It's unclear where the two met, though sources said it was not in Kansas City. The interview was Pioli's second in as many weeks, coming on the heels of a meeting with Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner in New York.

Pioli is considered the hottest general manager on the market, thanks to the three Super Bowl titles he helped orchestrate with the Patriots. He might decide to stay in New England, but there are reasons to go to Kansas City, where fans held signs proclaiming, ``We want Pioli,'' during the team's final home game. The roster is loaded with young, cheap players, the team projects to be $30 million under the salary cap, and renovations on Arrowhead Stadium are scheduled to be completed by 2010, giving the team what will amount to a new home.

On the downside, Pioli might not receive the total control he is believed to seek. His predecessor, Carl Peterson, served as president, general manager and CEO for 20 years, and Hunt told reporters in December he planned to split the job in two, with one hire handling all aspects of the Football operations and another taking control of the business side.

The 43-year-old Hunt is six weeks older than Pioli and counts Patriots president Jonathan Kraft among his closest friends in the game, which should give him some insight into Pioli.

Meanwhile, the Browns are preparing to interview Ravens director of pro personnel George Kokinis for their GM job on Sunday.

Kokinis is not available until then because he has to help Baltimore prepare for a playoff tilt with the Titans on Saturday. He also is doing advanced work on the Steelers and Chargers, one of whom the Ravens would face if they reach the AFC title game. Trying to speak with the Browns before then would not be practical.

Kokinis is seen in Cleveland as a package deal with Eric Mangini, who is reportedly the frontrunner to become coach. Kokinis worked with Mangini in Cleveland in the 1990s under Bill Belichick and serves on the board of Mangini's charity.

The two men are both Connecticut natives and graduates of respected liberal arts colleges, with Mangini earning a degree from Wesleyan and Kokinis from Hobart.

What's unclear is if Kokinis has decided to accept the interview or how comfortable he'd be turning a close personal relationship with Mangini into a close professional one.

This is all relevant to Pioli because if the Browns hire Mangini, as Lerner reportedly is leaning toward doing, it likely would eliminate Pioli from consideration as GM, thanks to the fallout from Mangini's involvement in Camera-gate.