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http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2...iot_column.txt

Patriots must do everything in their power to hold on to Pioli

Sunday, January 11, 2009 6:41 AM EST

By Jim Donaldson, The Providence Journal

On New Year’s Day, New England Patriots fans — already suffering from the hangover of their team being out of the playoffs for the first time since the 2002 season — awoke to media reportss that Scott Pioli, Pats vice president of player personnel, would decide before the end of the day whether to take over as top football executive for the Cleveland Browns.

It’s now more than a week later, and Pats fans still are holding their breath while Pioli decides whether to go to the Browns (highly unlikely), or (possibly) to the Kansas City Chiefs — with whom he interviewed earlier this week, or remain in New England. While with the Patriots his personnel acquisitions over nine seasons have enabled the team to acquire three Super Bowl rings, win four AFC championships, record a perfect 16-0 regular season in 2007, and compile regular-season winning streaks of 18 games (2003-04) and 21 games (2006-08).

Let me say that I don’t know what Pioli’s going to do. Pioli himself has yet to decide what he was going to do, or at least hasn’t announced his decision.

But I certainly know what I would do if I were the Patriots. Or the Browns. Or the Chiefs.

I’d do whatever it took to have Pioli on my payroll.

From the Patriots’ standpoint, the reasons to retain him are obvious. He and head coach Bill Belichick work exceptionally well together and the results of their combined efforts approach the incredible — eight straight winning seasons, in seven of which the Pats have won at least 10 games.

The Patriots won a franchise-record, five straight AFC titles from 2003 through 2007, and six in seven years. Over the last six years, New England’s regular-season record is a dazzling, 77-19.

Like Green Bay in the ’60s, the Steelers in the ’70s, the 49ers in the ’80s, and the Cowboys in the ’90s, the Patriots are the dominant team of this decade, and Pioli has played a major role in the franchise’s success.

Pioli and his staff of scouts have done a first-rate job of identifying talented prospects that fit into the Patriots’ system and organization. He’s also done a first-rate job of enabling the Pats to continue to retain the players necessary for success under the trying conditions of the NFL salary cap.

Pioli is, quite simply, the best in the business, as the Patriots’ record attests.

Which is why, if I were owner Robert Kraft, I’d do everything possible to keep him.

And it’s also why, if I were Randy Lerner in Cleveland, or Carl Hunt in Kansas City, I’d do everything I could to lure Pioli away from New England.

From Pioli’s standpoint, there’s never been any indication that he’s unhappy here. His achievements have been recognized both publicly — he’s been NFL Executive of the Year three times (2003, 2004, 2007) — and contractually.

Still, the challenge of being in complete control of a franchise, with a paycheck commensurate with that responsibility, has to be tempting — more so in Kansas City than Cleveland.

You have to think that, if Pioli wanted the Browns job, he’d have taken it by now. The Browns announced the hiring of former Jets coach Eric Mangini Thursday and reportedly will be interviewing Eagles general manager Tom Heckert and Ravens pro personnel director George Kokinis for the GM post.

Mangini’s hiring increases the chances that former Browns coach Romeo Crennel will remain in Cleveland as defensive coordinator, and is yet another indication that Pioli won’t be joining them.

The connections between Pioli and Mangini extend beyond their years together in New England. Mangini is the brother-in-law of Cleveland Indians general manager Mark Shapiro, who is one of Pioli’s best friends, dating back to when Belichick was coaching the Browns and hired Pioli as a pro personnel assistant.

But Pioli was reported to favor Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz as Crennel’s replacement — perhaps a reflection of a rift with Mangini in the wake of his leaving New England for New York, which drew Belichick’s ire, and the Spygate controversy, which Mangini triggered.

It also has been reported that Mangini favors Kokinis for the GM job in Cleveland.

Those aren’t the only reasons that Kansas City appears to be a much better situation for Pioli.

The Hunt family, which has owned the franchise since its inception in the old American Football League, traditionally has been patient with its coaches and top executives — too patient, many Chiefs followers would say, with Carl Peterson, who resigned as GM last month after 20 years on the job.

Long a top franchise — Kansas City played in two of the first four Super Bowls, and made the playoffs six times from 1991-97 — the Chiefs have fallen on hard times, finishing 2-14 this season after going 4-12 last year with Herm Edwards as coach.

Presumably, the owners would have no problem giving Pioli complete control of football operations, including allowing him to bring in a new coach. The Chiefs also have considerable cap room, enabling Pioli to sign talented players, which could spark a quick turnaround. In any case, the Chiefs have nowhere to go but up.

We’ll soon see if Pioli wants to go to Kansas City.

If you’re a Patriots fan, you should be hoping he stays.