TAMPA, Fla. -- The Dallas Cowboys won't owe the Tampa Bay Buccaneers any compensation for hiring Bill Parcells.

NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue ruled Thursday, however, that the Bucs could seek compensation from Parcells himself. The team said it wasn't interested in that option.

Tagliabue's ruling came on a claim by the Bucs that they should receive draft picks from the Cowboys for losing Parcells, who signed a contract to become Tampa Bay's coach and then changed his mind last winter.

This was the first time either the Bucs or Parcells acknowledged that an agreement had been reached last year. It was never filed with the league office because Parcells asked that it not be.

Although Tagliabue determined the Bucs stated a "substantial claim,'' the commissioner said the league could not stop the Cowboys from hiring Parcells and that there was no basis for ordering Dallas to send draft picks or cash to Tampa Bay.

However, the commissioner did say he would examine whether Parcells himself was financially liable for jilting the Bucs. They ended a month-long coaching search last February by acquiring Jon Gruden from the Oakland Raiders for four high draft picks and $8 million.

"The issue to be considered at the hearing will be limited to whether Coach Parcells as an individual owes money damages to the Buccaneers based on losses suffered as a result of his signing a contract last year and subsequently deciding not to perform under that contract,'' the letter said.

But the Bucs said they aren't interested in receiving anything from Parcells.

"While we are pleased that the Commissioner saw the validity of our claim, we did not file this claim to seek monetary damages,'' Bucs general manager Rich McKay said. "The sole focus of this organization should be the playoffs and accordingly, we do not intend to pursue this claim any further.''

McKay attended Thursday's hearing in New York, along with Bryan and Joel Glazer, sons of Bucs owner Malcolm Glazer.