RUMORS FLY OF PIOLI TO CLEVELAND

At a time when the Cleveland media primarily is focusing on the question of whether Browns coach Romeo Crennel will be abruptly terminated following the team’s season finale in Pittsburgh, the bigger question in some circles is whether G.M. Phil Savage will be getting the shoe, too. Per a league source, there’s a rumor linking Patriots V.P. of player personnel Scott Pioli to the G.M. position in Cleveland. If the Patriots don’t qualify for the playoffs (they need to win and then have either the Jets beat the Dolphins or the Jaguars beat the Ravens), Pioli would immediately be available to be interviewed for any jobs entailing final say over the roster. Though there were rumors that Pioli rejected overtures from the Browns when Savage was hired several years ago, it’s still not clear whether the Browns ever sought permission to interview him for the job. This year, a buzz has been building regarding Pioli’s potential willingness to consider other jobs.