via uponfurtherreview.kansascity.com

We'll be taking a look at the Patriots drafts from '00-'06.  '07 and '08 will not be judged because the players haven't been given time to fully develop/destruct.

A hit is any player that turned out to be a starter or main contributor for the Pats.  Some players only started a year or two for the Pats but are considered a hit because of their draft position (Ex: 5th round pick that starts 3 years is a hit).

A miss is any player that didn't become a starter or main contributor drafted before the 5th round.  The fickle nature of the draft doesn't allow for many safe assumptions after the 5th round.

For a full listing of the Patriots draft picks during the Pioli era, check out this FanPost by Offense of the 70s.

2000

Hit: Greg Randall (4th round), Tom Brady (6th round)

Miss: Adrian Klemm (2nd round), J.R. Redmond (3rd round)

The first draft of the Pioli-Belichick era produced arguably the greatest draft pick ever in Tom Brady.  With a selection like that, the rest is icing on the cake.

Ed. Note: Pioli wasn't the director of personnel until 2001.

2001

Hit: Richard Seymour (1st round), Matt Light (2nd round)

Miss: Brock Williams (3rd round)

Other than quarterback, left tackle and defensive end are the most premium position in the NFL.  Pioli and the Pats nailed both positions in round 1 and 2.  Both have started every year since.

2002

Hit: Daniel Graham (1st round), Deion Branch (2nd round), Jarvis Green (4th round), David Givens (7th round)

Miss: None

Deion Branch cost a 2nd round pick, but returned a higher value (1st rounder) in a trade with the Seahawks.

2003

Hit: Ty Warren (1st round), Eugene Wilson (2nd round), Asante Samuel (4th round), Dan Koppen (5th round), Tully Banta-Cain (7th round), Ethan Kelley (7th round)

Miss: Bethel Johnson (2nd round)

Warren is another defensive end - a propensity for defensive ends?  I'll take it!  Banta-Cain has been with the team for 5 years and Kelley was with the team 3 years.  Not bad for a pair of 7th rounders.

2004

Hit: Vince Wilfork (1st round)

Miss: Guss Scott (3rd round)

Ben Watson was also a 1st round pick and while his numbers were probably not 1st round worthy, he was a contributor for 3 years, and a starter for 2 years.

2005

Hit: Logan Mankins (1st round), Ellis Hobbs (3rd round), Nick Kaczur (3rd round), Matt Cassel (7th round)

Miss: None

Two offensive line starters and a guy whose looking to make the Tom Brady selection in the 6th round a forgotten memory.

2006

Hit: Laurence Maroney (1st round), Stephen Gostkowski, (4th round)

Miss: Chad Jackson (2nd round), David Thomas (3rd round), Garrett Mills (4th round)

Maroney's been a good addition when healthy (which is becoming an increasingly bigger issue with him). 

Hitting the important picks

Pioli and Co. hit the important picks.  They haven't been like the Chiefs completely whiffing on 1st round picks in recent years.  Since Pioli's arrival, the only real 1st round misses are Daniel Graham and Ben Watson which even then both players started multiple years for the team (they just weren't 1st round TE material statistically).

The Brady draft pick

Much has been made about Tom Brady as a 6th round selection.  From what I've heard Pioli and Belichick didn't initially want to select him but they decided to listen to their scouts.  Sometimes loosening your grip on personnel and trusting the advice of those you surround yourself with is just as important as making the final call on a draft pick.

Some interesting notes about the Patriots ability to "plug n' play" via Upon Further Review:

• 2005 Division Championship: 45 different starters.  NFL Record.
• 2003 Super Bowl Championship: 42 different starters. NFL Record (at the time).
  
• Only 10 players remain from the 2001 Super Bowl team. 

The last one excites me the most.  The Chiefs have had a tendency to hold onto their great players after their prime.  To pay guys based on what you have done versus what you can do.  To hold onto our glory years.  Pioli's track record would indicate he's likely learned the importance of judging a player based on what he can do for your oganization.  He's also likely learned the best time to dump a player that has high value (Ex: Deion Branch).

Regardless of whether you believe it was Belichick or Pioli making the final call on the draft, one of Pioli's jobs was to develop these scouting reports that have worked so well.  Maybe it was Belichick who gave the final okay, but Pioli gave him the information to make that decision.

via www.projo.com

Jason Whitlock at his finest:

But when it comes to the Patriots and success, we just don’t know where Belichick ends and everybody else begins. The Patriots are like the Jackson 5, and Belichick is Michael Jackson. Crennel and Weis proved to be Tito and Jackie.

Is Pioli the next Jermaine Jackson, who had a solid solo career? Or, better yet, is Pioli the next Janet Jackson, a megastar just waiting for the opportunity to shine?

Pioli on what he's learned as a talent evaluator:

"Not to get caught up in the numbers. The things like height, weight and speed. The test numbers. It's not getting too caught up in numbers. I've made mistakes by getting caught up with the workouts. Tom Brady took some heat recently when they showed a video of his running a 40-yard dash. Tommy's speed and running has nothing to do with his pocket presence. Here is a guy, he has vision. He has the feel. He has the sense. He knows when to step up, so his athleticism is due to his awareness. Ted Bruschi, his instincts are incredible. They're rare. He plays a lot faster than what his numbers on paper would indicate. Ty Warren's strength-I remember when Ty was coming out, his overall wasn't great but he has this brute strength. Wes Welker is another guy. He has enough quickness to get away from folks."

The closest link to Bill Belichick:

As bad as those losses are, even collectively they may not equal the impact of Pioli. Bill Belichick's right-hand man for nine years, the 43-year-old played an integral role in the team’s drafting and free agent signings.

He shared an extremely close relationship with Belichick, as evidenced by the coach’s surprisingly personal statement yesterday.

Adam Teicher:

For Pioli’s position, Hunt interviewed several other candidates, including New York Giants pro personnel director Dave Gettleman and a couple of former NFL general managers, Ted Sundquist of Denver and Floyd Reese of Tennessee.

But from the start, the Chiefs seemed intent on hiring Pioli.

"It was a one-horse race," a second source said.

No shortage of work ethic in Pioli:

Those close to Pioli say he is a tireless worker, some workdays lasting upwards of 20 hours. If there was an extra assignment left over from a less motivated coworker, former Murray State coach Mahoney says, Pioli would pick it up himself and do what he could before shutting the lights off for the night. Nothing could come between Pioli and football — nothing except Dallas Parcells.

Leaving no stones unturned:

He showed a great instinct for scouting players. Even more, though, he worked for any advantage, any extra information, anything that could help the team win. When the Browns were interested in drafting offensive lineman Orlando Brown, Pioli went down to South Carolina State and personally worked him out — getting knocked all over the field.

Bob Gretz:

Not a lot is known about just how the Patriots operated in the draft room, but we know Belichick had the final say so. We also know he had a great deal of faith in Pioli and his scouts’ ability to match college players with what Belichick was looking for on his roster. There was most definitely a plan, and most definitely a template for physical characteristics and skills at certain positions.

This will never get old.

ESPN:

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 told ESPN's Michael Smith.

Pioli was seen packing up his office Tuesday afternoon, a Patriots source said.

National Football Post:

Sources close to The National Football Post have informed us that New England Patriots Vice President of Player Personnel, Scott Pioli, has accepted an offer to become Head of Football Operations for the Kansas City Chiefs. This ends weeks of speculation as to where Pioli would end up, or if he would stay on board with the Patriots for the 2009 season.

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network:

The Chiefs hired Patriots vice president - player personnel Scott Pioli on Tuesday to be the team’s general manager. Pioli, 43, was considered one of the masterminds behind the Patriots dynasty that won three Super Bowls and four AFC titles over a span of eight seasons.

Pats Pulpit

Our worst nightmare?

Arrowhead Addict

Holy Pioli! Scott Pioli accepts Chiefs GM job!

And last, but certainly not least, Arrowhead Pride:

Welcome to a truly new era Chiefs fans. Clark Hunt has successfully moved out of the shadow of his father Lamar with the biggest front office move by the Chiefs in twenty years.

This is Clark Hunt's team now.

Think we're excited? First non-gameday overflow thread!

UPDATE #1: 610 Sports is reporting that Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo interviewed with Clark Hunt in Dallas for the head coaching job.  H/T Ridiculous Matt

UPDATE #2: ESPN is reporting that Herm Edwards learned of Pioli's hiring through the media and has sent his assistants home to await word of their fate.  H/T Lanier63

UPDATE #3: From the man himself, Clark Hunt (H/T oldchiefsfan):

“We are very excited to welcome Scott to the Chiefs,” Hunt said. “With his proven track record of success, Scott is the finest player personnel executive in the NFL, and we look forward to his leadership in building a championship organization.”

Statement from Patriots owner Robert Kraft (via Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe):

“Scott Pioli was an integral part of the many championships the New England Patriots have celebrated this decade and I would like to thank him for his countless contributions throughout the past nine seasons. Scott is a great evaluator of talent. He is thorough in his evaluations, extremely organized and has done a tremendous job mining all possible resources to help Coach Belichick and his staff field the players needed to win consistently. He has played an important role in building a championship tradition with players that I am proud to call Patriots. On behalf of the entire Patriots organization, I wish Scott continued success in his new role and offer best wishes to his wonderful wife Dallas, and their beautiful daughter Mia. I think Clark Hunt and the Kansas City Chiefs have made a very wise hire.”

From Bill Belichick:

"To sum up in words everything Scott Pioli has meant to this organization and to me personally would be difficult, if not impossible. From the day I met him, he has demonstrated a passion for football and respect for the game that is second to none. It has been extremely gratifying for me to follow Scott's career ascension from the bottom of the totem pole in Cleveland to his place as a pillar of championship teams in New England. Now with the opportunity to steer his own ship and a vision of building a winner, there is no more capable, hardworking, loyal, team-oriented person than Scott Pioli."

"On a personal level, the Belichick-Pioli bond runs far deeper than our workplace, as we and our families have shared countless memories away from football. Working side by side with one of my best friends for almost two decades is special enough in itself. But to help each other achieve success beyond our dreams is a blessing and something I will always remember and appreciate."

The wait is over Chiefs fans.

Nearly a month after the Kansas City Chiefs' long time general manager Carl Peterson resigned, the team has found its new GM: Former Patriots VP of Player Personnel Scott Pioli.

From ESPN.com:

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 should 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."

Pioli remained the Chiefs top choice to replace Carl Peterson since the long time GM resigned in mid December. The former Patriots exec has been the hot choice for teams searching for a new GM for years and now the Chiefs have him.

Ramifications of this hire

Clark Hunt repeatedly made the point that the new Chiefs GM will be a large part of the decision on whether or not to retain Herm Edwards as head coach. More than likely, Herm will not return as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2009. Pioli will almost assuredly want to work from a clean slate.

Keeping with the head coach thoughts, Pioli was also rumored to be interested in bringing either Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz or Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels with him as the new head coach. McDaniels was recently hired by the Denver Broncos.

We'll have full coverage of the Chiefs' head coach search as well, should it come to that.

I think you can expect a good portion, if not all, of the Chiefs' coaching staff to leave the team at some point.

Scott Pioli Quick Hits:

• 43-years old
• Worked with the Browns as Pro Personnel Assistant ('92-'95); Ravens as the Director of Pro Personnel ('96); Jets as the Director of Pro Personnel ('97-'00); and Patriots as the Director of Player Personnel (2001) and the Vice President of Player Personnel (2001-2009)
• Pioli and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick have led the Patriots to three Super Bowl championships and five division titles
• Youngest and only one of three NFL executives to win the Sporting News' George Young NFL Executive of the Year Award in consecutive years (2003 and 2004), along with being named Executive of the Year a number of times by a number of media outlets
• Son-in-law to Bill Parcells

Welcome to a truly new era Chiefs fans. Clark Hunt has successfully moved out of the shadow of his father Lamar with the biggest front office move by the Chiefs in twenty years.

This is Clark Hunt's team now.

H/T to UC, Royals Retro and the hundred other people who called and IMed me.

UPDATE #1: 610 Sports is reporting that Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo interviewed with Clark Hunt in Dallas for the head coaching job.  H/T Ridiculous Matt

UPDATE #2: ESPN is reporting that Herm Edwards learned of PIoli's hiring through the media and has sent his assistants home to await word of their fate.  H/T Lanier63

Jack Harry of KSHB-TV, talking about the Kansas City Chiefs' head coaching candidates, adds Ravens' DC Rex Ryan into the mix. Even though Herm is still the head coach.

Here's the quick summary about the candidates Harry mentions for those without access to the video (Pretty much news we've heard before):

• Iowa HC Kirk Ferentz currently has 3 years, $12 million on his contract. Herm is currently getting 4 years, $12 million
• Mike Shanahan apparently reached out to the Chiefs. Salary may be a problem- Shanny's last contract was 3 years, $21 million. That's quite a bit more than Herm's.
• Ravens DC Rex Ryan may be a head coaching candidate

Nothing ground breaking here but it's "news" I suppose. And it's fun to post videos.

H/T Eric Allen in the comments.

Get used to this face on the Denver sideline.

via images.stltoday.com

When I caught wind of the news that the Broncos have hired Josh McDaniels as head coach I didn't know what to think.  On the one hand, there's been plenty of speculation that the Chiefs #1 candidate, Scott Pioli, wanted to bring along his offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.  On the other hand, other rumors had him linked to Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz.

At this point, all we really know is that McDaniels won't be the next head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.  But because Clark Hunt and Co. have been holding everything so tight to the vest, we'll have to speculate on what McDaniels' hiring means.

There are several scenarios we'll investigate.

Scenario #1: Hunt told Pioli Herm is staying for the 2009 season.

Though this possibility is out there, the likelihood of it happening isn't great.  Hunt said he would be involved in the decision making process regarding Edwards' future in Kansas City.  I've long believed that our owner is very Pro-Herm and wants him back next season.

However, many reports/speculation indicate that despite Hunt's apparent approval of Herm, he isn't likely to saddle a GM with a head coach he doesn't want.

So, if Hunt did indeed tell Pioli that Herm is sticking around, it's a good possibility that it's a deal breaker for the man in New England.  With that said, I don't see Hunt putting more emphasis on the head coach position than the GM position.  Pioli's the guy right now, and a head coach wouldn't deter the Chiefs from nabbing him.

Scenario #2: Pioli told McDaniels he is headed back to New England.

Unfortunately, I'm starting to believe this scenario more and more despite rampant reports/speculation that the two sides have intensified talks. 

If you're McDaniels, I don't understand why you wouldn't want to work with someone like Pioli who has familiarity and a proven track record of success.  Maybe the two sides never had a supposed agreement that would make them a package deal wherever they went.  Maybe they did.

Either way, McDaniels and Pioli have likely been talking and something was said that made McDaniels make a move this weekend.  If the two sides had any sort of deal throughout this GM/Coach hiring cycle, then this decision would place Pioli back in New England.

Scenario #3: Pioli and McDaniels never had a "package deal" and the McDaniels hiring was a decision made independent of Pioli.

Despite all the connections between the two, the NFL is still a business and these men still make decisions based on what's best for each of them.

Remember, a case can easily be made that the Denver head coaching job is the best opportunity out there.  It's perceived that the Chiefs and Pioli been dragging their feet regarding any actual movement to a deal that would place Pioli in Kansas City.

So, if you're McDaniels, why would you wait on 'Will he or won't he' Pioli and instead take the job that he thinks gives him the best opportunity to succeed?

At the end of the day, I think this McDaniels hire does affect the Chiefs GM search.  Maybe we'll stil hire Pioli, but in my eyes this certainly has shifted the momentum of the public perception to Pioli heading back to New England.

Also keep in mind that pretty much all of our information at this point is still speculative.  We know the Chiefs don't have a press conferenced scheduled.  We know that talks with Pioli are ongoing.  But that's about all we know.  The rest is speculation.

Floyd Reese

Jimmy Raye III

Ted Sundquist

A quick note from Adam Schefter before these playoff games start.

In recent days, the Chiefs have interviewed at least a half-dozen general manager candidates, according to multiple league sources, yet only a handful of the names actually have surfaced.

Candidates interviewed include New England’s vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli, San Diego’s director of player personnel Jimmy Raye, former Denver general manager Ted Sundquist, former Titans general manager Floyd Reese and former Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer.

League sources insist that the Chiefs are waiting on Pioli, that he is their No. 1 candidate for the job. If the two sides cannot agree on a contract, then Kansas City will be prepared to move on. But apparently it still is in talks with Pioli, though no decision is imminent.

The Sundquist and Reese interviews are news to me. It's still all about Scott Pioli though for the Chiefs. I caught a mention somewhere that John Clayton of ESPN said that he thought that Pioli would return to New England.

Scott Pioli to the Kansas City Chiefs is far from a done deal based on the information we've been given.

Read more about the Chiefs' GM search here.

Mike Lombardi is a former personnel executive with the Broncos and Raiders.  He's a writer for the National Football Post and, as his bio says, he's worked with some of the greatest minds in football like Bill Walsh and Bill Belichick in his 23 years in the NFL.  Mr. Lombardi was kind enough to give us a couple quick hits on some questions about GMs.

I asked him for a few names of front office guys around the league that aren't getting much publicity as potential GM candidates but should be.  Here are the four names he gave me.

Reggie McKenzie

We know about McKenzie as he was part of our Getting to Know a GM series.  He's worked in the Packers personnel department for the last 14 years until he was promoted to Director of Football Operations in May of 2008.

John Schneider

Schneider was in the queue for our Getting to Know a GM series until all this Pioli news hit.  He was given the same title as McKenzie in the Packers organization and previously served as a personnel analyst to GM Ted Thompson.

Bobby DePaul

DePaul is the Director of Pro Personnel for the Chicago Bears.  He previously worked as an NFL assistant coach and in the Pro Personnel department of the Eagles.  He's involved in free agency, waiver wires and advance scouting for the Bears opponents.

Rushton Webster

Webster is the VP of Player Personnel for the Seahawks.  I've seen his name pop up sporadically throughout our GM coverage.

Arrowhead Pride has covered the Browns' GM search as much as the Chiefs it seems.  Mostly because each team appeared to have similar candidates for the job.  But the Browns went ahead and hired head coach Eric Mangini before they hired their GM. 

There's been much criticism about this move because most folks would say the GM should be hiring his own coach because he's ultimately the top executive.  Lombardi pointed out that the relationship between the GM and Coach is crucial.

The more important factor is for them to have mutual trust and respect for each other and share the same philosophy.

If you look around at the GM candidates we've covered, some of AP's favorite candidates have scouting backgrounds.  While a few of them have Pro Personnel backgrounds, we've clearly favored the draft guys (In a nutshell, Scouting is draft related and Pro Personnel is free agency/waivers related).

Which background is more conducive to success as a GM?

I think knowing the Pro game is critical, but teams seem to favor the college guys.  I believe if you know the Pro game it will allow you to know what you need and makes the college process much easier.

We've focused on draft guys but Lombardi makes an excellent point here.  Ultimately, you can't be a successful GM without being able to competently manage both aspects.

Finally, I asked him about the Chiefs.  Can they be the next Miami Dolphins?

They have much work to do on both sides of the ball to be a playoff team.  Remember, Miami had a veteran QB, who did not turn the ball over. 

Competent QB and not turning the ball over.  Completely agreed but as Kansas City has shown time and time again, that's much easier said than done.

Big thanks to Mr. Lombardi for taking time out of his busy day at the National Football Post to answer a few questions for us.