The myth of Pioli

[B_Ambuehl]

LOL I wonder if he's sharing that loaded contract he got from Clark with Bellichik.

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/c...148&position=0

This time it’s personnel
Building to collapse
By Ron Borges
Monday, December 7, 2009 - Updated 4m ago
+ Recent Articles

MIAMI - Slowly but inexorably they are dissolving in front of our eyes. It is a process that didn’t begin this year for the New England Patriots [team stats] but way back in 2004, when nobody was paying attention to much else but the lifting of another Super Bowl banner.

That season they won their third Super Bowl in four seasons but also began a widely ignored decline that manifested itself emphatically the past month and came to a sad head yesterday at Land Shark Stadium when they lost for the third time in four weeks, blowing a 14-0 lead to be beaten at the buzzer by the Miami Dolphins [team stats], 22-21.

Five years ago, the Patriots draft garnered two starters, both on the first round. Not another player drafted in April of 2004 is still in uniform. That fallowness continued in 2005 when they again picked only two current starters. In 2006, they got only one, running back Laurence Maroney [stats], plus kicker Stephen Gostkowski. Then came the disaster of 2007, when only first-round pick Brandon Meriweather was good enough to still be in pro
football.

It is a bit early to know about 2008 but other than linebacker Jerod Mayo it again appears to be a sad lot. Second- and third-round picks Terrence Wheatley and Shawn Crable seldom see the field (Crable never has) and it is becoming increasingly more disastrous that cornerback Jonathan Wilhite sees so much of it. In those five years, the Patriots drafted 41 players and got eight starters, six on the first round. Otherwise they got what Bill Belichick kept saying was “value.” Yesterday, it didn’t look that way.

Free agency has produced similarly skimpy results. Early hits were made on Rodney Harrison [stats] and Mike Vrabel, but after that the cupboard has been bare. They paid $30 million to Adalius Thomas and promised he could cover Ocho Cinco and sack Peyton Manning. He’s done neither. Shawn Springs signed a three-year, $10.5 million deal last spring and hasn’t played a snap in a month, while poor Wilhite struggles out of position because he’s a nickel back asked to play corner and rookie Darius Butler goes out and proves that while he has potential he never saw receivers at UConn like the ones catching balls behind and in front of him now, as Greg Camarillo did on fourth-and-6 on the game’s most critical play yesterday.

While there were fruitful trades for Randy Moss and Wes Welker, they have netted big numbers but no championships, which is the same amount Moss’ teams have won since he first came into the NFL.

These facts led New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton to tell his team before last Monday night’s game to be stout hearted and unafraid because “this isn’t the team that accomplished all that stuff.” Although his language was more colorful, his point was clear. These Patriots aren’t those Patriots.

“It’s not for lack of effort,” center Dan Koppen said not long after Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter nailed a 41-yard field goal and Tom Brady [stats] responded by throwing his second interception of the day with :35 to play as Cameron Wake hammered him.

Koppen is right. The Patriots’ problems are not from lack of effort or lack of planning. They are from lack of talent. Not so lacking that they aren’t competitive, but lacking enough that most every game is a struggle now.

Today everyone will say, “They need a better pass rush.” From whom?

They will say, “They need better pass coverage.” From whom?

Some will say they need to run the ball more to take pressure off Brady and his ailing ring finger, sore shoulder and aching ribs. By whom?

Years ago, Chuck Fairbanks said it best. “It’s not about X’s and O’s. It’s about Jimmys and Joes.” For half a decade with the Pats people believed otherwise. In Bill We Trust became the motto, but does anyone honestly believe Bill Belichick forgot how to coach? A guy who has been watching game film since he was 6 now can’t break down film and discover a team’s weaknesses?

That’s not the problem. The problem is he can’t ask people to do what they are not capable of doing. Or, worse, he does and you end up with Sam Aiken, a guy brought here to replace Larry Izzo [stats] on special teams, as your third receiver making one great catch for a touchdown and dropping two key ones. Did he have a great game or a disastrous one? Probably both, which is A) not his fault because he’s playing a role he was never supposed to, and B) not something Belichick can change.

“We’ve got to find a way to play better football for 60 minutes in all phases,” Brady said. “Everyone has to focus on what they need to do better. I think that’s the most important thing. And be mentally tough to overcome adversity and if things don’t go your way, you’ve got to fight back. That’s a challenge for all of us. At times I think we do, and other times, I don’t think we fight very hard.”

The latter is a damning statement, but it’s also part of what separates the 2001 Pats from today’s. Remaining undaunted is a skill too and not everyone has it.

“We have leads in the second half, and leads in the fourth quarter,” Brady continued. “We’re just not closing the game out when we have the opportunity to. We’re searching for the answers, too.

“Coach always says, ‘You get what you deserve.’ In too many ways, you don’t deserve to win when you make as many mistakes as we do.”

That’s true whether you make them on the field or in the front office.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

He was basically a consultant.

It is well established that Belichick is the guy in complete control there. Hell, when NE replaced Pioli, they brought in a consultant to do so.

Guys like Bill Simmons (who have inside contacts w/ the Patriots organization) have said that Belichick wields all the power.)

Worst spin-off of the decade: Joey Tribbiani getting his own show, Heidi Montag's music career or Scott Pioli getting his own team? (Waiting.) Do you need more time? Fine, you can have more time. Just remember, my peeps back in New England always swore that Belichick made every minor/major decision for the Pats -- literally, every single one -- while Pioli was along for the ride like DJ Jazzy Jeff. Actually, that's an insult to DJ Jazzy Jeff. But you get the idea.

ok a consultant. wow. and then you quote a guy who says "my peeps say such and such" wow thats awe inspiring. do you actually think that BB could scout players, sign players, come up with playbooks, come up with offensive AND defensive game plans ( that week to week were like night and day) sweep the floors, etc? DO YOU?

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by Mecca

After watching Cassel play this year I don't know how anyone can defend him. Yea he sucked throwing the deep ball cause Moss was dogging it right? Yea guess what he still ****ing sucks throwing the deep ball, he's still inaccurate as ****, he still has no pocket awareness at all.

He has more games of under 100 yards passing than over 250, this is suppose to be our franchise guy.

None of this was brought up when the team was on a 2 game winning streak.

[keg in kc]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

I don't think it's too early to tell at all.

Honestly tell me who we've acquired since February that you think even has the remote possibility of becoming a core player here.

Here's my list:

Succop
Jackson


And Jackson is a case of "I hope" and not, "I think."

The rest have shown nothing to lead someone to believe that they'll be anything more than role players, rotational guys or special teamers - at best.

It's too early to say because they (I assume) have more than one offseason to acquire those core players.

That's why "are they a success or a failure" is a question to be answered in 2011, if not 2012. Their success or failure will be the product of the combined success (or lack thereof) of a number of moves made over several years.

Which is not a statement that in any way, shape or form should be considered as support for Pioli or anybody else, or as an excuse or absolution for a painful 2009 season, it's just an acknowledgment that I don't have the ability to see the future, and that the events of 2009 may or may not be a sign of things to come.

I don't think it's time to jump of a bridge yet, that's all I'm saying. It's too soon.

That doesn't mean I'm convinced that there won't be a reason to jump off a bridge later on. There's as much opportunity for bad moves going forward as there is for good ones.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

I could care less about the money, to be honest, because we have the cap space to eat it this year and next.

What troubles me is the commitment that the $$$ signifies.

it doesnt signify shit. it was a good move financially speaking. he sucks we have 28 mil invested no matter what (contract or franchising) if he blew up this year with no contract we would pay more next year to resign him

[The Bad Guy]

Originally Posted by Mecca

You do understand there is a difference in taking a 4-3 DT you think can be Warren Sapp that some thought was the drafts best player and taking a guy who is a teens player.

Not to mention lineman in the 4-3 and 3-4 are not the same Dorsey was drafted to be an impact player Jackson will likely never be one.

And I also understand that last year's draft class was shit. I do not think Tyson Jackson is some world beater. But I will give him more than his rookie year to say he's shit.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by Mecca

After watching Cassel play this year I don't know how anyone can defend him. Yea he sucked throwing the deep ball cause Moss was dogging it right? Yea guess what he still ****ing sucks throwing the deep ball, he's still inaccurate as ****, he still has no pocket awareness at all.

He has more games of under 100 yards passing than over 250, this is suppose to be our franchise guy.

oh the parrot learned a new phrase today

[BigChiefFan]

Scott Pioli Vice President - Player Personnel




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scott Pioli is in his ninth season with the Patriots and along with Head Coach Bill Belichick has instilled a football philosophy designed to create a consistent championship contender in New England. Their work has produced an NFL-best three Super Bowl championships, four conference titles and six division crowns in the seven seasons since 2001. Pioli and Belichick's nine seasons together makes them the NFL's longest-tenured current personnel director/ head coach tandem.

Pioli's primary personnel objective is to build a team, not to simply collect individual talent. As a result, the Patriots have been able to prosper despite the NFL realities of injuries and the salary cap, which have proven in many cases to be impediments to long-term success in pro football. The depth and versatility of the clubs that Pioli and Belichick have assembled have been integral to the Patriots' success, as players from a wide spectrum of previous experience have played important roles in the team's achievements.

Once Pioli and Belichick arrived in New England in 2000, it took the pair just two seasons to rebuild the foundation of the team. Since orchestrating the franchise's first Super Bowl victory following the 2001 season, Pioli and Belichick have produced consistently solid results, becoming the only personnel director/head coach tandem in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in a four-year span (2001-04). The Patriots are the only NFL team to win at least one playoff game in each of the last five seasons (2003-07) and are the only team in the league to win nine or more games in each of the last seven seasons (2001-07). Additionally, New England's 11 playoff wins over the last five seasons are tied for the highest total by a team over any five-year span in NFL history. The Patriots' 14 playoff wins this decade tie the NFL record for most playoff wins in any decade, equaling the marks of the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers and the 1970s Dallas Cowboys.

In recognition of his achievements, Pioli was awarded The Sporting News' George Young NFL Executive of the Year award (voted on by NFL executives) following the 2003 and 2004 seasons. He is one of just three NFL executives, along with Bill Polian and Bobby Beathard, to win the award in consecutive years. Pioli is the youngest executive to win the award.

In 2007, the Patriots embarked on a record-setting campaign during which they became the first team in NFL history to complete a 16-0 regular season. Of the 53 players on the Patriots' Super Bowl XLII roster, 50 were acquired since 2000. New England set team records for total points scored (589), largest point differential (+315) and most touchdowns (75), while tying the league mark with 18 overall wins. Additionally, quarterback Tom Brady's 50 touchdown passes set an NFL record and Randy Moss's 23 touchdown receptions also set a league mark.

In each of the last five seasons, the depth and versatility of New England's roster helped overcome key injuries to win five straight AFC East titles. The Patriots have used an average of 40 different starters over the last five seasons, and claimed two NFL records for success in that category. In 2005, the Patriots set a post-merger league record for a division champion by utilizing 45 different starters. In 2003, the Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVIII despite using 42 different starters, the most in league history by a Super Bowl champion. In 2004, the Patriots employed 40 different starters as they won their second consecutive Super Bowl, and in 2006 won their fourth straight AFC East title while using 39 different starters. Last season, the Patriots tied the all-time NFL record with 21 different players scoring touchdowns. Of the 53 players on the Patriots' Super Bowl XLII roster, 43 were acquired after the team's first championship in 2001 and 31 were acquired since the team's third title in 2004.

The Patriots have used an effective combination of free agent signings, trades and draft picks to acquire championship-caliber players. In 2007, six Patriots players drafted by Belichick and Pioli were selected to the Pro Bowl and were named to the Associated Press All-Pro first or second teams. Those elite players came from a wide variety of draft positions - Tom Brady (sixth round), Dan Koppen (fifth round), Matt Light (second round), Logan Mankins (first round), Asante Samuel (fourth round) and Vince Wilfork (first round). Since 2000, Belichick/Pioli draft choices have earned one Associated Press Most Valuable Player Award (Brady), three Super Bowl MVP awards (Brady and Deion Branch) and 15 Pro Bowl berths (Seymour 5, Brady 4, Light 2, Koppen 1, Mankins 1, Samuel 1 and Wilfork 1). Veteran free agents signed by Belichick and Pioli include defensive co-captain Rodney Harrison, outside linebacker Mike Vrabel and three-time Pro Bowl special teams captain Larry Izzo among dozens of other contributors to New England's championship squads. New England's trades have netted improvement in drafting position that led to the ability to exchange draft picks for key veterans such as Randy Moss, who set the NFL record with 23 touchdown receptions in 2007, Wes Welker, who tied for the NFL lead with a team-record 112 receptions in 2007, and Corey Dillon, who set the Patriots' single-season rushing record in 2004.

Pioli was honored with Executive of the Year honors from national media outlets following the 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2007 seasons. Following the Patriots' first Super Bowl victory, the Dallas Morning News picked him as the league's top executive. Two seasons later, following Super Bowl XXXVIII, he earned Executive of the Year honors from Pro Football Weekly (voted on by the media), The Sporting News (voted on by NFL executives) and Sports Illustrated. In 2004, Pioli's accolades included the NFLPA's Award for Executive Achievement and NFL Executive of the Year awards from The Sporting News, USA Today, the San Francisco Chronicle and SI.com. In 2007, Pioli again earned Executive of the Year honors from Pro Football Weekly, the Dallas Morning News and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Pioli began his NFL career when Belichick hired him as a pro personnel assistant for the Cleveland Browns in 1992. In Cleveland, he was responsible for the evaluation of both college prospects and veteran free agents as well as negotiating various player contracts. He also coordinated all player tryouts. He was promoted to director of pro personnel after the Cleveland franchise moved to Baltimore in 1996. He spent one season with the Baltimore Ravens, where he oversaw all aspects of pro personnel and negotiated the contracts of free agents and several draft choices.

In 1997, while serving as head coach of the Jets, Belichick hired Pioli as the director of pro personnel. He was credited with the signing of a number of veteran free agents who played critical roles in the Jets' rebuilding process. In just two seasons, the Jets completed a worst-to-first turnaround, rebounding from 1-15 in 1996 to 12-4 in 1998. The 12 wins were the most in franchise history and gave the Jets their first division title since 1968.

Pioli played defensive tackle at Central Connecticut State (1983-87), where he was a three-time Division II All- New England selection. In 1988, after graduating with a degree in communications, he accepted a two-year graduate assistant position at Syracuse University, where he also earned a master's degree from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

He accepted a full-time coaching opportunity at Murray State, where he spent one season as the offensive line coach (1990) and one season as the defensive line coach (1991). He left the coaching ranks to join the Browns personnel department in 1992.

Pioli was born on March 31, 1965 in Washingtonville, N.Y. He is an avid baseball fan. He currently serves on the board of directors for various non-profit foundations and serves on the board of directors for the College for Every Student Foundation, a national non-profit organization that partners with public schools in high-need communities to raise student aspirations and performance. He remains actively involved in fund raising for several organizations in his hometown (Washingtonville, N.Y.) and at his alma mater (Central Connecticut State). He established the Rose Pioli Scholarship in the name of his grandmother to benefit children of educators, professional firefighters, police and other emergency medical service providers. He was enshrined in the Central Connecticut State Hall of Fame in 2005. Scott and his wife, Dallas, have a daughter, Mia Costa Pioli.

[The Bad Guy]

Originally Posted by billay

None of this was brought up when the team was on a 2 game winning streak.

You're right. Mecca was in hiding for that.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Yep. Time.

Another wasted 3 years.

Then 2+ years of growing pains with a rookie QB.

Instead, we're getting 3 years of growing pains with a 27 year old.

why 3 years? we already had this discussion, ask bigrock for the numbers again

[philfree]

Originally Posted by billay

None of this was brought up when the team was on a 2 game winning streak.

Some people were no where to be found when the Chiefs won two in a row but now that they've lost two in a row those people seemed to have returned. Go Figure.


PhilFree

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by billay

Yea and Cassel sucked cuz he didn't win 16 games like Brady. Now it looks like Brady won't win the 11 games Cassel won. Keep the contradictions coming boys.

This year the Pats are 2nd in the AFC in passing.

Last year they were 6th.

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by The Bad Guy

You're right. Mecca was in hiding for that.

I guess, I respect Mecca and give him the benefit of the doubt he was busy. Anyway I see a correlation between the O-line play and Cassels performance. Get him some O-line help and we won't be discussing his play.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

it doesnt signify shit. it was a good move financially speaking. he sucks we have 28 mil invested no matter what (contract or franchising) if he blew up this year with no contract we would pay more next year to resign him

If he blew up this year with no contract, why would we re-sign him?

[Mecca]

Hiding, you really think that had anything to do with me not being here?

You know god forbid I had things to do other than post on the ****ing Chiefsplanet forum.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by billay

None of this was brought up when the team was on a 2 game winning streak.

"Not For Long"

"What can you do for me today"?

Consistent progress please. Nothing more was asked for. Nothing.