MIAMI -- In their fitful, laborious search for a general manager, the Miami Dolphins finally found someone to say yes: Dennis Hickey. The longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers executive accepted the job Sunday, ending a search that lasted nearly three weeks. Hickeys hiring came after the Dolphins were rejected by several candidates. New England Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio and Tennessee Titans vice-president of player personnel Lake Dawson turned down job offers only hours before Miami reached out to Hickey, while Cleveland Browns assistant general manager Ray Farmer withdrew from consideration Thursday. Several others declined invitations to interview as a replacement for Jeff Ireland, whose six-year stint as general manager ended Jan. 7 when he and owner Stephen Ross agreed to part ways. Hickey has been with the Buccaneers for 18 seasons, including the past three as director of player personnel. He was their director of college scouting for six years. He was not interviewed for Tampa Bays GM job when it became open after this season. The Bucs won four division titles and one Super Bowl championship during his time with them, but went 28-52 over the past five years and had spotty draft results during that span. Hickey was among eight candidates interviewed by Miami, with Ross aide Matt Higgins and executive vice-president of football administration Dawn Aponte helping the owner with the screening process. The other finalist was Dolphins assistant general manager Brian Gaine, who worked under Ireland. Some candidates and potential candidates expressed concern about the Dolphins power structure, including the role of Aponte, who clashed with Ireland. In a news release to announce the hiring, the Dolphins said Hickey will oversee all aspects of football operations and report directly to Ross. Coach Joe Philbin will continue to report directly to Ross as well, while Apontes place in the chain of command wasnt spelled out. Ross loyalty to Philbin, who is 15-17 in two seasons with Miami, may have been a stumbling block for some candidates. In a statement, Ross cited Hickeys willingness to work with Philbin as a factor in the hiring. "When we started the search, I outlined qualities that I was looking for in this position," Ross said. "These included a collaborative team-first person who can work with Joe, demonstrated player evaluation expertise, and someone who is open-minded and creative. Dennis fit all of these criteria." The Titans Dawson released a statement saying he had declined Miamis job offer. "I felt Stephen is a great owner, passionate and wants to win, but the details of the offer didnt align with my vision," Dawson said. "I turned it down because it wasnt an ideal fit for my family and me." So Ross turned to Hickey, who was interviewed for the first time 10 days into the search. The protracted process reinforced Ross reputation for having difficulty closing deals with the Dolphins. In the past, the New York real estate billionaire has unsuccessfully courted Peyton Manning, Jim Harbaugh and Jeff Fisher. Hickeys task will be to upgrade the roster after Miami collapsed late in the season to blow a playoff berth and finish 8-8. The Dolphins havent been above .500 since 2008, the longest such stretch in franchise history. The tumultuous 2013 season included a locker-room bullying scandal that drew national scrutiny, and a report on the NFL investigation into the case will be released after the Super Bowl. "The Dolphins certainly have talented players," Hickey said in a statement, "and I am eager to hit the ground running with our personnel and coaching staffs. We will all work together to construct a team that will make our organization and fans proud." Hickey will be introduced at a news conference Tuesday. AP Sports Writer Teresa M. Walker in Nashville, Tenn. contributed to this report. Adidas NMD R2 Herr . - John Elways philosophy is to address immediate needs in free agency, even though some of his own veterans may prove too pricey to keep around. Adidas NMD R1 Herr . Completely. Two days after releasing Peyton Manning, the longtime face of the franchise, the Colts announced they were cutting four fan favourites: running back Joseph Addai, linebacker Gary Brackett, safety Melvin Bullitt and tight end Dallas Clark. http://www.nmdsverige.com/nmd-r1-adidas-skor.html.com) - The Vancouver Canucks recovered from a fluke goal early last time out to knock off one of the top teams in the league. NMD Skor Sverige . It was a loss. But it was also a learning experience. Deron Williams and Joe Johnson had 24 points each to lift Brooklyn to a 94-87 win over the Raptors, making their first playoff appearance since 08. "I thought we played a little bit as expected as it is our first playoff game," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. Adidas Superstar Herr Rea .Voegele will next play Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia, who saved 10 of 16 break points to defeat Annika Beck of Germany 7-6 (6), 6-4.Also, Marina Erakovic of New Zealand defeated eighth-seeded Caroline Garcia of France 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears agreed to a three-year contract with defensive end Willie Young and a one-year deal with receiver Domenik Hixon on Thursday. Young joins a defence that is getting a makeover after struggling in a big way last season. The Bears released eight-time Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers this week and brought in defensive end Lamarr Houston from Oakland, linebacker Jordan Senn from Carolina and safeties Ryan Mundy (New York Giants) and M.D. Jennings (Green Bay). Now, they have two new starting ends in Young and Houston. "This is important for us to get a second defensive lineman, a quality starter, an opportunity for Willie to grow and for us to grow with him," general manager Phil Emery said on a conference call. "When we went into free agency we felt that if we could find a way to get two starting defensive linemen, we would have made forward progress. Weve been able to accomplish that." The 28-year old Young spent four years with Detroit and can play on the left or right side. He had 47 tackles, three sacks, five pass breakups and two fumble recoveries last season. He had discussions with Jacksonsville but wound up in Chicago, instead. "Having (linebacker Lance) Briggs here anchoring the middle, it goes a long ways, having that solid leadership starting from the middle and working our wway out," Young said.dddddddddddd "Im excited to be here. And Im looking forward to a very aggressive defence here in the making. And right now theres nothing to stop us other than ourselves." Hixon had seven catches for 55 yards with Carolina in 2013. He has experience returning kickoffs and punts but did neither for the Panthers. Emery said he will get an opportunity to do that with Devin Hester gone. He previously played for Denver (2006-07) and the New York Giants (2007-12). In Chicago, hell be reuniting with quarterback Jay Cutler and receiver Brandon Marshall, his teammates with the Broncos. Meanwhile, Emery said cornerback Charles Tillmans return remains "an ongoing process" and had no update on the free agent. He also said time is running short on defensive tackle Henry Melton to re-sign. Meltons been visiting other teams. The Bears are open to bringing him back, but their available cap space is shrinking. "The clocks ticking," Emery said. Melton was arrested and charged with assault and public intoxication following an altercation at a Dallas-area bar in December. His agent has said Melton did not start the incident. "I think thats been an ongoing issue in terms of that issue coming to conclusion," Emery said. "In terms of evaluating Henry the player, thats separate from that." ' ' '