Mario Manningham insists that he never said there was a "75 percent" chance he is leaving the Giants in free agency. During an interview with WFAN radio, Manningham placed the odds of him remaining with the Giants at "50-50" and said he'd like to remain with the team. He added that he doesn't know where rumors of him going to the Buccaneers came from. "It is 50-50 percent chance," the free agent said. "We are not sure what is going on right now. We are going to take it slow and see what is going on and let the smoke clear a little bit, you know the combine and free agency and everything coming up. Just never know where I am going to end up at."

The Buccaneers have paid Rutgers University a $500,000 installment on coach Greg Schiano's buyout. The payment was made to the Rutgers Athletics Department because Schiano's Rutgers salary was part of the Athletics Department budget. Schiano's Rutgers contract called for him to receive a $2.03 million salary in fiscal year 2011 and to pay the school a $500,000 buyout if he left before the contract expired on Dec. 31, 2016.

There is only a slim chance that Mario Manningham will return to the Giants next season, according to the wide receiver. In an interview with The Vindicator of Youngstown, Ohio, Manningham said he is "75 percent" sure he will sign with another team as a free agent. Manningham, coming off a heroic effort in the Super Bowl, is looking to not only cash in but also have a bigger role in an offense. According to a report, Manningham has his eyes on joining former Giants quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan in Tampa Bay.

Sources believe there is virtually no chance Mario Manningham will return to the Giants for the 2012 season. Manningham, one of New York's Super Bowl heroes, is expected to follow former Giants assistant Mike Sullivan to Tampa Bay. Sullivan, who was the quarterbacks coach with the Giants, has been named the offensive coordinator of the Buccaneers. Giants general manager Jerry Reese recently conceded that there's a "75 percent chance" Manningham won't return to the team.

The Buccaneers and Jeremy Zuttah appear likely to reach an agreement on an extension before the starting guard hits the free agent market. "The team wants the player and the player wants the team," Zuttah's agent, Noel LaMontagne, said. "That's the most important progress you can have. The rest just comes down to dollars and cents." Zuttah, a third-round pick out of Rutgers in 2008, will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time this spring, but LaMontagne says there's a good chance Zuttah won't even hit the open market.

The scoreboard at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium caught fire early Saturday morning. Passing motorists called the Tampa Police Department to report a blaze above the north end zone. The incident was caused by electrical issues, according to The Tampa Tribune.

The Buccaneers have announced that Bill Sheridan has been hired as the team's next defensive coordinator. Sheridan, who was Miami's linebackers coach during the 2010 and 2011 seasons, was hired in January by Ohio State coach Urban Meyer as a defensive assistant. "Bill is a great teacher who brings a tremendous understanding of defensive football to the Buccaneers organization," new head coach Greg Schiano said in a release. "Over the last three decades, he has had the opportunity to work under some great head coaches like Bo Schembechler, Nick Saban, Lloyd Carr and Tom Coughlin. His experience and knowledge will be a great benefit to our defensive staff."

The Buccaneers announced Wednesday they have released defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. "I appreciate Albert playing for us after some key injuries this past season," GM Mark Dominik said. "He was very professional and we now wish him all the best as he moves forward."

The Buccaneers have officially hired Butch Davis as a special assistant to new head coach Greg Schiano. Davis will assist and advise Schiano, but will not take on any on-field coaching duties. He was fired from the University of North Carolina just before training camp last season amid the NCAA investigation of improper benefits and academic misconduct within the Tar Heels football program.

San Francisco denied permission to Tampa Bay for the Buccaneers to hire the 49ers' defensive backs coach, Ed Donatell, as their defensive coordinator, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter on Saturday.