CLEVELAND -- Eric Mangini is the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns, a week after being fired by the New York Jets.

A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that Mangini will be introduced Thursday at a news conference at the team's headquarters in Berea.

The 37-year-old Mangini agreed to a four-year deal with the club Wednesday, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because contract details had yet to be finalized.

Mangini began his NFL career as a ballboy with the Browns in 1994 under then-coach Bill Belichick. Now he's taking over the job of one of his best friends in football, fired Browns coach Romeo Crennel.

Mangini went 23-25 and made the playoffs once in three seasons with the Jets, who stumbled down the stretch to lose four of their last five games and miss the playoffs after an 8-3 start.

His tenure in New York was tumultuous. When he arrived, Mangini inherited a 4-12 Jets team and led them to 10 wins in his first season, prompting New York's tabloids to dub him "Mangenius." By the end of his run in the NFL's largest market, he was being called moody, dour and controlling.

Mangini took the fall after the Jets finished a disastrous stretch where they lost to Denver, San Francisco and Seattle -- three non-playoff teams -- in the final month behind 39-year-old quarterback Brett Favre's injured arm and questionable play calling by Mangini.

• Pacman done in Dallas: At Irving Texas, troubled cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones was released by the Dallas Cowboys following a season in which he was suspended six games for an off-field fight.

The announcement came Wednesday, but the transaction will not become official until Feb. 9, the first day NFL teams can make waiver requests.

The Cowboys traded for Jones before the season even though he had been suspended for the 2007 season because of a series of off-field incidents.

He missed six games this season for violating the league's player conduct policy after an Oct. 7 scuffle with a team bodyguard at a Dallas hotel. He missed a seventh game with an injury.

Jones averaged just 4.6 yards per punt return and had no interceptions.

• Boldin sits out practice with hamstring injury: At Tempe, Ariz., Arizona wide receiver Anquan Boldin rested his injured hamstring on Wednesday and said he's not sure he'll play in the divisional playoff at Carolina.

Boldin hurt the hamstring on a 71-yard touchdown catch in Arizona's 30-24 victory over Atlanta in the wild-card round last weekend. He's undergoing treatment but doesn't plan to test the hamstring before gametime on Saturday.

"Still tight," said Boldin, who watched practice with his red No. 81 jersey draped over his shoulder. "I'm not sure at this point. I'm just taking it a day at a time, trying to do what I can to get it better.

"I'm just trying to lay off it right now," he added. "Just rest it. Do enough to get me going but not to aggravate it."

If Boldin can't go, the Cardinals will rely more heavily on another Pro Bowl receiver, Larry Fitzgerald. Steve Breaston, who caught 77 passes for 1,006 yards and three touchdowns, is also likely to play a bigger role, as will rookie Early Doucet.

The Cardinals went 3-1 without Boldin this season, defeating Buffalo, Dallas and Seattle at home and losing at New England.

• L.T. confirms torn tendon in groin: At San Diego, LaDainian Tomlinson confirmed Wednesday that he has a torn tendon in his groin and listed himself as doubtful for the San Diego Chargers' playoff game at Pittsburgh on Sunday.

"It's definitely torn," Tomlinson said after sitting out Wednesday's practice. "I can't really elaborate on it because I don't want to give too much information away."

Tomlinson was hurt in a 52-21 rout against Denver in the regular-season finale on Dec. 28 that clinched the AFC West. title. The team has listed him as having a strained groin.

Reports surfaced prior to Saturday's wild-card win against the Indianapolis Colts that Tomlinson has a detached tendon that connects one of his groin muscles to his pubic bone.