Steve Spagnuolo is returning to the New York Giants to serve as their defensive coordinator, the team announced Thursday.

The Giants also hired former St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator Tim Walton as their cornerbacks coach. The 55-year-old Spagnuolo takes over for Perry Fewell, who was fired last week after serving five seasons as defensive coordinator. The Giants missed the playoffs with a 6-10 record in 2014 and finished 29th in the NFL in total defense.

Spagnuolo was the Giants’ defensive coordinator from 2007 to 2008 when they won Super Bowl XLII.

The Washington Redskins tabbed former Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Bill Callahan to be their offensive line coach on Thursday.

He leaves Dallas after his play-calling role was taken away by coach Jason Garrett after one year and given to Scott Linehan, who was promoted to offensive coordinator on Thursday by the Cowboys.

Callahan, 58, also has head coaching experience at Nebraska from 2003 to 2006 and before that with the Oakland Raiders. He guided the Raiders to the Super Bowl after coach Jon Gruden was traded to Tampa Bay. Before replacing Gruden in 2002, Callahan served as his offensive line coach from 1998 to 2001. In Washington, Callahan will be joining the staff of Gruden’s brother, Jay, who is the Redskins’ head coach.

—The Oakland Raiders officially named Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio as their head coach on Thursday.

On Wednesday, sources told The Sports Xchange that the Raiders hired Del Rio after he interviewed for a second time Tuesday with owner Mark Davis, general manager Reggie McKenzie and former Raiders coach and Hall of Famer John Madden.

The 51-year-old Del Rio, who was raised in nearby Hayward, Calif., becomes the 19th head coach in the 55-year history of the franchise. This will be Del Rio’s second tenure as an NFL head coach, having served in that role for the Jacksonville Jaguars for nine seasons from 2003 to 2011. Del Rio spent the past three seasons as defensive coordinator for the Broncos.

—NFL commissioner Roger Goodell granted the Indianapolis Colts’ request Thursday to place Josh McNary on the league’s commissioner exempt list after the backup linebacker was charged with rape of a woman last month.

McNary was charged Wednesday with rape, criminal confinement with bodily injury and battery resulting in bodily injury from an incident in the early morning hours of Dec. 1. McNary, who joined the Colts in 2013, was taken into police custody Wednesday night after the charges were filed.

On Thursday morning, McNary’s attorney, Edward F. Schrager, released a statement on behalf of his client denying the accusations.

—The Indianapolis Colts signed wide receiver Griff Whalen from the practice squad to the active roster on Thursday.

The Colts also signed defensive end Gannon Conway to the practice squad and placed inside linebacker Josh McNary on the exempt/commissioner permission list.

The Colts are preparing to play the New England Patriots on Sunday in the AFC Championship game.

—Players with NFL experience will have a chance to audition for teams at a veterans combine on March 22 at the Arizona Cardinals’ training complex in Phoenix.

NFL director for player development Matt Birk informed all 32 teams on Thursday that the combine will be open to veteran free agents and will include drills, timing and tests similar to the annual NFL combine for draft-eligible players held in late February in Indianapolis.

The veterans combine will take place one day before a league owners meeting in the Phoenix area. About 100 free agents are expected to receive invitations. The NFL’s free agency market opens March 10.

—The Denver Broncos interviewed offensive coordinator Adam Gase for their head coaching job, the team announced Thursday.

Gase met with general manager John Elway on Wednesday and also spoke with the San Francisco 49ers, who ended up hiring Jim Tomsula as their new head coach to replace Jim Harbaugh Various reports also indicated that the Atlanta Falcons are interested in talking with Gase about filling their head coaching vacancy.

The 36-year-old Gase came to the Broncos in 2009 and was elevated to offensive coordinator two years ago when Mike McCoy left to become the head coach of the San Diego Chargers.

—The Baltimore Ravens plan to talk to offensive coordinator coach Gary Kubiak to gauge his interest in interviewing for the Denver Broncos’ head-coaching position.

The Broncos reportedly submitted a request to the Ravens on Tuesday night to interview Kubiak. The Baltimore Sun reported Thursday that the Ravens have yet to grant the permission, but they wouldn’t stand in the way if Kubiak is interested in the job.

Broncos general manager John Elway and Kubiak are longtime friends. In Denver, Kubiak spent nine years (1983-98) as Elway’s backup and they were roommates for road games. Kubiak also served four seasons (1995-98) as Elway’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach with the Broncos.

—Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders was named a Pro Bowl replacement for injured Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones on Thursday.

Sanders becomes the 10th Broncos player on the Pro Bowl roster for the Jan. 25 game in Glendale, Ariz.

In Sanders’ first season with the Broncos, he caught a career-high 101 passes for 1,404 yards and nine touchdowns. His receptions and receiving yards ranked fifth in the NFL.

—Dennis Thurman reached a contract agreement with the Buffalo Bills on Thursday to become the team’s defensive coordinator.

Thurman joins new Bills coach Rex Ryan, under whom Thurman was defensive coordinator for the New York Jets in 2013-14. Thurman also coached defensive backs for the Jets from 2009 to 2012.

In addition to Thurman, the Bills announced other new hires to Ryan’s staff — all former Jets assistants. Tony Sparano Jr. will handle tight ends, Bobby April is the new linebackers coach, Karl Dunbar will coach the defensive line, Tim McDonald will join holdover Donnie Henderson as secondary coaches, Jason Oszvart will be the strength and conditioning assistant, Jeff Weeks will serve as a defensive line assistant and Eric Smith will be a special teams assistant.

—Controversial Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, once named the least favorite personality, was rewarded for his team’s long-awaited return to the playoffs this season by being named NFL Executive of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America.

The PFWA also named Arizona’s Bruce Arians as Coach of the Year and his former defensive coordinator, Todd Bowles, as Assistant Coach of the Year. This week, Bowles was named head coach of the New York Jets.

—The Minnesota Vikings signed cornerback Jalil Carter to a reserve/future free agent contract Thursday.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Carter spent the 2012-14 seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Toronto Argonauts and was a member of the 2012 Grey Cup championship team. Carter recorded 48 tackles in each of the previous two seasons with the Argos and added a career-best five sacks in 2014.