Buccaneers Hire Allen as Their GM

Bruce Allen took over as general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday, accepting the challenge of improving a team that missed the playoffs after winning last year’s Super Bowl.

“We got the best man for the job,” owner Malcolm Glazer said in a rare visit to the team’s headquarters. “He’s going to take us to great heights.”

Allen, son of Hall of Fame coach George Allen, replaces Rich McKay, the architect of the team that won its first NFL title last season.

The move reunites the former Oakland Raider executive with Coach Jon Gruden, whose differences with McKay prompted McKay to leave for the same position with the Atlanta Falcons.

Gruden and Allen worked together in Oakland for four seasons, building a team that faced the Gruden-led Buccaneers in the Super Bowl. Tampa Bay finished 7-9 this season and has a serious salary-cap problem.

Although Gruden is expected to have more influence on personnel decisions and the draft, the structure of the front office won’t be much different from the way it was under McKay, who was general manager for nine seasons.

Allen, 46, will negotiate player contracts, manage the salary cap and have final say on personnel moves, although he stressed that Gruden and the rest of the coaching staff would be involved in decision-making.

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Philadelphia Eagle Coach Andy Reid said a decision on whether injured cornerback Troy Vincent could play in Sunday’s playoff game against the Green Bay Packers would not be made until game time.

Vincent tried to practice Friday but backed off when his injured hip wasn’t as strong or comfortable as it needed to be.

Vincent, downgraded to questionable, sat out the last two regular-season games after he strained a hip muscle.

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Three injured players returned to practice for the Indianapolis Colts’ final full workout before heading to Kansas City for Sunday’s playoff game against the Chiefs. Troy Walters, a wide receiver and punt returner, hurt his foot running a route late in practice on Wednesday. Robert Mathis, a defensive end, was bothered by a sore groin, and wide receiver Reggie Wayne did not practice Thursday as a precaution because of “tired legs,” said Coach Tony Dungy, who added “we’re probably as healthy as we’ve been.” .... Terry Robiskie was promoted to offensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns by Coach Butch Davis. Robiskie, the wide receivers coach for three years, spent seven seasons as an assistant in Washington. He also was an assistant with the Los Angeles Raiders for 12 years, the last five as offensive coordinator.... Hall of Fame wide receiver Paul Warfield, who played for the Miami Dolphins’ 1973 and 1974 Super Bowl champions, contacted team president Eddie Jones to express interest in the general manager job and was interviewed for two hours by Jones, owner Wayne Huizenga and executive vice president Bryan Wiedmeier.