Rams reverse field, decide not to hire Rob Ryan

The St. Louis Rams have decided not to hire Rob Ryan as defensive coordinator after all.

Ryan, who coached the Dallas Cowboys' defense the past two seasons before being fired Jan. 8, reportedly was hired by the Rams last week. But ESPN reported Tuesday that after meeting with Ryan, St. Louis became uncomfortable with his preference for the 3-4 scheme. The Rams have been a 4-3 team.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Rams will reach out to Dick Jauron, a former head coach who was the Cleveland Browns' defensive coordinator the past two seasons, about the job.

Help from Harvard

The Harvard Medical School received a $100 million grant from the National Football League Players Association to find new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent injuries and illness related to the sport.

The 10-year initiative, called the Harvard Integrated Program to Protect and Improve the Health of NFLPA Members, will address both active and retired players, the school said in a news release.

More than 2,000 NFL players have filed more than 80 lawsuits against the league seeking damages for head injuries sustained on the field. The Harvard study will look beyond head injuries, to areas such as heart function and knee ligaments.

The study is aimed at improving NFL players' health and further understanding the sport's risks. Harvard said it will seek collaboration from other institutions around the country and internationally.

Meanwhile, a federal judge will hear oral arguments in about two months on requests to throw out lawsuits by former players regarding concussions suffered while playing.

U.S. Eastern District Judge Anita Brody in Philadelphia on Tuesday scheduled an April 9 hearing on motions to dismiss the suit filed by the NFL Inc., NFL Properties Inc. and All American Sports Corp.

Players argue it's not a labor dispute that's governed by the collective bargaining agreement, but an issue that should be resolved through the courts.

Briefly

Bills: The team has reached an agreement with Rogers Media that will keep Rogers Centre as Buffalo's second home. The Bills will play one regular-season game in the Toronto stadium for the next five years and one preseason game in 2015. Buffalo is 1-4 in regular-season games in Toronto.

Panthers: Speaker of the North Carolina House Thom Tillis says there's a fear that Carolina could move if the team doesn't get financial help to upgrade Bank of America Stadium. Panthers owner Jerry Richardson is seeking $125 million from the city of Charlotte and $62.5 million from the state for the proposed $250 million project.

Saints: New Orleans was to bring in S Chad Jones for a workout today. Jones, a former LSU standout, was drafted by the Giants in 2010 but suffered severe injuries in a car accident shortly thereafter. He never played for the Giants and was waived in May after failing a physical.

Bengals: Jim Anderson has retired after 29 years as Cincinnati's running backs coach. His tenure was the longest with one team for any NFL position coach and the longest by any Bengals coach.

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