What to expect from Pioli: Explaining the "Patriot Way"

[OnTheWarpath15]

Since there's been so much talk about what to expect from Pioli, especially regarding the draft, I thought I'd share some excerpts from the book "Patriot Reign" in which author Michael Holley is given 2 years of access to all parts of the organization.

It's a really good read for those of you who want to see how a championship organization is built.

Belichick and Pioli have a "manual" that they abide by regarding the organization.

Part of this manual is expectations for their QB:

1) Be the mentally toughest and hardest working player on the team.

2) Be able to take a big hit, and then walk into the huddle and call the next play.

3) Have his head screwed on straight enough to handle all the pressure and scrutiny to which all NFL QB's are subjected. (A Ryan Leaf fiasco can cripple a franchise for years - "You couldn't get anyone to say anything nice about Leaf when he was leaving," Pioli said. "His teammates were happy to see him leave Washington State. He was an asshole.")

4) If you want to know who the good QB's are, watch the passes they complete under a heavy rush. Watch the 1st downs they get on 3rd and long, passing into heavy coverage. Listen to what their teammates say about them.

Regarding the combine:

The Patriots were getting a feel for the players they wanted in the draft. None was a workout star.

They liked a center from BC, Dan Koppen, who had short arms and whose forty-times averaged 5.26. They needed help on the DL, that wasn't news. But who would have guessed they were falling for the shortest lineman there? A kid from Temple named Dan Klecko that wasn't quite 5-11?

They were eyeing Asante Samuel, who was one of the lightest CB's at 185 pounds. On his strength reps, Samuel bench-pressed 225 pounds nine times, which tied for the fewest among DB's. Not good.

It wasn't about numbers and stats. The Patriots said it, and they lived it.

Regarding the draft:

They love picks. Lots of picks. They had traded Tebucky Jones to New Orleans for picks, the night befor the draft, they took one of those picks from the Saints and made a swap with the Dolphins: The Patriots 3rd round pick for the Dolphins 2nd round pick the following year.

They were going into this day with 13 picks, and the plan was not to use them all. Those picks are your passport, allowing you to go wherever you wanted. You could stalk the board, getting who you wanted, and where you wanted them.

More on the draft:

Belichick and Pioli apply a theory to the draft. Write down the names of 25 college players they wanted to see on the Patriots. Put them into two categories, 1st day draftees and 2nd day draftees. If they needed to move up they had enough capital to control the board. They had a plan to strengthen the Patriots with draft choices.

[Fat Elvis]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Agree, 100%

Speaking of Herm, here's the coup de grâce as far as I'm concerned. Herm can't come close to this:

The team was smartly built, with one eye on the cap and the other on the field. They were good at figuring out how much better one player was than another, and seeing if the price matched the production. Jonathan Kraft is amazed at their ability to do that.

"Let's say there's a player who has a 100 rating, with really no upside beyond that. He's a solid 100, he'll be here a few years, he's making $4M. They can see another player who's a 75, making $500K, and has upside. They know they can put that kid in a system where the deficiencies between a 75 and 100 can be protected."

"They're never going to get into salary cap hell chasing that last elusive guy, or believing that one person makes your team. They are completely focused on team."

Sounds like there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth on the Planet as marquee FAs get passed by Pioli. I expect a few Hugh Douglas meltdowns until this franchise gets turned around.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by Fat Elvis

Sounds like there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth on the Planet as marquee FAs get passed by Pioli. I expect a few Hugh Douglas meltdowns until this franchise gets turned around.

Yep.

That's what I've been trying to say, while everyone else is focused on Suggs, Peppers, etc.

Even Clark said in his interviews this week that they'd be more active in FA, but not necessarily Tier 1 FA's, more like Tier 2/3 FA's.

Pioli made a comment in his presser too, something about signing 20 FA's one offseason, but only giving out $2.5M in signing bonuses, combined.

[Ebolapox]

Originally Posted by Fat Elvis

Sounds like there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth on the Planet as marquee FAs get passed by Pioli. I expect a few Hugh Douglas meltdowns until this franchise gets turned around.

screw it. if it gets us a super bowl, they could run around in nun outfits playing with legos as far as I'm concerned.

[Amnorix]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Yep.

That's what I've been trying to say, while everyone else is focused on Suggs, Peppers, etc.

Even Clark said in his interviews this week that they'd be more active in FA, but not necessarily Tier 1 FA's, more like Tier 2/3 FA's.

Pioli made a comment in his presser too, something about signing 20 FA's one offseason, but only giving out $2.5M in signing bonuses, combined.

Fans, by their nature, love the big names, and remain stubborn and committed to their preconceptions. Countless Patriots fans still don't get the BB/SP approach at all. Get used to beating your head against the wall endlessly as fans drool over the biggest names in free agency, even if they are over the hill and almost certain to be overpaid by some other team.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

Fans, by their nature, love the big names, and remain stubborn and committed to their preconceptions. Countless Patriots fans still don't get the BB/SP approach at all. Get used to beating your head against the wall endlessly as fans drool over the biggest names in free agency, even if they are over the hill and almost certain to be overpaid by some other team.

Doesn't bother me a bit.

I think most Tier 1 FA's are a terrible investment.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Pioli made a comment in his presser too, something about signing 20 FA's one offseason, but only giving out $2.5M in signing bonuses, combined.

I expect something similar this off-season, and, frankly, in some ways this would be the ultimate slap in the face to those that claim that Herm is a shrewd evaluator of talent.

If an organization is so depleted that the new GM has to start throwing numbers at the situation and hoping to hit on a couple with upside, that's ****ing embarrassing.

[Ebolapox]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Doesn't bother me a bit.

I think most Tier 1 FA's are a terrible investment.

don't get me wrong. I want us to sign suggs. but some team will throw the world at him, and it won't really be worth it. not to MENTION that I read today that his shoulder injury was so bad that the doctors said 'they hadn't seen one that bad ever.' (paraphrasing).

feels like kendrell bell v. 2.0.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

Fans, by their nature, love the big names, and remain stubborn and committed to their preconceptions.

Exactly. Euphemism for:

Most fans don't know a ****ing thing.

[Fish]

I'd love to be a fly in the room when Pioli is interviewing Krumrie..... I can imagine something along these lines...

Pioli: So Tim, tell me about your coaching methods.

Krumrie: WELL I LIKE TO GET PHYSICAL WITH THE PLAYERS! I HAVE THIS GRAPPLE TEST SEE WHERE I-

Pioli(Interupting): Yes, actually I've seen that. But how do you actually coach the players? What are your methods? How do you encourage improvement? What's the first thing you teach the rookie linemen?

Krumrie: ?

Pioli: OK, let's try a different method here. Tell me what you said to Glenn Dorsey when he first got to camp. How did you handle his conversion from college to the NFL? I know that can be tough on defensive linemen.

Krumrie: HE GRAPPLED GOOD!! STRONG KID!

Pioli: I think we're through here.

Krumrie: YOU WANNA WRESTLE?

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

I expect something similar this off-season, and, frankly, in some ways this would be the ultimate slap in the face to those that claim that Herm is a shrewd evaluator of talent.

If an organization is so depleted that the new GM has to start throwing numbers at the situation and hoping to hit on a couple with upside, that's ****ing embarrassing.

That's the thing.

I don't think Pioli "hopes to hit" on anyone.

He has a systematic approach that almost ensures "hits." If they don't fit the system, they're ignored.

I think his success rate might be down the first year or so, until it's established what the "Chiefs Way" is, but I'm with Amnorix on this one.

People here are going to be asking, "who the ****," and the guy becomes a solid starter for us.

The guy is like David ****ing Copperfield, and no one else in the league can seem to figure out how he's doing the trick.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by H5N1

don't get me wrong. I want us to sign suggs. but some team will throw the world at him, and it won't really be worth it. not to MENTION that I read today that his shoulder injury was so bad that the doctors said 'they hadn't seen one that bad ever.' (paraphrasing).

feels like kendrell bell v. 2.0.

Yep.

I mentioned Bell the other day.

There are too may teams like Washington that will throw money at guys that makes it financially irresponsible to get in a bidding war with.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by KC Fish

Pioli(Interupting): Yes, actually I've seen that. But how do you actually coach the players? What are your methods? How do you encourage improvement? What's the first thing you teach the rookie linemen?

Krumrie: ?

[Ultra Peanut]

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

That's the thing.

I don't think Pioli "hopes to hit" on anyone.

He has a systematic approach that almost ensures "hits." If they don't fit the system, they're ignored.

I think his success rate might be down the first year or so, until it's established what the "Chiefs Way" is, but I'm with Amnorix on this one.

People here are going to be asking, "who the ****," and the guy becomes a solid starter for us.

The guy is like David ****ing Copperfield, and no one else in the league can seem to figure out how he's doing the trick.

When he made the 20 player reference, what year was he alluding to? I assumed that most of these players were high-upside guys who ultimately became camp fodder. No way these 20 made the final 53, right? No way...

But as you just stated, some did and went on to become very solid players. The difference obviously being that Pioli is able to bring in more and bigger hits than the average bear because he is committed and meticulous when it comes to his overall plan.

I took his comment as a veiled reference to the imminent explosion at Arrowhead that was going to result in the shit canning of many a Gunther/Herm/Carl acquisition.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

When he made the 20 player reference, what year was he alluding to? I assumed that most of these players were high-upside guys who ultimately became camp fodder. No way these 20 made the final 53, right? No way...

But as you just stated, some did and went on to become very solid players. The difference obviously being that Pioli is able to bring in more and bigger hits than the average bear because he is committed and meticulous when it comes to his overall plan.

IIRC, 2001.