CAMP SIGHTS: Pioli rolls up sleeves in Kansas City

RIVER FALLS, Wis.

If he were to leave the comfy confines of the New England Patriots, Scott Pioli wanted a challenge. Boy, does he have one. Over the past two seasons, Kansas City's 26 losses rank as the NFL's second-highest total behind St. Louis' 27. Even the Detroit Lions — which became the first 0-16 squad in league history last year — can boast of having topped the Chiefs for their most recent victory in December 2007. Mediocre personnel, poor drafts, suspect coaching and an air of front-office complacency have left this once-proud franchise in shambles. You could call Kansas City the anti-Patriots — until Pioli arrived. Wooed in January to become the team's general manager, Pioli has spent the past seven months implementing the kind of program that has earned New England praise as franchise of the decade. Pioli isn't warm and fuzzy — a shock to some players and long-time employees accustomed to softer surroundings — but he and Bill Belichick have proven their hard-line approach works. Pioli is now trying to blaze his own trail with a new head coach (Todd Haley), different owner (Clark Hunt) and roster that needed a major overhaul. "I know we've made progress," Pioli said last Saturday after the first Chiefs training camp practice in this western Wisconsin town. "I won't say a lot because there's so much that has to be fixed. I don't think you ever know how much until you're immersed in a situation." Where do we begin? The Chiefs haven't won a postseason game since 1993. Kansas City's 2-14 record last season was the worst in the franchise's 50-year history. There was no long-term answer at quarterback. Running back Larry Johnson has tanked since signing a lucrative contract extension in 2007. The offensive line remains a mess. Former top executive Carl Peterson traded star defensive end Jared Allen to Minnesota during the 2008 offseason without finding an adequate replacement. The 2008 defense set an NFL single-season record for fewest sacks with 11 despite having invested high draft picks in linemen Glenn Dorsey, Tamba Hali and Turk McBride. The future seemed so bleak entering this offseason that team leader Tony Gonzalez — the only Hall of Fame-caliber Chiefs player since the late Derrick Thomas a decade ago — wanted out before his career ended without a single playoff victory. The tight end was accommodated with a merciful April trade to Atlanta. On the flip side, Pioli already has won three championship rings with a Patriots franchise again picked by oddsmakers as a Super Bowl favorite entering this season. Pioli's personal and professional relationships with Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft were so strong that he declined prior job feelers from numerous NFL teams trying to duplicate New England's success. No one could blame Pioli if he chose to remain the Patriots' vice president of player personnel. Yet at age 44, there was a growing now-or-never feeling surrounding Pioli and whether he would ever leave the New England nest. If teams knew he was complacent there, future opportunities to leave might not be as forthcoming. As odd as it sounds, Kansas City was a perfect fit for Pioli to try and build his own dynasty as a general manager with final say on personnel moves and coaching hires. A massive rebuilding project doesn't faze Pioli. He already helped salvage three downtrodden franchises (New England, Cleveland and the New York Jets) while working under Belichick and father-in-law Bill Parcells. Kansas City also personally appealed to Pioli because his wife Dallas is a native Kansan with family in the area. "When I said I'm not looking to become a general manager or for the next job, it was the truth," Pioli said. "We were in a situation where we were winning. I was OK with that. This decision wasn't ego-driven. It was the right situation at the right time." Pioli now has to right the Chiefs. Pioli's first step was firing coach Herm Edwards and hiring Haley away from his job as Arizona's offensive coordinator. Pioli's Patriot ties then paid dividends when he landed quarterback Matt Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel from New England for a 2009 second-round pick. Pioli saw Cassel blossom firsthand from career backup to promising starter when he guided New England to an 11-5 record last season in place of the injured Tom Brady. Convinced that Cassel isn't a one-season wonder buoyed by a great supporting cast, Pioli recently signed him to a six-year, $63 million contract with $28 million guaranteed. "What you learned last year that you didn't know before is that he can actually do it," said Pioli, who made Cassel a 2005 seventh-round draft pick in New England. "You believed he could. He always had the skills and the work ethic. When the opportunity came, he was ready." Pioli also wanted to add players that could provide veteran leadership for a young roster. Thirtysomethings like Vrabel, safety Mike Brown, wide receiver Bobby Engram, plus linebackers Zach Thomas and Monty Beisel joined the club this offseason. Vrabel isn't totally convinced that is the reason he was shipped to Kansas City. "I'm not sure if Scott wanted me here or Bill didn't want me in New England," Vrabel admitted (Pioli insists it's the former). Regardless, Vrabel has no doubt that Pioli can build a winner after spending the past eight years with the Patriots. "He wants tough, smart, competitive players who put football first," Vrabel said. "There's a lot of competition in a lot of spots, which is what I'm used to in New England. He's been ready to do this for a long time." But this makeover goes far beyond personnel. It's no accident that Kansas City ran goal-line drills in full pads during the first preseason practice. Besides trying to instill physical and mental toughness, the Chiefs launched a more stringent offseason workout program with strict weigh-in demands. Those who failed a mandatory conditioning test at the start of camp were left toiling on the sidelines. One of those players was starting right tackle Damion McIntosh. He spent part of his first day in River Falls walking the practice field while carrying a 45-pound plate over his head. "For us older guys, it's a little rough," McIntosh said. "It's more than what we're used to. It's uncomfortable, but uncomfortable is a good thing." Pioli has put fear inside Chiefs headquarters that wasn't there in previous seasons. Pioli also left no doubt who was running the show when Johnson and left guard Brian Waters had their offseason trade requests blown off. Still carrying some of the bulk from his days as a college defensive lineman, Pioli cuts an intimidating figure. The image is further enhanced by the no-nonsense approach he and Belichick installed in New England. "He definitely has established a reputation for the type of teams he puts on the field," said Beisel, who played under Pioli in New England (2005) after spending his first four seasons in Kansas City. "All of a sudden, there's that kind of sense that now's the time to get it done. When you bring in someone like that, you definitely know the organization is serious about winning games." Pioli will be first to tell you he can't do it all by himself. Nor does he want to. Pioli stresses a communal front-office effort that includes Hunt — the son of late Chiefs fonder Lamar Hunt — as part of the decision-making process. "He likes to bounce ideas off everybody around him," Hunt said. "He enjoys getting feedback, but he will make the decision he thinks is best. It's definitely not a mentality of, 'There's only one way to do something.' He's willing to be challenged, have a dialogue, argue on a point and hopefully come up with the right decision at the end. "The more time I've spent with him, I've continued to feel better and better about the decision (to hire Pioli). He really understands the football business and everything that goes into building a winning team." Pioli now just has to apply those lessons to a team that admittedly won't be threatening New England for AFC supremacy any time soon. "I feel the culture changing," Pioli says, "But there's still a long way to go." It's a road Pioli doesn't mind walking.