who it cut the day before the Super Bowl.

STEELERS: The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that tight end Weslye Saunders will be suspended the first four games of next season for violating league policy on performance-enhancing drugs. … Former Chiefs coach Todd Haley was officially named offensive coordinator.

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Information from Times wires was used in this report.