NFL roundup: Mike Pettine gets 2nd interview with Browns, Jason Licht named GM of Buccaneers and more

The Cleveland Browns gave Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine a second interview for their head coaching vacancy on Tuesday night. Cleveland is still looking to replace Rob Chudzinski, who was fired at the conclusion of the regular season after just one year at the helm. But Pettine left the interview without a job offer, and the Browns planned to interview another candidate Wednesday, presumed to be either Falcons defensive coordinator Dirk Koetter or Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, per May Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made Jason Licht their new general manager. Licht will sign a four-year deal with the team and will have control over its draft and personnel decisions. Licht replaced Mark Dominik, who was fired this offseason after five seasons with the Bucs. He was the vice president of player personnel with the Arizona Cardinals last season.

New England Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib sustained no structural damage in his knee from the hit that took him out of the AFC Championship game against the Denver Broncos. Talib took a big hit from Denver wide receiver Wes Welker. The lack of structural damage is great news for Talib, who played great this season and might have earned himself a large contract in free agency. He comes with significant injury history, and structural damage would have probably put a damper on his big contract hopes.

San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore will undergo surgery to repair a hand injury. Gore's surgery is considered minor, as he sustained a broken hand during Sunday's NFC Championship loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The recovery should not take long and he's expected to be ready for all offseason activities.

The New Orleans Saints could elect to use the franchise tag on tight end Jimmy Graham if the two sides can't come to an agreement on a new deal. Graham has been one of the best tight ends in the NFL for multiple seasons. The only argument against that is Ron Gronkowski, who has dealt with significant injuries over the past couple years. Graham would prefer to be tagged as a wide receiver, but such a move is unlikely.

Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase told the Cleveland Browns to proceed with their head coaching search without him. Cleveland was reportedly high on Gase and what he's been able to do with Denver this season (you know, just the best NFL offense in the history of the league), but Gase is concentrating on the Super Bowl. There's also the fact that right now, Cleveland is his only option, while another strong season could earn him a bigger payday with a better team next year.