According to Adam Schefter:

The Cleveland Browns have made their call. Eric Mangini is in, and Scott Pioli is out.

After courting Pioli to be his general manager last week, Browns owner Randy Lerner made the decision to hand off his franchise and its future to Mangini, who recently was fired as coach by the New York Jets. With the hiring, Lerner has made it clear that Mangini is the man to lead the Browns into the future, and the new GM, whoever it is, will complement him. But Mangini is the front man.

One of the reasons that Lerner was drawn to Mangini was his NFL head-coaching experience. Cleveland’s recent hires — Chris Palmer, Butch Davis and Romeo Crennel — didn’t have any NFL head-coaching experience before they took over and failed with the Browns.

Mangini already has succeeded as an NFL head coach, and now Cleveland hopes it has found another Bill Belichick, the coach the Browns once fired. But they took a gamble, banking that their franchise will be better directed by Mangini than Pioli, who has enjoyed great success as the New England Patriots’ vice president of player personnel. Seasons to come will be the judge.

Having faith that the Patriots front office has for the most part done right by its fandom so far, doesn't help my nagging concerns about the fate of our players whose contracts are set to expire in the near future.  John Tomase brought it to my attention with his article in Sunday's Herald, and it made me curious to know exactly which Patriots are up for a new contract and need to be signed and taken care of so I can rest easy in the off-season.

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The Hardware Company - John Tomase, Boston Herald

If it feels like the history of the Patriots didn’t begin until Bill Parcells arrived in 1993, a perusal of the organization’s NFL awards winners certainly reinforces that perception. The Patriots haven’t boasted a lot of winners throughout the franchise’s history, but the last five years have been particularly bountiful, with the latest piece of hardware going to Defensive Rookie of the Year Jerod Mayo.

Here’s a look at the major leaguewide honors bestowed upon the organization since its founding in 1960:

 

 

YEAR PLAYER AWARD<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]-->

1964  Gino Cappelletti - AFL MVP

1966  Jim Nance – AFL MVP

1976  Mike Haynes - Defensive Rookie of the Year

1988  John Stephens - Offensive Rookie of the Year

1991  Leonard Russell – Offensive Rookie of the Year

1994  Bill Parcells – Coach of the Year

1995  Curtis Martin – Offensive Rookie of the Year

2003  Bill Belichick – coach of the Year

2003  Scott Pioli – Executive of the Year

2004  Scott Pioli – Executive of the Year

2007  Bill Belichick – Coach of the Year

2007  Tom Brady – Offensive Player of the Year

2007  Tom Brady – MVP

2008  Jerod Mayo - Defensive Rookie of the Year

*NOTE:  All awards are given by the Associated Press, except Executive of The Year, which is bestowed by the Sporting News.

TEAM SHOTS

• Raise money for Patriots Charitable Foundation and run in the 2009 Boston Marathon.
• Ask PFW:  Paul Perillo of Patriots Football Weekly answers readers questions.
• PFW in Progress online radio - Listen LIVE Tuesdays  & Thursdays from 12-2 p.m.

LOCAL SHOTS

• John Tomase reports Richard Seymour will have surgery to fix finger problem.
• Mike Reiss has a conference call with Phil Simms and Dan Dierdorf asking what they would do with Matt Cassel; confirms Seattle's interest in Brad Seely; and notes the Rams have received permission to interview Josh McDaniels.
• John Tomase and Ron Borges report on Scott Pioli's meeting with Chiefs owner Clark Hunt yesterday.
• Mike Reiss answers his reader mailbag; topics include the franchising of Matt Cassel, the value of Scott Pioli, and improving the Patriots roster.
• Mike McDermott notes former Patriots Asante Samuel and Stephen Spach are playing like stars in the playoffs.
• Boston Herald (AP) Giants a familiar foe for Asante Samuel.
  

LONG SHOTS

• Tim Graham (ESPN) Top 20 AFC East stories of 2008.
• Peter King and Don Banks (SI) debate whether the NFL should alter its overtime rules.
• Adam Schefter (NFL.com) Playoffs missing two of its biggest stars.
• Almando Salguero (Miami Herald) Miami Dolphins sale could change everything.
• Adam Schefter (NFL.com) suggests Browns may be moving on from Pioli with their search for a GM.

Seahawks looking at changes to coaching staff -- Adam Schefter, NFL.com

Seattle’s head coaching torch has been passed from Mike Holmgren to Jim Mora. But Seattle is in the process of tweaking its coaching staff as well.

Seattle requested permission Tuesday to interview Patriots special teams coach Brad Seely, a veteran assistant who has been with New England since 1999. It is an unusual request, asking a special teams coach to interview for another special teams coach job. Bruce DeHaven coached the Seahawks special teams last season to mixed results.

Also, the Seahawks are interviewing Buccaneers linebackers coach Gus Bradley for Seattle’s defensive coordinator job. The Seahawks already have spoken with former Lions head coach Rod Marinelli as well.

But clearly Seattle is preparing to shuffle its staff beyond its head coach.

TEAM SHOTS

• Recharging part of Belichick's off-season process.

LOCAL SHOTS

• Mike Reiss notes that the single vote for Belichick for the AP Coach of the Year was cast by Bob Costas, who explains his vote.
• Mike Reiss mulls over Scott Pioli's three options.
• Christopher Price warns the hiring of Pioli alone won't guarantee a championship parade.
• Globe Patriots Notebook: Bruschi wants to return in 2009; Pioli interviews with Clark Hunt of the Chiefs today; Browns have to wait to make their decision; Bob Costas explains his vote for Belichick.
• Ron Borges notes that the loss of Asante Samuel was costly to the Patriots.  Ya think?
• Kerry J. Byrne takes the pulse of the 2008 Patriots.
• Eric McHugh wonders if McDaniels is a fit for the Broncos.

LONG SHOTS

• Michael David Smith (AOL Fanhouse) Time for NFL to change the Overtime rule.
• Don Banks (SI) Snap Judgments - discusses the wild-card weekend, playoff seeding, and the Pioli-to-KC, Mangini-to-Browns scenarios.
• Mike Florio (Sporting News) Jump on the NFL coaching carousel.
• Michael Lombardi (National Football Post) hears that the Broncos were more enamored with McDaniels than with Spagnuolo.
• Dan Arkush (ProFootball Weekly) Spagnuolo early favorite to lead Broncos.
• Woody Paige (Denver Post) Spagnuolo best for Broncos, not McDaniels.
• Andrew Brandt (National Football Post) talks salary cap, Matt Cassel and the Patriots in his Monday Money Matters column.
• Kevin Hench (Fox Sports) There is no reward for being number one.
• NFL Network Video - Memorable plays of 2008.