Caserio to Fill Pioli’s Shoes

With Scott Pioli leaving a gaping hole in the management of the New England Patriots, word is starting to trickle down about who will take his position now that he has officially accepted a job with the Kansas City Chiefs. The next person in line for the title of VP of Player Personnel is already in the New England system, and it has been stated that Patriots Director of Pro Personnel Nick Caserio will fill Pioli’s position.

Caserio has spent seven of his past nine NFL seasons working in New England’s personnel department, hired in 2001 as a personal assistant (thanks in part to former college teammate Josh McDaniels) before working his way up through the ranks, helping out as a Patriots offensive coaching assistant in 2002, then as an area scout in 2003 before moving up to director of pro personnel from 2004-2006. Caserio was then a wide receivers coach in 2007 before jumping back to the director of pro personnel position for this past NFL season.

Before joining the Patriots crew, Nick Caserio was a quarterback for John Carroll University. After college he started coaching at Saginaw Valley State University (as a graduate assistant) from 1999-2000, thereafter serving as a grad assistant at Central Michigan University before being scooped up by the Patriots.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on January 16, 2009 - Post a comment

Seely Joins Mangini’s Crew

If you thought the madness was over when Scott Pioli and Josh McDaniels left the New England Patriots, think again. One more of the Patriots’ coaches has left the team, and this time it’s Brad Seely. The team’s 10-year special teams coach has officially left the Patriots for Cleveland, where he will serve as the Cleveland Browns’ special teams coach and assistant head coach. Seely was named to the Browns’ coaching staff by new Browns coach Eric Mangini, and he joins new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. All four men worked together for the Patriots from 2000 to 2003.

Brad Seely has been part of the Patriots coaching staff since 1999 and worked under both Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick. Before joining the Pats, Seely served as the Carolina Panthers’ special teams coach, even winning the NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year Award in 1996. Seely has also worked with the New York Jets (1994) and Indianapolis Colts (1989-1993), and prior to jumping into the NFL he coached at South Dakota State (1978), Colorado State (1979-1980), SMU (1981), North Carolina State (1982), Pacific (1983) and Oklahoma State (1984-1988).

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on January 15, 2009 - Post a comment

Pioli Heads to Kansas City

The New England Patriots keep seeing changes as the postseason forges on without them, and the latest blow to the team comes without much surprise. Scott Pioli, the Patriots longtime vice president of player personnel, has officially taken a position as general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs. This news comes just days after former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was selected as the head coach of the Denver Broncos, and New England special teams coach Brad Seely could be on his way out, as well, possibly joining Eric Mangini’s crew in Cleveland while leaving Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots with the huge job of restocking their staff.

Pioli was hired to dig the Kansas City Chiefs out of the grave they’ve been laying still in for the last several years, not winning a playoff game in 14 years. The 43-year-old will be introduced today as GM of the Chiefs, replacing Carl Peterson for the position. Now reporting to Chiefs Chairman Clark Hunt instead of Pats CEO and Chairman Robert Kraft, Scott Pioli will have a challenge before him unlike the ones he saw with the dynasty of the Patriots. Pioli’s new team is coming off a 2-14 season, only having won games this year against the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on January 14, 2009 - Post a comment

Brady, Bündchen to Wed

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has had ample time away from the football field this season, and it’s clear that more than just football has been on his mind. The star player has not been seen suited up in his number 12 jersey since the first game of the NFL season when he tore his ACL, but now it’s clear how he’s been spending some of that free time. People magazine recently announced that Brady and his supermodel girlfriend Gisele Bündchen got engaged over the weekend in Los Angeles, exciting all sorts of gossip outlets.

Brady and Bündchen are on the rise as the newest power couple to hit Hollywood, making a combined $45 million a year in income. Last year, Brady made around $9 million total, $6 million from his contract with the New England Patriots and $3 from endorsements. Victoria’s Secret model Bündchen makes around $35 million a year in modeling contracts, easily making the Brady/Bündchen combo one of the top earning power couples. The couple met after Bündchen had broken up with longtime beau Leonardo DiCaprio, and Brady soon thereafter broke off his relationship with actress Bridget Moynahan.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on January 13, 2009 - Post a comment

McDaniels to Lead Broncos

The waiting is over. After weeks of speculation following the Denver Broncos’ disappointing end to the regular season of NFL play, former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has finally been officially selected as the Broncos’ new head coach. Yesterday, Denver confirmed McDaniels as the franchise’s 12th head coach, replacing Mike Shanahan after 14 seasons with the team. At 32 years old, the new Denver Broncos head coach is the fifth-youngest head coach in NFL history.

McDaniels was hired yesterday after having completed a second interview Thursday night with Broncos chief operating officer Joe Ellis. He was in the running along with Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris. McDaniels helped lead the Tom Brady-less Patriots to an 11-5 season this year and is accredited for his work with Matt Cassel. The next move for ex-Patriot Josh McDaniels in Denver is hiring a defensive coordinator, and amid names popping up in speculation is Mike Nolan, former San Francisco 49ers head coach. Stay tuned to hear more about McDaniels and his new team as the 2008-2009 NFL season comes closer to an end!

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on January 12, 2009 - Post a comment

Season Superlatives

With the 2008 football season officially over for the New England Patriots, several changes will ensue in the upcoming weeks and months with coaches, players and prospects. In the calm before the storm, the first 2009 edition of Patriots Today has taken the time to reflect upon the 2008 season for the Patriots, and the best moments and players of ’08 have been chosen in the form of season superlatives. The following illustrate the best and worst parts of the Patriots’ time on the football field this year:

•Best Offensive Play: Randy Moss’ touchdown reception against the New York Jets, coming back after being down by 7 in the last 7 seconds of the game to lead the Pats into overtime.

•Best Defensive Play: Adalius Thomas’ Week 2 play against the Jets, when Thomas sacked QB Brett Favre and running back Leon Washington both at the same time.

•Best Special Teams Play: Chris Hanson’s 46-yard punt into 30-40 mile per hour wind in the third quarter of a blustery game against the Buffalo Bills, coming after the Pats were looking at a fourth down on their own 18-yard line.

•Best Win: December’s come-from-behind win over the Seattle Seahawks when Sammy Morris scored a one-yard leap of a touchdown in the fourth quarter, quickly followed by a key defensive play by safety Brandon Meriweather, who knocked a pass out of Seneca Wallace’s hands while Richard Seymour recovered it, allowing the Patriots three straight kneel downs and a victory.

•Best Newcomer: Without a doubt, Jerod Mayo, who was also named the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year.

•Most Surprising Player: (unsurprisingly) Matt Cassel, who stepped in as QB after Tom Brady went down in the first game of the season. Cassel proved doubters wrong by posting two consecutive 400-plus yard games, also leading the Patriots to 11 wins this season.

•Most Valuable Player: Wide receiver and Pro Bowler Wes Welker, whose consistency and performances have been invaluable to the Patriots this year.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on January 9, 2009 - Post a comment

Pioli, McDaniels Still Searching While Browns Hire Mangini

The Cleveland Browns have officially hired ex-Jets head coach Eric Mangini as their new head coach. This news comes as the first of many coaching selections to be made following the 2008 regular season, and it also affects the other football execs who are still interviewing with teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Rams and Denver Broncos, all of which are searching for a new coach.

One major player in this coaching fiasco who will undoubtedly be affected by the Browns’ selection in a new head coach is Patriots VP of player personnel Scott Pioli, who has been reportedly talking with the Browns over the past couple weeks as a possible selection for the team’s GM. With Mangini (ex-Patriots defensive coordinator) in the picture, however, Pioli will most certainly not go after the GM position in Cleveland, as he would likely want to select his own coaching staff. That leaves Pioli the chances of being offered the job in Kansas City, but would he take it? If not, Pioli could stay in New England.

New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has also been searching for a coaching job elsewhere, and has been seen the last couple weeks in St. Louis, Denver and Cleveland. With the Browns job out of the picture now, McDaniels is said to be a leading candidate for the job with the Broncos. Stay tuned to see how it all pans out!

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on January 8, 2009 - Post a comment

Will Bruschi Be Back?

35-year-old New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi had more than a disappointing season this year after injuring the medial collateral ligament in his left knee, putting him out for the final three games of the Pats 2008 season. Fill-in Junior Seau helped close the gap that Bruschi’s injury opened, but now that New England’s season is over, the team is starting to regroup, leaving the ominous question of whether or not the aging Bruschi will return for the 2009 season.

Last February, Bruschi signed a two-year contract with the Patriots, meaning he will suit up in ’09 if he’s honoring the deal. If Bruschi does complete his contract, he will return for his 14th season in the NFL and with the New England Patriots. The linebacker’s knee injury is said to heal without surgery, which will give him enough time to recover before next season. Will Bruschi be back? We say yes!

Tedy Bruschi was drafted in round three of the 1996 NFL Draft out of Arizona. The longtime New England Patriot has played in 22 playoff games in his career, the highest total in the team’s history and tied with former teammate Adam Vinatieri for the highest total of any active NFL player in 2008.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on January 7, 2009 - Post a comment

Wilfork’s Newest Endeavors

New England Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork watched his football season end with the conclusion of the NFL’s regular season games last week, but this 6’2”, 325-pound defensive lineman has already found new projects to tackle. First and foremost, it will be furniture. Wilfork has struck an agreement with Bellingham, Massachusetts-based Bob’s Discount Furniture to run an advertisement for the furniture store, putting his stamp of approval on the Bob-O-Pedic mattress and living room sectional, for starters. Wilfork will star in three 30-second television commercials that will be aired throughout the Northeast this year, also featuring his wife Bianca and his son and daughter, as well.

Wilfork’s deal with Bob’s Discount Furniture comes just weeks after the nose tackle injured his shoulder in a game against the Seattle Seahawks. Both Wilfork and the Patriots will get some much-needed time off from the football field this winter, as New England recently saw its earliest exit from postseason play since 2002. Wilfork was drafted into the NFL in 2004 as a first round pick to the New England Patriots, where he remains today after starting 51 games and posting 299 tackles in five seasons.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on January 6, 2009 - Post a comment

Patriots to Put Franchise Tag on Cassel

Matt Cassel threw for 3,693 yards this year. The unexpected Patriots starting quarterback also threw 21 touchdowns and led the New England Patriots to an 11-5 record on the season, just missing the playoffs. These figures are much more than anyone thought for the former USC backup quarterback, who was thrust into playing time in Week 1 of the regular season after New England’s star quarterback Tom Brady left the field with a season-ending knee injury. Speculation has been in full force following the end of the regular season, and now there seems an answer as to what the Pats will do with Cassel: place a franchise tag on him.

New England is said to put a franchise tag on Cassel to keep him from being an unrestricted free agent once the season is over, also guaranteeing that he will be paid an average of the top five quarterbacks in the league. This decision will allow the Pats to keep Cassel should Brady be out next season, and it will also grant the Patriots the right to trade Cassel if Brady should remain healthy enough to rejoin his team next season. This would guarantee Cassel a salary of around $14 million.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on January 5, 2009 - Post a comment


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