ORLANDO, Fla. — New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Sunday it wasn’t until after Super Bowl LII that the club had detailed discussions with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels about his future with the team, which ultimately gave McDaniels new information to consider after he accepted the Indianapolis Colts’ head-coaching job.

Belichick’s remarks shed light on one of the shocking decisions of the NFL offseason: McDaniels’ spurning the Colts.

“Once that game ended, I think that really gave Josh and I a chance to sit down and talk more directly about the situation, as opposed to, ‘We really want to talk about the game and what we need to do to try to compete in that game.’ That’s basically what happened,” Belichick said Sunday at the NFL’s annual meeting. “Before the game, I’d say we had minimal discussions. I’d say we had much deeper and longer and more in-depth and more constructive discussions immediately after the game.”

McDaniels interviewed with the Colts during the playoff bye week and had a second interview later in the playoffs.

His decision to back out of an agreement with the Colts shocked many around the NFL, with Indianapolis ultimately moving on to hire Frank Reich.

In a meeting with a small group of local reporters, Belichick said of McDaniels’ return, “We got back from Minnesota, I had an opportunity to talk to Josh, and we were able to work some things out. I’m thrilled he’s still with us and is going to continue in his role. I think he’s a top offensive coordinator in the league. He’s done a great job for me for a long time in a lot of different roles. I’m very glad, based on the meeting we had — there were a number of things that happened — that we were able to work that out and keep him with us.”

Belichick said McDaniels continues to carry out the responsibilities he has had in the past and is working “extremely hard.”

The Dallas Cowboys are expected to sign free-agent offensive tackle Cameron Fleming, a league source told ESPN’s Field Yates.

This means the New England Patriots are poised to lose both of their starting offensive tackles from Super Bowl LII, as starting left tackle Nate Solder signed with the New York Giants.

The Cowboys also restructured the contract of 11-time Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten, creating roughly $3.5 million in salary-cap space, sources told ESPN’s Todd Archer.

Witten’s is the second contract the Cowboys have reworked in the past week, along with the deal of Pro Bowl center Travis Frederick that created nearly $7 million in cap room.

The 320-pound Fleming, who entered the NFL as a 2014 fourth-round draft pick of the Patriots, rotated between third and fourth on the depth chart at the start of the regular season. He ultimately became the top replacement for injured right tackle Marcus Cannon by the end of the season.

TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers new defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul fought back tears Friday when he was asked about the fireworks explosion in 2015 that severely mangled his right hand and nearly ended his career.

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  Prosecutors in Houston say a warrant has been issued for the arrest of Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Bennett, who allegedly injured a paraplegic woman as he tried get onto the field at last year’s Super Bowl to celebrate with his brother.

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  Former 49ers and Raiders player Aldon Smith, who’s had several run-ins with the law, was arrested again for violating a court order to stay away from a woman who said he assaulted her earlier this month, according to a report.

Licht discussed Pierre-Paul with Giants general manager Dave Gettleman at February’s NFL combine in Indianapolis. He’d already swung and missed on Los Angeles Rams pass-rusher Robert Quinn, who went to the Miami Dolphins. Pierre-Paul was a player who was always on the Bucs’ radar, even before 2018, because of his production and also his high cap charge. Had he remained with the Giants in 2018, he would have counted $17.5 million against the cap.

The NFL’s competition committee has proposed a policy change that would allow teams to formalize head coaching hires when the coach’s original team is playing in the postseason.

The change would relieve decision-makers from waiting weeks to formalize hires.

Set to be voted on next week during the NFL owners meeting, the proposal would help teams avoid the predicament faced by the Indianapolis Colts last month. The Colts had agreed to terms with New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to replace Chuck Pagano in mid-January, but under current NFL rules, could not execute a signed contract until after the Patriots’ season ended. The Patriots continued playing through Super Bowl LII. Two days later, McDaniels informed the Colts that he planned to remain with the Patriots, forcing the Colts to scramble to hire Frank Reich instead.

Under the proposed change, the Colts would have been able to give McDaniels a contract to sign at the same time they agreed to terms. Had McDaniels declined to sign, the Colts could have moved more quickly to make another hire.

The proposal was among a long list of potential rule changes the NFL will consider when the meetings open Sunday. Some were previously reported, including a significant change to the catch rule, a proposal from the New York Jets to make pass interference a 15-yard penalty unless it is “intentional and egregious” and the authority for the NFL’s centralized officiating office to eject players for non-football acts during games.

NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent said Wednesday that the Jets’ pass interference proposal had gained momentum during a week of competition committee meetings.

The full list of proposals, released publicly Thursday night, also includes:

• Allowing coaches and players to view video on league-issued tablets on the sideline or the coaches’ booth during games. Currently, only photographs are allowed to be viewed — either printed or on tablets. Available video could significantly enhance the process of in-game adjustments and evaluations.

• Eliminating the requirement that a winning touchdown at the end of regulation, or overtime, to kick an extra point.

• Proposals, from the Los Angeles Chargers and Washington Redskins, to expand replay review to include personal fouls, including roughing the passer and hits to players in a defenseless posture. They are not endorsed by the competition committee and are unlikely to earn approval.