PALM BEACH — The Buccaneers have a new head coach in Greg Schiano, three high-priced free agents, a bump in ticket sales that is a step toward ending blackouts and a belief in their plan to build a consistent winner.

Co-chairman Joel Glazer believes that the franchise, which finished 4-12 in 2011, including 10 straight losses that led to the firing of coach Raheem Morris and his staff, is headed for calmer waters.

But he admits mistakes.

“When you have a season like last season, everybody should accept responsibility, from the owner to the general manager to the head coach,” Glazer said from the NFL owners’ meetings in Palm Beach. “No question, at the end of the season, I felt it. Geez, maybe we should have, maybe we were too extreme in what we did. …

“It’s a very painful process and I don’t think a lot of people have the stomach for the process but we just believe to get there, you have to go through that.”

The Bucs’ 24-day search for a coach led them to Schiano, the former Rutgers coach who brings organization, discipline — and yes, Glazer says — integrity that might have been lost in three seasons under Morris.

“You’ve got to have sustained success, you’ve got to stand for certain things in our community and I think that’s what people are going to see with coach Schiano. He has something he stands for and his beliefs, and the locker room is going to see he stands for certain things,” Glazer said. “He talks about being Buccaneer men and what he expects, and the team will soon hear what he expects, and I think the community will soon embrace that.”

In an interview with the Times, Glazer talked about topics including the firing of Morris, retaining general manager Mark Dominik, investing in free agents and the positive response by Bucs fans over recent weeks that has resulted in an increase in season ticket sales.

On what led to hiring Schiano:

“The more people we talked to, my gosh, it was amazing the more one person after another had more and more positive things to say about coach Schiano, whether it was his integrity, whether it was his football smarts, whether it’s the way he deals with players, the way he teaches, his approach,” Glazer said. “When we got to the end, it was very clear that this was the guy that brought something different to the table and … will fit very well with the things he stands for on and off the field.”

On the response of fans to the signing of free agents Vincent Jackson, Carl Nicks and Eric Wright:

“It’s been a tremendous response,” Glazer said. “The excitement I feel when we’re talking to people, the input we’re getting from our season ticket holders, our fans in general, the effect it’s seemed to have is the re-energizing of our fan base in the Tampa community and kind of re-engaging them with the Buccaneers. … People say, hey, was this really part of the plan? I always go back to when we set out on this plan a few years ago, this was part of the plan. But the appropriate time to do something like this wasn’t in the beginning.”

On ending television blackouts:

“First of all, we’ve seen a great response in our ticket office, A: when we hired Coach Schiano; and then, B: in free agency,” Glazer said. “So with our renewals and our existing season ticket holders, they’re excited. We’ve seen a great response there. From new sales, we’ve seen a great response there as well. That being said, we obviously have a ways to go, and that is the No. 1 priority for us. … The key thing is we want our fans to be able to watch every single game on television, and we’re going to work our tails off to get back to that because it means so much to the community, it means so much to our fans.”

On retaining Dominik:

“I think Mark knows what he wants to do and he has a plan in his mind. Again, in football, nobody ever hits it all the time,” Glazer said. “And sometimes when you’re a general manager for the first time, you’re going to make some mistakes. The key is, did you learn from those mistakes? The way he handled this coaching search, behind the scenes which I know a lot of people didn’t see, the work he’s done in the offseason, the job he did getting these free agents in, the preparatory work being done for the draft, we have great confidence in Mark.”

On whether he believes some “integrity” was lost in three seasons under Morris.

“At (Monday’s) owners meeting, there was a focus group of fans brought in to talk to the owners and all of them, to a person, said one thing. And the one thing was what was important to them, was the integrity of the players, the NFL and what happens on and off the field. They pay attention. Over everything, integrity was No. 1.

“Sometimes, after a bad season, you have to take a step back … and look at where we’re at, where we’ve been and what we’ve got to do to get back to what we really believe in and what we stand for and what we want to stand for and what the community wants us to be. And I think you’re going to start to see all those things calibrate back to what the Buccaneers are all about.

“I have great respect for coach Morris. I always have. But I’m excited for what coach Schiano is bringing to our team and what he’ll bring to our community and what he will bring to the players in the locker room.”

On his reaction to the one-year suspension of Saints coach Sean Payton by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for his role in player bounties:

“We heard it (Monday) from fans, integrity is the No. 1 item in the National Football League and player safety is paramount,” Glazer said. “So, what happened there is a tough situation and obviously, there’s no place for it in our game and the commissioner acted in that situation responsibly to protect the game on the field and protect the integrity of the National Football League. . . . You never like to see any team have a situation like that.”

PALM BEACH — The hardest part of making a trade often is finding a partner to trade with, something Bucs GM Mark Dominik undoubtedly knows.

But if a team gets the urge to make a draft-night trade for Tampa Bay’s No. 5 overall selection, Dominik will consider their offer with an open mind.

Dominik has ruled out trading up, but would welcome a trad down, he said this week at the NFL owners meetings. Such a move would likely provide additional lower-round picks.

“I really like where we’re at in the draft, picking No. 5,” Dominik said. “I know that we’ll walk out with a good player if we stay at 5. But I’m willing to move back if I feel like the opportunity is there.”

Dominik later added, “If I can move down some, do I? Yes. If I don’t, then I’m happy where we’re going to be at 5.”

Teams rarely trade up near the top of the draft unless there is considerable value to be had, such as a top-flight quarterback who falls unexpectedly. The top quarterbacks in this draft, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, are expected to be chosen with the first two picks by the Colts and Redskins, respectively.

But there is an outside chance the Vikings won’t take USC tackle Matt Kalil at No. 3, meaning he could fall to the Bucs. Tampa Bay might receive offers for the pick under that unlikely scenario, but might be tempted to select the top offensive lineman in the draft, too.

“I wouldn’t rule it out,” Dominik said.

NO INTERVIEW CHANGES: During this year’s search for assistant coaches, the Bucs were repeatedly blocked by other clubs when attempting to interview assistant coaches who were under contract.

The rules that permit those decisions aren’t likely to change.

While the league is discussing several potential rules changes at its meetings, there won’t be debate about softening interview guidelines. Competition Committee chairman and Falcons president Rich McKay said the issue was not raised in the lengthy annual team surveys the committee distributes, meaning no change in the rule will be discussed.

“We expected to see some (feedback) in the surveys and really didn’t see it,” McKay said. “We had talked about the anti-tampering rules for an awfully long time (in previous years). The ruling we got to is that a contract is a contract.”

BUCS BITS: Because the Bucs changed coaches, they can begin offseason work with players and the coaching staff on Monday. Other teams have to wait until April 16. The Bucs will begin with classroom work and meetings then progress to a minicamp later in the month. … Don’t look for the Bucs to sign a starting-caliber linebacker before the draft because the new coaching staff first wants to take a closer look at the current group during minicamp. Mason Foster, for the time being, will remain at middle linebacker.

PALM BEACH –

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers should draft Morris Claiborne with the No. 5 pick and then release troubled cornerback Aqib Talib, according to Fox NFL analyst Tim Ryan.

Speaking Monday at the start of the league’s annual spring meeting, Ryan said the Bucs can no longer count on Talib, who faces a trial next month in Texas on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

“You can’t trust Talib — his behavior pattern tells you that,” said Ryan, who also co-hosts “Movin’ the Chains” on Sirius XM NFL Radio. “Even if he gets acquitted, you can’t trust him. How many opportunities has he had? It’s time to wave goodbye. He’s one of the most talented corners in this league, but you can’t control him. When it gets to crunch time, he reacts with poor judgment.”

Ryan said Claiborne, who won the 2011 Jim Thorpe Award at LSU as the nation’s top defensive back, is a good fit for the Buccaneers and new head coach Greg Schiano.

Unlike last year, Tampa Bay was very active when free agency opened two weeks ago, signing Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson, Saints guard Carl Nicks and Lions cornerback Eric Wright to lucrative contracts.

“They were aggressive to make a statement to their fans and to improve the football team,” Ryan said. “Going into 2012, I don’t think a lot of Buc fans were convinced winning was the No. 1 priority in Tampa. When they fired Jon Gruden and hired Raheem Morris, not a lot of people thought the Glazers were putting winning first. And I think those fans felt exactly the same way when Schiano was hired.

“I don’t know Greg, and I’ve heard good things about him, but he wasn’t exactly a hot name that came off the list. I do think ownership had something to prove when free agency began. They had tremendous cap space and I think they made good moves.”

Ryan said the addition of Jackson, a 6-foot-5 target who has averaged 17.5 yards per catch in seven NFL seasons, will energize Tampa Bay’s passing game.

“I think of Josh Freeman’s struggles and the regression of Mike Williams last year … what Jackson will do is open up the coverage,” Ryan said. “When Josh gets to the line, I guarantee eight out of 10 times he’s going to know what the coverage is, just based on the caliber of player Jackson is. You can go out of frame and Jackson can still go up and get the ball. His ball skills are that good.

“I think Josh will reel it in and not try to win every game with his arm, but the big question in Tampa is are the Bucs going to have to win every game 38-35, because there’s still a long way to go with that defense.”

TAMPA — There is no longer a flat earth view of running backs in the NFL.

The Bucs have only two on their roster, LeGarrette Blount and Mossis Madu, perhaps hinting they will address the position in the draft. But in a passing league, the position continues to be devalued.

Michael Bush, formerly of the Raiders, entered free agency as the top running back available. But he received only a four-year, $14 million contract to back up or share duties with Matt Forte in Chicago. Mike Tolbert, formerly of the Chargers, signed a four-year deal worth only about $2.1 million per season with Carolina and could play fullback.

Bucs coach Greg Schiano says he wants his offense to be physical, run the ball and use play-action to take shots downfield. But the most celebrated free agent the Bucs have signed is WR Vincent Jackson. He will help the running game by stretching the field, and ex-Saints G Carl Nicks also will help.

At some point, the Bucs have to add a running back. Alabama’s Trent Richardson is possible with the No. 5 overall pick. But if the Bucs go the free agent route, they won’t break the bank.

SWEET 16: It would have been more shocking if CB Ronde Barber decided not to return for a 16th season.

Not only was Barber the most consistent player on defense last season, the Bucs don’t have an abundance of quality defensive backs even with the signing of CB Eric Wright.

With his felony assault trial set to begin April 16, the status of CB Aqib Talib remains unknown. The team is committed to drafting a cornerback. But who knows in what round that will happen?

Barber will have great opportunities whenever he decides to retire. But he always has said he never had a Plan B. And if it comes down to it, Wright is versatile.

“In my history, I have played left corner, right corner. I have played the nickel back,” Wright said. “I’ve played all three positions in one game before. I think in watching film, (the Bucs) saw that and knew that I have the ability to play any spot that they need me to.”

HOMECOMING: Nothing is finer than to be a 49er for QB Josh Johnson.

The former Bucs backup grew up in Oakland, Calif., but he was a 49ers fan even though he was only 8 when they won their last Super Bowl behind QB Steve Young.

So given the opportunity to play for his adopted team and reunite with coach Jim Harbaugh, for whom he played at the University of San Diego, Johnson didn’t hesitate to sign a two-year contract.

“It’s home,” Johnson said Friday. “That’s the obvious thing. That’s one of the things I know for sure; my development will continue out here under Coach Harbaugh.

“I know how he’s going to push me and know the hard work and what’s expected.”

Another possibility for Johnson was the Redskins, where he would have been reunited with former Bucs coach Raheem Morris and GM Bruce Allen.

“When you look at it from top to bottom with the 49ers, there’s so many people on the offensive staff that I’ve already played under, it was a natural fit,” Johnson said.

Johnson, 25, likely will have to compete with second-year pro Colin Kaepernick for the No. 2 spot behind Alex Smith, who re-signed for three years after a brief flirtation with the Dolphins.

San Francisco traded up nine spots in the second round to select Kaepernick last year. But as a team with high expectations, it might not believe he’s ready for the No. 2 spot.

Rick Stroud can be reached at stroud@tampabay.com.

TAMPA — All Ronde Barber needed was a few more aging partners in prime.

The Bucs cornerback, who turns 37 on April 7, said he was encouraged by the team’s signing of three marquee veteran free agents last week. So he informed the Bucs on Wednesday he will return for a 16th season and agreed to a one-year deal.

“I’m really excited about the direction of the team, the moves we’ve made, and I can’t wait to get back to work,” Barber said in a statement released by the team.

When asked why he wanted to continue playing instead of thinking AARP, Barber said in a text message to the Tampa Bay Times, “Because I can. And there is nothing as yet that says I cannot.”

The Bucs committed $140.5 million in the first 24 hours of the free agent signing period last week, agreeing to contracts with Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson (29), Saints guard Carl Nicks (27 in May) and Lions cornerback Eric Wright (27 in July). Barber is the only player on the roster older than 30, but a few teammates are creeping up on it.

Terms of Barber’s contract were not disclosed. The Bucs captain signed a one-year, $4 million deal to play in 2011.

“Man, I’m so glad Ronde coming back that’s a great attribute to our organization not only on the field but off as well,” defensive end Da’Quan Bowers said on Twitter.

Barber has the NFL’s longest streak of consecutive-games started, 199, most by a cornerback in league history. He broke his right arm in last season’s finale at Atlanta and did not play in the second half, but he is expected to be ready for offseason workouts.

Coach Greg Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik met with Barber just before the start of free agency and informed him they wanted him to play in 2012. Barber said he needed time to decide.

“Mark did a good job making me feel like I should be back,” Barber said.

Schiano will be the fourth Bucs head coach for Barber, who was a third-round draft pick by Tampa Bay out of Virginia in 1997.

Barber presumably will compete for the starting right cornerback spot with Wright, who signed a five-year, $37.5 million contract last week. Left cornerback Aqib Talib has another year on his contract and is expected to return, pending the outcome of his trial in Texas on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, scheduled to begin April 16.

Barber, a five-time Pro Bowl player, was the team’s most consistent defensive player last season with 79 tackles, a sack and three interceptions. He also recorded five tackles for loss, 11 passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He was one of only two Bucs to compile a statistic in every defensive category.

But his future was uncertain after the team fired Raheem Morris as coach after a 4-12 record in 2011, including 10 straight losses to end the season.

Assuming Talib’s legal problems are resolved in his favor, the Bucs should be improved in the secondary after allowing a league-worst 30 touchdown passes last season.

The Bucs also are expected to draft a cornerback, possibly with the No. 5 overall selection. Louisiana State’s Morris Claiborne is a player they are considering if he is available. The Bucs this offseason hired Claiborne’s defensive backs coach at LSU, Ron Cooper, to coach their secondary.

. fast facts

Ronde Barber

• Heads into 16th season

• Turns 37 on April 7

• Bucs record for games played (225)

• Leads active NFL players in consecutive starts (199), most all time for a cornerback

• Only NFL player with at least 25 sacks and 40 interceptions; has 27 and 43, respectively

• Voted to NFL 2000s All-Decade Team

Read More: Ronde Barber (CB – TAM), Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Ronde Barber will make it 16 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. According to Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com, Barber and the Bucs agreed to a one-year contract. Barber was originally drafted by the team in the third round of the 1997 NFL draft. Incredible run for him that will last one more year.

Retirement was obviously an option that a lot of people speculated on following the season, but the Bucs told Barber last week that they want him back. New head coach Greg Schiano was expected to sit down with Barber sometime after he was hired.

Barber is coming off of an injury after fracturing his forearm in Week 17, but he should be good to go for OTAs.

The Bucs free agency has been highlighted by more than a few dollars spent, including a few on Vincent Jackson and Carl Nicks.

For more on the Buccaneers in free agency, visit SB Nation’s Bucs Nation. And for more on Tampa sports, visit SB Nation Tampa Bay.

TAMPA — The Bucs bid farewell to former captain Jeff Faine, their starting center the past four seasons.

Faine was released Wednesday, the same day the team acquired All-Pro guard Carl Nicks, who will move to left guard while Jeremy Zuttah — signed to a four-year deal last week — will replace Faine at center.

When he signed with the Bucs in 2008, Faine was the NFL’s highest-paid center at six years, $37.5 million. He had two seasons remaining on the deal and was slated to make $5.925 million in base salary in the fall. His release creates additional cap room after the club spent roughly $30 million in cap space in the first 24 hours of free agency.

“The move is bittersweet, but I leave in good health, excited and energized for my next opportunity,” Faine, 30, said in a statement.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers introduced the three newest pillars of their organization this afternoon, holding a spirited press conference at One Buc Place with free-agent pickups Vincent Jackson, Eric Wright and Carl Nicks.

While each traveled different roads to Tampa, they all opted to join the Buccaneers for similar reasons – besides the combined $140 million in contracts they garnered.

This is a trio that has bought into the Bucs’ intentions to show rapid improvement after last season’s 4-12 campaign.

“It’s very appealing to us,” Jackson said of the opportunity. “It’s an opportunity to do something special. If we didn’t believe that it could happen here with the guys that they have, we probably would’ve been happy to stay where we were at. But Coach (Greg Schiano) called me yesterday right on time. He said, ‘We’re going to start this thing.’ We’re all hungry to prove something. I can’t wait for that first ball to be kicked off.”

Nicks, who the Bucs made the NFL’s highest-paid guard with a $47.5 million deal, was energized by the team’s seeming intent to make a push for a big season.

“Right when I got off the plane (on Tuesday night), I checked my phone and I saw that they had signed Jackson,” Nicks said. “I said, ‘Okay, they’re doing something here.’ We’re all kind of starting fresh. To be a part of something that’s eventually going to be great is a good feeling. And to know that I’m a building block, it’s a good feeling. It’s humbling and it makes you hungry and it makes you want to work. I look forward to the challenge.”

For Eric Wright, who the Bucs flew in from the West Coast on a chartered jet along with Vincent Jackson, has big plans with the Bucs.

“You get to know people (around the league) and they all say the same thing: It’s a team you want to play for and it’s an organization that you want to be a part of,” Wright said. “Everybody has one goal and that’s to win. I want to help them win and I’m here now, so that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers introduced the three newest pillars of their organization this afternoon, holding a spirited press conference at One Buc Place with free-agent pickups Vincent Jackson, Eric Wright and Carl Nicks.

While each traveled different roads to Tampa, they all opted to join the Buccaneers for similar reasons – besides the combined $140 million in contracts they garnered.

This is a trio that has bought into the Bucs’ intentions to show rapid improvement after last season’s 4-12 campaign.

“It’s very appealing to us,” Jackson said of the opportunity. “It’s an opportunity to do something special. If we didn’t believe that it could happen here with the guys that they have, we probably would’ve been happy to stay where we were at. But Coach (Greg Schiano) called me yesterday right on time. He said, ‘We’re going to start this thing.’ We’re all hungry to prove something. I can’t wait for that first ball to be kicked off.”

Nicks, who the Bucs made the NFL’s highest-paid guard with a $47.5 million deal, was energized by the team’s seeming intent to make a push for a big season.

“Right when I got off the plane (on Tuesday night), I checked my phone and I saw that they had signed Jackson,” Nicks said. “I said, ‘Okay, they’re doing something here.’ We’re all kind of starting fresh. To be a part of something that’s eventually going to be great is a good feeling. And to know that I’m a building block, it’s a good feeling. It’s humbling and it makes you hungry and it makes you want to work. I look forward to the challenge.”

For Eric Wright, who the Bucs flew in from the West Coast on a chartered jet along with Vincent Jackson, has big plans with the Bucs.

“You get to know people (around the league) and they all say the same thing: It’s a team you want to play for and it’s an organization that you want to be a part of,” Wright said. “Everybody has one goal and that’s to win. I want to help them win and I’m here now, so that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers introduced the three newest pillars of their organization this afternoon, holding a spirited press conference at One Buc Place with free-agent pickups Vincent Jackson, Eric Wright and Carl Nicks.

While each traveled different roads to Tampa, they all opted to join the Buccaneers for similar reasons – besides the combined $140 million in contracts they garnered.

This is a trio that has bought into the Bucs’ intentions to show rapid improvement after last season’s 4-12 campaign.

“It’s very appealing to us,” Jackson said of the opportunity. “It’s an opportunity to do something special. If we didn’t believe that it could happen here with the guys that they have, we probably would’ve been happy to stay where we were at. But Coach (Greg Schiano) called me yesterday right on time. He said, ‘We’re going to start this thing.’ We’re all hungry to prove something. I can’t wait for that first ball to be kicked off.”

Nicks, who the Bucs made the NFL’s highest-paid guard with a $47.5 million deal, was energized by the team’s seeming intent to make a push for a big season.

“Right when I got off the plane (on Tuesday night), I checked my phone and I saw that they had signed Jackson,” Nicks said. “I said, ‘Okay, they’re doing something here.’ We’re all kind of starting fresh. To be a part of something that’s eventually going to be great is a good feeling. And to know that I’m a building block, it’s a good feeling. It’s humbling and it makes you hungry and it makes you want to work. I look forward to the challenge.”

For Eric Wright, who the Bucs flew in from the West Coast on a chartered jet along with Vincent Jackson, has big plans with the Bucs.

“You get to know people (around the league) and they all say the same thing: It’s a team you want to play for and it’s an organization that you want to be a part of,” Wright said. “Everybody has one goal and that’s to win. I want to help them win and I’m here now, so that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have told Ronde Barber they want him back for a 16th season. He told them he needs a little more time to think about it.

That was the outcome of a meeting Friday between Barber, Bucs coach Greg Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik.

“Ronde, coach Schiano and I have had several meetings, he knows we’d like him back for a 16th season,” Dominik said in a text to the Tampa Bay Times. “We will respect his wish for a little more time to make his decision and look forward to speaking with him again soon.”

Barber, who turns 37 next month and owns the NFL’s longest starting streak at 199 games, is set to become an unrestricted free agent. The five-time Pro Bowl cornerback was the Bucs’ most consistent defensive player last season with 79 tackles, a sack and three interceptions. He suffered a broken arm in the first half of the Bucs’ season finale at Atlanta and underwent surgery but is not expected to miss any time this off-season should he decide to resume playing.

A year ago, Barber signed a 1-year contract with the Bucs for $4-million. With starting cornerback Aqib Talib facing a trial in Texas later this month on a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon, Tampa Bay is hoping to clear up its picture at defensive back before the start of free agency Tuesday.

The Bucs are $67-million under the salary cap and expected to make a run at signing either Titans free agent cornerback Cortland Finnegan or Chiefs’ free agent Brandon Carr. The Bucs also own the No. 5 overall pick in the draft and are in a prime position to possibly select LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne.

Schiano met with Barber prior to the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis several weeks ago and said he was looking forward to Friday’s meeting to discuss how the franchise leader in career games played with 225 would ‘fit’ into the new defense.

“I just need to tell him what my vision is for the football team and hear from him how he sees how he fits in that,” Schiano said recently. “I think it’s going to be a great exchange. He knows what this is about, he’s been doing it so long.”

In fact, when Schiano was the Miami Hurricanes defensive coordinator in 1999-2000, he used to drive from Coral Gables to Tampa and watch Barber practice at the Bucs’ old facility on Westshore Blvd.

Barber has been non-committal about his plans for 2012 and could be contemplating retirement after a career worthy of Hall of Fame consideration. But those whom Barber relies on to evaluate his play — including former Bucs head coach Raheem Morris — believe Barber has more football left in him.

Certainly, Barber’s performance last season did nothing to change that perception. Some have speculated Barber could rejoin Morris, who is the defensive backs coach with the Washington Redskins. But Barber always has expressed a desire to play his entire career in Tampa Bay.

Only Barber can decide whether that career will continue.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP)—The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have re-signed free agent
offensive lineman Jeremy Zuttah to a four-year contract.

The team made the announcement Monday. Zuttah has started 44 of 58 games
he’s appeared in for the Bucs since entering the NFL in as a third-round draft
pick out of Rutgers in 2008.

The versatile fifth-year pro started 14 games last season. Thirty of his 44
career starts have been at left guard. He’s also started five at right guard and
nine at center.

At Rutgers, Zuttah played for coach Greg Schiano, who left the Scarlet
Knights for the Buccaneers this offseason.

TAMPA — A federal jury convicted a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers employee of using the Internet to arrange sex with a minor.

Brian Weiss, 39, of Tampa, once worked as a luxury suite sales manager for the NFL team. He was arrested in June 2011 as part of a sting in Clermont that netted 32 men. Prosecutors said Weiss met an undercover detective online whom he believed to be a 14-year-old girl and through web chats and phone calls arranged a sexual encounter.

Weiss was indicted in September on the charge of using a facility of interstate commerce to persuade, induce, entice and coerce a child to engage in sexual activity. The conviction carries a minimum 10-year federal prison sentence.

Weiss’ sentencing is scheduled for June 7.

By Jenny Vrentas and Mike Garafolo/The Star-Ledger

INDIANAPOLIS — Greg Schiano stepped to the podium at Lucas Oil Stadium today afternoon, declaring that it was good to be back at the NFL Combine for the first time since 1998.

The newly minted Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach, just weeks removed from his 11-year tenure at Rutgers, was not shy about admitting the challenges he has faced in his new gig. At the top of his list: other teams denying him the chance to interview candidates for his coaching staff.

Among those teams are the Giants, who allowed Schiano to hire quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan as his offensive coordinator but recently denied the Bucs permission to speak to offensive quality-control coach Kevin Gilbride Jr. about their vacant quarterbacks coach position, according to someone with knowledge of the request who was not authorized to speak for either team.

The Giants have already lost two offensive assistants since their Super Bowl win — Sullivan, and assistant offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr., who left to be the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive line coach — so the team didn’t want to get pillaged, the person said.

The Giants still need to replace both Sullivan and Bicknell Jr. It is unclear if Gilbride Jr., who has been with the staff the past two seasons, is a candidate to become the Giants’ quarterbacks coach. Gilbride Jr. coached receivers at Temple for three years, so it is possible the Giants could move receivers coach Sean Ryan to quarterbacks coach — a switch Sullivan had made — and then promote Gilbride Jr. to receivers coach.

Schiano actually has two former Giants coaches already on staff. The other is defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan, fired by the Giants from that post after the 2009 season. Schiano, who called defensive plays during his time at Rutgers, said Sheridan will be the defensive play-caller.

He said Sheridan “sees defensive football the way I see it” and also praised Sullivan for “coming off two Super Bowls and coaching one of the best in the game.”

Schiano said he is taking time to fill out his staff because he felt a mistake he made at Rutgers was hiring coaches too quickly.

Schiano also addressed his departure from Rutgers just six days before National Signing Day. He said leaving so soon before recruits sent in their official letters of intent actually helped the Scarlet Knights.

“In this business, there’s never a good time to leave, he said. “The reality is, having left when I did, Rutgers was able to hang on to the predominance of their recruiting class.

“Had I left in December or January, that might not have been the case, where everyone would have had time to get in there and pound away at them with reasons they shouldn’t go. But with five or six days left, and many people not having visits left to go take, I thought our guys that remained at Rutgers did an incredible job.”