01:00 AM EST on Sunday, March 19, 2006

The New England Patriots have won three Super Bowls in the last five years. They've made the playoffs four of the last five years. They've won three straight AFC East titles, and four in five seasons.

That record would seem to speak eloquently, and emphatically, for itself. Yet some people, upset by the departures of veteran free agents David Givens and Willie McGinest, and concerned that popular kicker Adam Vinatieri might follow those two out of town, are wondering if the Patriots know what they're doing.

San Diego Chargers general manager A.J. Smith, who grew up in Cranston, and began his career in pro football as a part-time film grader for the Pats more than 25 years ago, isn't one of those people.

"I study other organizations," he said last week, "to see how they do business. It's interesting to see the ones who'll stick to their guns. If you overpay players, of course they'll sign with you. But you have to draw a line in the sand. That's why I admire the Patriots."

Others are questioning the Patriots for allowing Givens and McGinest to sign with other clubs.

McGinest, who has been with New England since he was taken with the fourth pick overall in the 1994 draft, and who holds the NFL career record for postseason sacks, with 16, received close to a $6-million bonus to sign with Cleveland. The Browns are coached by Romeo Crennel, who was defensive coordinator in all three of the Pats' Super Bowl victories.

Givens, a seventh-round draft pick out of Notre Dame in 2002, was the Patriots' leading receiver in 2004, with a 56 catches for 874 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was second on the team last year with a career-high 59 receptions for 738 yards and 2 TDs, and his seven postseason TD catches are a club record. Considered the club's No. 2 receiver, behind Super Bowl XXXIX MVP Deion Branch, Givens signed with the Titans, where he received a signing bonus of $8 million and is expected to be the team's primary receiver.

The bonuses, which are guaranteed, and overall deals -- 5 years, $24 million for Givens; 3 years, $12 million for McGinest -- are too high in both cases. McGinest is 34 years old. Givens is being paid like a No. 1 receiver, which he wouldn't be in New England. The financially disciplined Patriots were wise not to match those contracts.

"If somebody was going to pay those players that kind of money," Smith said, "they were smart to grab it.

"It's a business. Teams and players have to make hard decisions all the time. We would love to keep all our guys. I wish we could fit them all in under the (salary) cap and have them retire here. But that's not possible. It's sad, but there's no way it can be done.

"It hurts sometimes when players who helped you win sign with other teams. But you must put a dollar-sign value next to each player and stick to it."

Scott Pioli, New England's VP of player personnel, and coach Bill Belichick have done a superb job in recent years of evaluating what each player is worth to the Patriots, and of determining how they can put together the best possible team under the salary cap.

"It's a painful situation to be in," said Smith, "but when Scott and Bill are telling you about players, you know they're right."

That said, it would seem to be wrong to let Vinatieri go elsewhere.

Jan Stenerud is the only kicker in the NFL Hall of Fame, but a case can be made that Vinatieri ought to join him someday.

He booted game-winning field goals in the final seconds of Super Bowls XXXVI and XXXVIII, kicked a record-tying five field goals in the 2003 AFC Championship game against the Colts, and hit a 45-yard field goal through swirling snow with 32 seconds remaining to send the 2001 AFC semifinal game against Oakland into overtime.

Vinatieri was the highest-paid kicker in the league last season, at $2.5 million, after the Patriots made him their "franchise" player. He became a free agent this year after the Pats declined to again give him that designation, and the mandatory, 20-percent raise -- to $3 million -- that would have gone with it.

Vinatieri on Friday visited Green Bay, which lost kicker Ryan Longwell to the Vikings, who gave him a five-year, $10-million deal.

At 33, Vinatieri should have plenty of good years left, especially since he works hard at staying in shape. He's also one of the more personable Patriots and is frequently seen in television commercials and print advertisements.

A proven cold-weather kicker, he's understandably attractive to the Packers, although why Green Bay, which doesn't appear to be a serious championship contender, should pay top dollar for a kicker is debatable.

It would appear to be in the best interests of both Vinatieri and the Patriots to come to terms that would keep him in New England the remainder of his career.

"Sometimes," Smith said of Viniatieri's visit to Green Bay, "you have to make trips to make people move. It gets the community lathered up and can put pressure on a team.

"But I don't think that works with New England. It might, if the Patriots had a lousy team. But, when you've had the kind of success they've had, and Scott and Bill are telling you that the talent doesn't match the dollars, you have to believe them."

jdonalds@projo.com / (401) 277-7340