Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ten years after his stint as a player with the Buccaneers ended, Reggie Cobb is back with the organization that brought him into the league, the club announcing Friday that he has been hired as a college scout.

Cobb, 35, is regarded as one of the NFL's top young scouts. His assignment for the Bucs will include scouting talent in the Southwestern schools. He spent the past two seasons as a scout with the Washington Redskins but moved to the Bucs when his contract expired. Redskins officials gave Cobb high marks for his work and several teams demonstrated an interest in hiring him before he decided to join the Tampa Bay staff.

"I like the homecoming angle," said Cobb, "but I also think it's a first-class organization. You can't do much better than to hook up with the Super Bowl champions, right?"

The former University of Tennessee tailback was the Bucs' second-round selection in the 1990 draft. He played four seasons (1990-03), in Tampa Bay and also had stints with the Packers (1994), Jaguars (1995) and Jets (1996).

For his career, Cobb appeared in 92 games and posted 1,065 rushing attempts for 3,743 yards and 25 touchdowns. In 1992, he rushed for a career-best 1,171 yards and scored nine touchdowns for the Bucs while playing in 16 games. In 1991, Cobb became the first player in franchise history to score three touchdowns in a game.

"I've always been grateful to the Bucs for giving me a start in the league," Cobb said, "and now I hope I can give something back."

--Len Pasquarelli

Chicago Bears: In the wake of reports that former Bears placement specialist Kevin Butler might be quietly plotting a possible return to the NFL, add this possibility: That three-time Pro Bowl punter Reggie Roby is eyeing a potential comeback as well.

One of the league's premier punters over a 14-year period, Roby has been working out with some punters at the University of Iowa, his alma mater, and telling friends that his once-powerful leg feels strong again. Roby, 41, hasn't played in the NFL since 1996, a season he spent with the then-Houston Oilers, in which he averaged 44.0 gross yards and had a 38.0-yard net average.

In stints with Miami (1983-92), Washington (1993-94), Tampa Bay (1995) and Houston (1996), Roby had a career gross average of 43.5 yards.

--Len Pasquarelli

Washington Redskins: Defensive tackle Jermaine Haley, acquired from Miami earlier this spring as a restricted free agent, has gained a court continuance in a case involving a DUI arrest that occurred over the Memorial Day weekend.

The continuance was granted during a Wednesday court appearance and was requested by the attorneys for both sides. A report on Haley's case was re-scheduled for late July, but it is expected the three-year veteran will request another continuance. It is possible, a league official speculated, for the case to be delayed until after the 2003 season.

Under such a scenario, Haley would not be subject to NFL sanctions until sometime next spring, after the case was resolved. Haley is slated to be the Redskins' No. 3 defensive tackle, a key backup to starters Dan Wilkinson and Brandon Noble, and he signed a four-year, $3.95 million contract with Washington as a restricted free agent.

--Len Pasquarelli