Williamson: Pioli sticks to his roots in Vrabel trade February 27, 2009 4:30 PM Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson It is significant that Scott Pioli's very first player addition as the leader of the Kansas City Chiefs is Mike Vrabel. Vrabel will forever be remembered as one of the great faces of the New England Patriots' dynasty team of this decade. Gritty, tough, overachieving and a dripping with leadership, Vrabel was a Patriot. The Patriot Way is a mantra in Kansas City as Pioli strikes out on his own as the general manager of the wayward Chiefs after being the man behind the scenes during the Lombardi Trophy days in New England. After weeks of silence and complete poker-faced operations. Pioli has made a bombshell with his first move as he acquired the linebacker from New England in a deal for an undisclosed draft choice. Many in the loop had no idea the Patriots would even think of trading Vrabel. At 33, he was still productive on the field and he was a great leader of the Patriots. Now, he has a new role in Kansas City. Vrabel will be a nurturer. The Chiefs are the youngest team in the NFL. They are a long way from being a contender. But so were the Patriots when Vrabel came to New England in 2001. The Patriots ended that season with their first Super Bowl parade. We're not saying the Vrabel-Chiefs connection will be super, but he will make the team better. All of the Chiefs young players will see how hard Vrabel plays and prepares. He is a terrific piece for Pioli to start his tenure with in Kansas City. With leaders such as Tony Gonzalez and Brian Waters potentially on their way out in Kansas City, the Chiefs need leaders. They just got one in a player Pioli was smart to reconnect with. Pioli's acquisition of Vrabel leads us to our next question: Will the Chiefs trade for quarterback Matt Cassel next. The Vrabel trade shows the Patriots and Chiefs are talking and they are not afraid to do business together. Cassel would fit for the Chiefs who have yet to settle on their new quarterback. It is now clear Pioli wants players he is comfortable with as he moves forward in Kansas City. So perhaps Cassel is next. But what we do know is Vrabel is a Chief and Pioli is working the Patriot Way in Kansas City. Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, Scott Pioli, Mike Vrabel, Tony Gonzalez, Brian Waters, Matt Cassel Sort comments by: Most Recent | First Posted 0 / 1500 Cancel Member comments together with Member Names may be used on TV and other ESPN media platforms. * Comments (1-1) o willockman23 willockman23 (2/27/2009 at 1:36 PM) Report Violation um..... I'm dumbfounded..... I thought we're trying to stay younger and keep our draft picks??? I hope they traded away nothing higher than a 5th rounder (even than, I think it's too high). But I guess in a weird way, it makes perfect sense if the Chiefs are really switching to a 3-4 defense. A reliable vet is needed to teach the LB group the new defense. Comments that include profanity, or personal attacks, or antisocial behavior such as "spamming" or "trolling," or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. We will take steps to block users who violate any of our terms of use. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.

Chiefs Report | Fri, Feb 27

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The Patriot Way is a mantra in Kansas City as Pioli strikes out on his own as the general manager of the wayward Chiefs after being the man behind the scenes during the Lombardi Trophy days in New England.

The Chiefs are the youngest team in the NFL. They are a long way from being a contender. But so...

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