MIAMI -- In their fitful, laborious search for a general manager, the Miami Dolphins finally found someone to say yes: Dennis Hickey. Brandon Nimmo Jersey . 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. Cheap Mets Jerseys . TSN 1290s game day coverage begins on Monday, June 9 at 5:30pm ct as the Blue Bombers take on the Toronto Argonauts in pre-season action. Bombers game day broadcasts on TSN 1290 are hosted by Winnipeg Blue Bomber Hall of Famers Troy Westwood and new addition Chris Walby, alongside beat reporter Darrin Bauming, who delivers regular reports on the team for TSN 1290 all-season long. David Wright Jersey .Mila Kunis was a guest on Kimmel last night and revealed a surprising side of herself that comes out when she watches sports. It turns out screaming something vulgar at professional athletes is therapeutic for Kunis. https://www.cheapmetsjerseys.us/640l-fernando-tatis-jersey-mets.html . The No. 5 Aztecs held Burton, the Mountain Wests leading scorer, to 11 points, 10 below his average, in beating the Wolf Pack 73-58 on Saturday night.BOSTON -- Dwight Howard did enough at the foul line to help Houston hold on Monday night. Howard had 32 points and 10 rebounds, and the Rockets beat Boston 104-92 to send the skidding Celtics to their ninth consecutive defeat. The Celtics hacked Howard, a poor free throw shooter, over and over again in the fourth quarter and sent him to the line 14 times. The big man made six and finished 10 of 18 in all. "Weve got confidence in Dwight to make those free throws when they start doing that, so I thought it was a real good win for us," teammate Chandler Parsons said. "But it wasnt perfect." As they fouled Howard repeatedly, the Celtics trimmed a 19-point deficit to seven in the fourth period before going dry in the final minutes. "I said (on TV) just now, I would probably support a change in that, that wouldnt allow that, would call it intentional or whatever you want to call it, call it like it would be called in the last 2 minutes," Boston coach Brad Stevens said. "To his credit, he made one almost -- maybe every time up to the foul line." Jeremy Lin added 16 points and nine assists for Houston. James Harden scored 16 and Parsons added 14 after missing three games with a knee injury. Parsons is having a breakout season, averaging 17.5 points (on 51.7 per cent shooting) and 5.4 rebounds. He said his knee "was really good tonight. I thought it was going to be a lot more sore." Avery Bradley had 24 points for the Celtics, on their longest losing streak since dropping a franchise-record 18 straight games in 2007 -- the season before they traded for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to join Paul Pierce as the Big Three. "Its hard to go through," Stevens said. "Its unenjoyable to go through. But that doesnt mean theres no growth." Houston outscored Boston 65-38 in the second and third quarters. Ralph Kiner Jersey. Howard had 12 third-quarter points as the Rockets expanded a 52-43 halftime lead to 84-65 by the end of the period. Jerryd Bayless scored 15 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter and Brandon Bass finished with 14 for Boston. "(Bayless) gave us a chance, just as that whole second unit did," Stevens said. "Some of those guys havent played that much." But the Celtics were unable to complete the comeback and Houston held on. "We are getting a lot of experience on that, getting a lead and then giving it up," Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. "So we are getting better at that." Houston blew a 25-point lead against the Wizards before rallying to win Saturday. "It seemed we played with more poise in the fourth quarter than we did against Washington," Lin said. Bradley had 14 first-quarter points, including two 3-pointers, as the Celtics opened a 27-19 lead and held the Rockets to 29 per cent shooting. Houstons second unit made some quick inroads against Bostons reserves in the second quarter, led by forwards Omri Casspi (12 points) and Parsons. The Rockets starters re-entered with the score tied at 35 and took off on a 17-8 run to build a 52-43 halftime lead. Jordan Crawford had 13 points for Boston. NOTES: Stevens said there is "nothing concrete" on a return date for rehabbing All-Star guard Rajon Rondo, but allowed that it would be "sooner rather than later." Speculation has ranged from Friday against the Lakers to after the All-Star break. ... The Rockets welcomed Parsons back but are still missing centre Omer Asik (bruised thigh) and guard Patrick Beverley (broken hand). ... The Rockets lost their two previous visits to Boston. ... Bass was scratched from the starting lineup in favour of Jared Sullinger. ' ' '