One way or the other, the organization will look different than it has during the excellent run of the past four seasons.
The great teams, like the San Francisco 49ers, endured even as their staffs were picked apart. The 49ers survived the retirement of Bill Walsh, as George Seifert won two more rings.
Will the Patriots be able to withstand the defections?
Charlie Weis, architect of the championship offense, already is headed out the door to Notre Dame. He will be gone with the final tick of their final game. If that's the only change, the Patriots will be very lucky, even though changing offensive coordinators is risky business.
Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel has his best shot yet of becoming an NFL head coach, having interviewed with Cleveland and San Francisco. Assistants such as linebackers coach Dean Pees could be wooed away to bigger jobs. We hear from Miami that Belichick disciple Nick Saban is trying to find his Scott Pioli, so wouldn't it make sense that it would be someone from Pioli's staff? Very capable people such as Nick Caserio, Keith Kidd, Tom Dimitroff, and Lionel Vital, the unsung members of the Patriots staff who go out and find players, would be excellent choices.
If a team needs a cap guy or a president/CEO type, there would be no more qualified candidate than Patriots director of legal affairs Jack Mula, who has negotiated some of the best deals in the league the past few years and saved the organization thousands in player salaries. He has invaluable experience with players, having been an agent to stars such as Priest Holmes, Doug Flutie, Sean Jones, Fred Smerlas, and Steve DeOssie.
Don't forget Andre Tippett, who some believe could be a top GM or personnel man. He has worked in many facets of the Patriots organization. And Andy Wasynczuk, the team's chief operating officer and once the team's primary negotiator, has taken on more stadium and Kraft family business duties since the Belichick-Pioli machine began rolling after the first Super Bowl.
For sure there will be changes in the AFC East that could have interesting implications, especially Saban's presence with the Dolphins, which means two games per year against his friend Belichick.
