The Pioli Watch Thread

[cardken]

I'm hijacking the thread starter to use for an "updates" area. Sorry cardken. Here are a few recent updates:

Last updated 1/13/09 2:30pm CDT (final update)

Originally Posted by Basileus777

New England Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli has agreed to become head of football operations for the Kansas City Chiefs, two NFL sources confirmed to ESPN's Michael Smith.
The vice president for player personnel at New England, Pioli, 43, is close to Patriots coach Bill Belichick and has been with the Patriots for nine years. Pioli would find a warm welcome in Kansas City. At the last Chiefs' home game, shortly after the embattled Carl Peterson resigned after 20 years as president, general manager and CEO, several signs were spotted in the crowd proclaiming, "We want Pioli." Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3830515

[Jerm]

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.

Are you kidding me lol?

[DaFace]

I'm not sure why that article has the date it does. It came out Thursday.

http://www.projo.com/sports/jimdonal...3.3afd453.html

[KcMizzou]

Originally Posted by CMNERR

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

Nice read. Thanks.

[Ultra Peanut]

CW?

It's a done deal.

[nychief]

Originally Posted by CMNERR

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.

terribly written.

[Frankie]

Originally Posted by Mr. Plow

Wow you guys are quicker than I thought. Article was up at 10:05p on 1/10 & I posted it at 10:35p on 1/10 and didn't see it listed. Unless it's just an old article reposted by the Boston Globe.

Don't worry. Check out post 2750.

[Frankie]

Originally Posted by Ultra Peanut

A lot of people, not just on the Planet, seem to think Sanchez is going to get a second round grade.

Yyyyeah.

That, at first, sounds perfect for us. But (1) he WILL go in the first, and (2) if he doesn't, he won't make it past the Lions in round 2. If for some stupid reason he is still on the board late in the 1st, I hope we trade back up into the round ahead of the Kitties.

[eazyb81]

Originally Posted by Frankie

From a fan/spectator's point of view one of the most exciting D plays to me is the blitz. Schwartz, they were saying on the tube, hardly has any blitz package in his play-book. I'm not saying this to knock him, but I think the blitz is pretty exciting to watch. I'm sure he is a pretty good HC candidate though.

yeah, he doesn't blitz much, but I care more about the results rather than how he got there.

Tennessee has a great defense and their front four generates a ton of pressure. Also, player development is huge in my book, and Schwartz has turned KVB and Cortland Finnegan into Pro Bowlers, Haynesworth into the best DT in the league, and has great depth throughout that unit.

[Mr. Plow]

Originally Posted by Frankie

Don't worry. Check out post 2750.

Ya...I saw it right after that post. Oh well.....I called the repost police on myself.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by beach tribe

He doesn't blitz because 39 of the Titans 43? sacks came from the front four. There was no need to blitz, if he didn't have to take a man out of coverage to get pressure on the QB.

EDit: without THAT front four, he MIGHT be more inclined to blitz.

Meh. Defense in this era is about as exciting as a well executed fart.

[KChiefs1]

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/f...osition=recent

Quick hits: Scott Pioli, Jeff Jagodzinski, Matt Cassel...

By John Tomase / Quick hits | Sunday, January 11, 2009

* There has been speculation that Patriots personnel czar Scott Pioli deserves a “Bill Parcells” type deal with another team that would give him total control of the football operations and the ability to hire both a coach and general manager.

Pioli is more than welcome to seek such a deal. The question is why any team would give it to him.

It took Parcells almost three decades before the Dolphins provided his current arrangement as vice president of football operations. In those three decades, Parcells took the Giants and Patriots to the Super Bowl and rebuilt the Jets and Cowboys. Those four teams had his indelible stamp, and no one would question he was the architect of their success.

The same cannot be said of Pioli. While he has clearly played an integral role in the Patriots’ three Super Bowls, these are Bill Belichick’s teams, not his.

When the Patriots pulled off the Randy Moss trade two years ago, the negotiations began with Pioli and a Raiders executive and ended with Belichick and Al Davis.

Pioli has proven that he can work in concert with the greatest coach of this generation to field a consistent winner, and for that he deserves credit. But he hasn’t proven beyond a shadow of a doubt he can do it on his own.

He also has never had final decision-making responsibilities, and his next job will be the one where he proves he can make the final call. This is not to say he can’t do it -- if the success of Thomas Dimitroff in Atlanta is any indication, Pioli should be fine.

While the Browns and Chiefs were completely justified in making him their No. 1 general manager candidate, giving him any more power than that is unnecessary.

Parcells didn’t cut any corners along the way. Why should his son-in-law?

* With the Patriots failing to reach the playoffs and the Colts bounced in the first round, it was a tough couple of weeks for the old guard in the AFC.

The Pats and Colts have been the standard bearers in the conference for nearly a decade. While other teams have come and gone -- even the Steelers had a 6-10 season just five years ago -- the Pats and Colts have kept on truckin’ with largely the same cast, led by coaches Belichick and Tony Dungy and quarterbacks Tom Brady [stats] and Peyton Manning.

But the times are changing. Dungy is reportedly leaning toward stepping down after last weekend’s loss to the Chargers, while no one knows what kind of player Brady will be following reconstructive knee surgery.

Patriots fans hate to give the Colts their due, but Indy deserves respect for maintaining a level of excellence just a notch below the Pats’.

* What exactly is Boston College’s motivation in the Jeff Jagodzinski saga? A school that prides itself on producing upwardly mobile graduates tries to deny one of its employees the right to explore bettering himself?

Yeah, it stinks that the coach of two years viewed BC as a way station.

That’s life in the not-quite-big city.

Good luck now to the Eagles luring another high-profile coach to The Heights.

* With the Patriots reportedly set to franchise Matt Cassel, the assumption has been he won’t leave unless they trade him.

But there’s a chance, however remote, that Cassel could sign with another team, which would then give the Pats two first-round picks as compensation.

With teams trending away from surrendering high draft picks for players (a fourth-rounder for a certain Hall of Fame wideout springs to mind), that haul seems particularly steep for Cassel.

But if there’s a team out there that might consider it, it’s the Vikings.

Minnesota got bounced in the playoffs because the Eagles exposed Tavaris Jackson. With the league’s best running back (Adrian Peterson), a legitimate deep threat (Bernard Berrian) and an outstanding defense, the Vikes have all the other pieces in place.

All they’re missing is a quarterback. If they believe Cassel is that guy, they may deem two first-rounders a worthy price to pay.

[Smed1065]

Pioli, KC starting to bond
By Mike Reiss
Globe Staff / January 11, 2009

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Discussions between the Kansas City Chiefs and Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli have intensified, according to an NFL source. Although negotiations had not begun as of early last night, word out of Kansas City was that the possibility of a marriage was picking up momentum.
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Even before he interviewed last Monday, Pioli was presumed to be the Chiefs' top choice to run their football operation. That hasn't changed since Kansas City chairman Clark Hunt conducted a thorough, close-to-the-vest search that has included multiple candidates.

Hunt, interim president Denny Thum, and Pioli have increased their dialogue and think they could form a strong partnership, which is crucial, because regardless of whom the Chiefs hire, that person will have to work closely with Thum.

As part of the search for a general manager, Hunt has stated that he plans to split the job, with Thum handling business matters and the new hire focusing mostly on the football side. Although it has been suggested that Pioli, 43, might be seeking total control and thus wouldn't be comfortable with such an arrangement, the increased intensity of talks indicate that might not be the case.

Hunt has decided to split the job after former general manager Carl Peterson, who was with the club for 20 years, held both titles. In dividing the job, Hunt has said he wants a general manager who would be a "fresh set of eyes" and "shrewd evaluator of talent."

Pioli, a two-time Sporting News Executive of the Year Award winner, would qualify.

While Pioli and the Chiefs moved closer, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has emerged as a top candidate to become the Denver Broncos head coach, according to Adam Schefter of the NFL Network.

McDaniels had a second interview with the Broncos last Thursday

http://www.boston.com/sports/footbal...rting_to_bond/

[Smed1065]

[rad]

Okay, gang.......

[The Bad Guy]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/f...osition=recent

Quick hits: Scott Pioli, Jeff Jagodzinski, Matt Cassel...

By John Tomase / Quick hits | Sunday, January 11, 2009

* There has been speculation that Patriots personnel czar Scott Pioli deserves a “Bill Parcells” type deal with another team that would give him total control of the football operations and the ability to hire both a coach and general manager.

Pioli is more than welcome to seek such a deal. The question is why any team would give it to him.

It took Parcells almost three decades before the Dolphins provided his current arrangement as vice president of football operations. In those three decades, Parcells took the Giants and Patriots to the Super Bowl and rebuilt the Jets and Cowboys. Those four teams had his indelible stamp, and no one would question he was the architect of their success.

The same cannot be said of Pioli. While he has clearly played an integral role in the Patriots’ three Super Bowls, these are Bill Belichick’s teams, not his.

When the Patriots pulled off the Randy Moss trade two years ago, the negotiations began with Pioli and a Raiders executive and ended with Belichick and Al Davis.

Pioli has proven that he can work in concert with the greatest coach of this generation to field a consistent winner, and for that he deserves credit. But he hasn’t proven beyond a shadow of a doubt he can do it on his own.

He also has never had final decision-making responsibilities, and his next job will be the one where he proves he can make the final call. This is not to say he can’t do it -- if the success of Thomas Dimitroff in Atlanta is any indication, Pioli should be fine.

While the Browns and Chiefs were completely justified in making him their No. 1 general manager candidate, giving him any more power than that is unnecessary.

Parcells didn’t cut any corners along the way. Why should his son-in-law?

* With the Patriots failing to reach the playoffs and the Colts bounced in the first round, it was a tough couple of weeks for the old guard in the AFC.

The Pats and Colts have been the standard bearers in the conference for nearly a decade. While other teams have come and gone -- even the Steelers had a 6-10 season just five years ago -- the Pats and Colts have kept on truckin’ with largely the same cast, led by coaches Belichick and Tony Dungy and quarterbacks Tom Brady [stats] and Peyton Manning.

But the times are changing. Dungy is reportedly leaning toward stepping down after last weekend’s loss to the Chargers, while no one knows what kind of player Brady will be following reconstructive knee surgery.

Patriots fans hate to give the Colts their due, but Indy deserves respect for maintaining a level of excellence just a notch below the Pats’.

* What exactly is Boston College’s motivation in the Jeff Jagodzinski saga? A school that prides itself on producing upwardly mobile graduates tries to deny one of its employees the right to explore bettering himself?

Yeah, it stinks that the coach of two years viewed BC as a way station.

That’s life in the not-quite-big city.

Good luck now to the Eagles luring another high-profile coach to The Heights.

* With the Patriots reportedly set to franchise Matt Cassel, the assumption has been he won’t leave unless they trade him.

But there’s a chance, however remote, that Cassel could sign with another team, which would then give the Pats two first-round picks as compensation.

With teams trending away from surrendering high draft picks for players (a fourth-rounder for a certain Hall of Fame wideout springs to mind), that haul seems particularly steep for Cassel.

But if there’s a team out there that might consider it, it’s the Vikings.

Minnesota got bounced in the playoffs because the Eagles exposed Tavaris Jackson. With the league’s best running back (Adrian Peterson), a legitimate deep threat (Bernard Berrian) and an outstanding defense, the Vikes have all the other pieces in place.

All they’re missing is a quarterback. If they believe Cassel is that guy, they may deem two first-rounders a worthy price to pay.

What a garbage article.

What shortcut is Pioli taking?