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.

• 

  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.

• 

  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.

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam was among those viewing as Sam Darnold was slinging in the rain Wednesday at USC.

Haslam was one member of a large contingent present to evaluate the quarterback the Browns are pondering taking with the first overall pick in the NFL draft. In an unusual twist, Darnold chose to keep throwing after a heavy rain started a few minutes into his workout. He received generally favorable reviews from analysts for his footwork, arm strength and accuracy.

Those Browns in attendance for the workout included Haslam, general manager John Dorsey, coach Hue Jackson, offensive coordinator Todd Haley and quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese. Haslam sat with Darnold’s parents during part of the workout. On Tuesday night, the Browns took Darnold out to dinner. Haslam was not present to scout Darnold, but more to get to know him with the rest of the Browns staff.

“He’s a great guy,” Darnold said of Haslam on the NFL Network. “That whole staff is awesome. I was able to meet with the Giants as well [on Monday]. Just meeting with both of those organizations, like I said before, those people are at the top of the world right now and I’m trying to impress them but at the same time be myself. So there is a fine line between that, and I just tried to find that and do my best.”

When: April 26-28
Where: Arlington, Texas
NFL draft coverage » | Full order: 1-256 »

Darnold said during an interview with ESPN that he’s eager to go to a team that wants him. He is well aware that the Browns traded for Tyrod Taylor to be the team’s starting quarterback.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Richard Sherman, dressed in a bright red tailor-made suit for his first meeting with the Bay Area media Tuesday, made it clear how he feels about the negative assessments of his deal with the San Francisco 49ers and why he valued the chance to negotiate it.

“It was really important to me,” said Sherman, who served as his own agent. “I think that a lot of times in our league there are players that have the ability to do that and have the ability to structure their own deals and really take advantage of just being in control of their own destiny.

“There are great agents in our game that take care of our players, make sure our players are ready for life after football, their finances, whatever the case may be. And then there are some agents who negotiate a deal in 2006 and don’t talk to their client again until 2010, and that’s the thing we’re trying to avoid and I’m trying to avoid.

“I didn’t feel like I needed an agent. I felt like I knew contracts well enough and I felt like coming off the Achilles [injury], there’s going to be negotiation points, there’s going to be give and takes on both sides, and I felt comfortable with that.”

In the days since he signed with the 49ers after a tedious, five-hour-plus negotiation with general manager John Lynch and chief strategy officer Paraag Marathe, Sherman has seen and heard plenty about the disapproval of the contract. The three-year deal could be worth up to $39.15 million, though it effectively would only pay him that much money if he returns to his previous All-Pro form after a ruptured right Achilles suffered last season.

Sherman also wrote a piece for The Players’ Tribune on Tuesday that offered further details on the contract in an effort to shed light on some of the points that have been criticized.

• 

  Richard Sherman met the San Francisco media Tuesday and discussed negotiating his own contract, as well as his decision to play for his former rival.

• 

  Guard Jonathan Cooper, who started a career-high 13 games for the Cowboys in 2017, signed a one-year deal with the 49ers on Tuesday.

Reid was the first player to kneel alongside Colin Kaepernick during the national anthem in protest of racial inequality and systemic oppression. Reid took to Twitter last week to offer his opinion on how his protests might be affecting his job search.