The Tampa Bay Buccaneers terminated the contract of quarterback Josh McCown on Wednesday, seemingly clearing the path to select one of the two marquee quarterbacks — Oregon’s Marcus Mariota or Florida State’s Jameis Winston — with the first selection in the NFL draft.

McCown, 35, signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Bucs last offseason, reuniting with coach Lovie Smith, who was his coach with the Chicago Bears in 2011. Anointed the starter by Smith upon signing, McCown managed just a 70.5 passer rating, with 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, in 11 starts for the 2-14 Bucs. He completed 56.3 percent of his passes.

McCown was due to earn $5.25 million in base salary next season.

The Bucs hold the No. 1 pick in the draft and are widely expected to select between Mariota and Winston. NFLDraftScout.com analysts Rob Rang and Dane Brugler both project Tampa Bay selecting Winston in their current mock drafts.

The only other quarterbacks on Tampa Bay’s roster are two-year veteran Mike Glennon and first-year player Seth Lobato.

—Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam defended general manager Ray Farmer and quarterback Johnny Manziel on Wednesday and denied his franchise is dysfunctional.

Haslam told reporters that Farmer has admitted to sending text messages to coaches during games last season — a violation of NFL rules. The NFL is still investigating, Haslam said.

“I think Ray Farmer knows and has said (to Haslam) that he has made a mistake in sending those texts,” Haslam said. “Ray feels terrible about it. … I don’t think Ray intended to gain any unfair advantage and he’s learned from his mistakes.”

Haslam also said he has not given up on 2014 first-round pick Manziel, who recently checked himself into a rehab center.

“It’s way too early to give up on Johnny,” Haslam said, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “We certainly haven’t given up on him. Everybody’s been too harsh.”

—As he prepares for perhaps his last chance in the NFL, new Buffalo Bills guard Richie Incognito said he wants to prove “that I’m not a racist jerk.”

Incognito was out of the NFL last year after he served an eight-game suspension in 2013 for bullying former Miami Dolphins teammate Jonathan Martin. Incognito reportedly spent about six weeks at McLean Institute — a psychiatric hospital near Boston — last summer.

The Bills signed Incognito, 31, on Monday after team leadership met with the controversial player last week and decided he was deserving of a one-year contract.

According to NFL.com, Incognito told owners Terry and Kim Pegula, general manager Doug Whaley and coach Rex Ryan that “this whole learning process was about becoming self-aware, about becoming a better person/teammate/leader. We mutually expressed that this would be my last chance and we should look at it as a positive. Take the opportunity to bring attention to a sensitive subject while proving to people that I’m not a racist jerk.”

—Safety LaRon Landry was released by the Indianapolis Colts two years into a four-year, $24 million contract signed in March 2013 after a Pro Bowl season with the New York Jets.

Landry, who has been plagued by injuries, played in 23 of the Colts’ 36 games, with 18 starts. He turns 31 during the 2015 season.

The Colts also waived inside linebacker Andrew Jackson and offensive tackle Xavier Nixon.

—Arizona Cardinals president Michael Bidwill said coach Bruce Arians and general manager Steve Keim will receive contract extensions “in the next few weeks” and that wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald’s contract revision is a priority.

Arians was named NFL coach of the year for the second time in three seasons after he led the Cardinals to an 11-5 record and the playoffs in 2014, despite using three quarterbacks. Arians is 21-11 in two seasons with the team. He signed a four-year deal in 2013.

Keim took over as GM in 2013 and has almost completely reconstructed the roster; 40 of the 53 players last season were brought in by Keim.

“They’ve both done tremendous jobs, brought tremendous leadership and success to the organization,” Bidwill told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, “and I want to be in the habit of rewarding people that bring that kind of success.”

As for Fitzgerald, Bidwill said reducing his $16 million salary is “the first order of business” so the team can make moves in free agency.

— The New York Giants waived running back David Wilson and announced the signing of center Brett Jones, the best lineman in the Canadian Football League.

Wilson, the team’s first-round draft pick in 2012, suffered a serious neck injury in 2013 and missed last season after suffering symptoms in training camp. The 23-year-old is not expected to try to play football again.

Jones, 6 feet 2 and 315 pounds, was the CFL’s rookie of the year in 2013 and was named its best lineman last year.

—Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley was in court in Mobile, Ala., Wednesday for jury selection in his DUI trial.

In 2012, Fairley was arrested for allegedly driving 100 mph while drunk on the freeway. Fairley tried to have the charges dismissed last month, but his motions were denied.

The trial is expected to move quickly; and, if Fairley is convicted, he also would face a possible two-game suspension from the NFL.

—The NFL reportedly will review Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy’s court file as part of the investigation to determine whether he violated the league’s personal-conduct policy.

Hardy’s domestic-abuse case was abruptly dismissed Monday because his accuser could not be found to testify at the trial in Charlotte, N.C. The prosecution said repeated attempts to reach Nicole Holder, Hardy’s ex-girlfriend, failed and the domestic violence charges were dismissed.

The district attorney’s office said Monday it has “reliable information” that Holder and Hardy have reached a civil settlement.

The Charlotte Observer reported Wednesday that NFL outside advisor Lisa Friel and the league staff will review Hardy’s court record as part of its investigation.

— Carolina coach Ron Rivera — long acquainted with the Turner family — has hired Cameron Turner as assistant wide receivers coach.

Turner will assist Panthers receivers coach Ricky Proehl.

Rivera worked for Turner’s uncle, Norv Turner, in San Diego (2007-10) and also had Norv’s son, Scott, on his staff in Carolina in 2011 and 2012.

Cameron Turner spent the last two seasons coaching quarterbacks and wide receivers at Florida International, where his father, Ron, is coach. Before that, Cameron was an assistant with the Minnesota Vikings for two years.

—New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton announced the team’s 2015 coaching staff additions.

Topping the list is former Oakland Raiders coach Dennis Allen, who will work with defensive coordinator Rob Ryan as a senior defensive assistant.

Payton also hired John Morton as wide receivers coach, Joel Thomas as running backs coach, James Willis as defensive assistant/linebackers, Kyle DeVan and Greg Lewis as offensive assistants and Brendan Nugent as a coaching assistant.

— The Minnesota Vikings will play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the annual Hall of Fame Game on Sunday, Aug. 9, in Canton, Ohio, to kick off the 2015 NFL preseason.

The matchup, which was announced Wednesday, will be televised nationally on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” at 8 p.m. ET, one day after the 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame class is inducted.

—Brett Favre, who will inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and have his No. 4 jersey retired by the team this summer, wants the ceremony to take place inside Lambeau Field so more fans can attend.

The Packers Hall of Fame, which is independent of the team, announced plans last month to hold Favre’s induction ceremony on July 18 in the stadium’s atrium area.

Favre’s No. 4 also will be retired on the night of his induction, but all 1,600 tickets to his induction have been sold to sponsors and supporters without any availability to the general public.

—Aaron Hernandez’s fiancee was granted immunity Tuesday when Judge E. Susan Garsh signed an order that could compel Shayanna Jenkins to testify at Hernandez’s murder trial.

Jenkins met with prosecutors in January as part of a hearing of immunity. The result of the meeting is sealed. Hernandez’s defense team does not have access to the documents, but his attorney filed a motion demanding to know what promises the state made in exchange for immunity.

Jenkins is thought to have knowledge of the whereabouts of the alleged murder weapon used in the homicide of Odin Lloyd. Prosecutors laid out a specific role Jenkins played, following instructions from Hernandez, to remove the murder weapon from his home, bagging it and throwing it in a dumpster.