One of the things I’ve heard as I’ve been tracking the Scott Pioli sightings is that the Cleveland Browns job offer just isn’t sitting right with Patriots VP of Player Personnel Scott Pioli. Actually, it never started off right, but that’s a different story.

After conflicting reports of the Browns setting a deadline on Thursday emerged, the probability that Pioli would – or even could – get a deal done with Browns owner Randy Lerner seemed remote. From everything I was told, both sides were at an impasse over the amount of control the position would hold. While the sides continued to try to hammer out a deal, the Kansas City Chiefs became a viable option.

Pioli reportedly met with Clark Hunt, son of the late Lamar Hunt, longtime owner of the Kansas City franchise.  That meeting concluded and the status of those negotiations are unknown.  Unlike Cleveland, the Kansas City owner appears to be well versed in how to keep negotiations confidential.

I’ve been told that a Pioli decision – one way or the other for Cleveland — will be coming soon, possibly even tonight.

The three options for Pioli as I wrote here (members link), are: Pioli returns to New England, he takes a lesser role (GM or president) with the Chiefs or he comes to a compromise with the Browns.

It’s unclear what direction the Patriots exec is leaning.  

One interesting note was that Browns owner Randy Lerner left the New England area earlier today. Lerner, who lives in Long Island, has been conducting interviews with head coaching candidates from New York (Giants Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) and New England (Josh McDaniels) this week.  Lerner previously interviewed former Jets head coach Eric Mangni earlier in the week.

Lerner is believed to be infatuated with Mangini, a former defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots.  Pioli is believed to prefer other candidates, namely Kirk Ferentz the head coach at Iowa.  The Mangini issue may be the proverbial straw.

Look for the announcement of a decision sometime in the next 24 hours.  . 

The boys at The Orange and Brown Report are hitting this one out of the park.