Mike Lynch: "You've been busier than an elf at Christmas time in Santa's workshop. Fair statement?"
Scott Pioli: "Yeah, we've been very busy. But good business though. At least there's been some production."
ML: "Let's talk about the logistics. When the clock strikes 12, and free agency can begin, are guys like yourself, and agents sitting there with cell phones and computer, and at the stroke of 12, the calls start coming in?"
SP: "Yeah, that night actually I went to bed for about an hour and a half, and set my alarm, didn't make my wife very happy, but I rolled out of bed and was on the phone by 12:05 and between sending e-mails and making phone calls, worked until about 3:00, and talked to some agents, try to set up some visits, try to get some things organized, and we were alright from there. Got a couple more hours sleep then got into the office. Not even a couple of hours."
ML: "Has it changed over the years. Before, was it, 6:00 in the morning, we'll start, or has it always been 'bang, let's jump into it at midnight?'"
SP: "I think it's been different every year. This year, we had a feeling the market was going to be at a certain place at a certain time, and I think we were a little more aggressive with a couple of players - with Adalius, with Kyle, and with Sammy. So we got going on those guys pretty early, where in the past we've watched the market go a little bit differently. But we had a feeling it was going to start out a little bit differently, and we got after it pretty early."
ML: "So is the feeling 'Let's make contact and get the player before somebody else does?' You don't know who was suiting Adalius Thomas, right?"
SP: "Right, it was a matter of where we felt the market was going to be and we felt it was probably in our best interest to get in earlier. Sometimes I think, when you show players that you're interested early, sometimes with the right kind of players and the right kind of personality, that makes a little bit of difference to the players."
ML: "On the deal with Welker, obviously if you signed him it was a deal that Miami could match, and see you later. So was it a prudent move to make the deal to ensure that he was on the team?"
SP: "Yeah, what happened in that deal - had we gone the route of giving an offer sheet to the player, we would have given up just the 2nd round pick. Now, when you do that, you expose yourself to the chance of losing the player or not getting the player. Either they can match, or things - you end up not getting the player. So what I did was I called Randy Mueller down with the Dolphins, and I asked him if they'd be willing to trade him. Fortunately, they were, and we spent a little bit more than we'd thought we were going to originally, but we assured ourselves of getting the player, which in the end, that's what you want. You want to get the player, you want to make sure nothing happens where you lose the player."
ML: "Alright, two big wide receivers - Washington, Donte' Stallworth, who also will come in. And that was a glaring need, I think, to be fairly frank, from last season."
SP: "Yeah, those came a little bit later than the others. The market had seem to slow down a bit, and we had been involved with the players early on, from the beginning. We had identified both of those players, and that continued on through this week. And fortunately, what happened in that situation was that both players felt that they really wanted to be here. They had had overtures from other clubs, but in the end, I think it was the fact that they had a situation to come to play with a player like Tommy, and in an offensive with Josh. Josh met with both of those players, and fortunately that worked out. And now we have three new receivers in the mix with the players that are already here. It's going to be an exciting group, all competing against one another."
ML: "Alright, I'll let you get back to the board, because the draft is coming up. That's something we'll talk about in the next couple shows."
SP: "I'll look forward to coming back."
ML: "Good to have you, buddy. Get some sleep, alright?"
SP: "I will."
So much has happened in a month-fingers crossed for the hour-long version:rocker:
