Broncos Name Brian Xanders General Manager, Announce Roster Moves
by John Bena on Feb 12, 2009 5:59 PM MST
in 2009 Denver Broncos Re-Loading Season
78 comments
Denver Broncos President Pat Bowlen on Thursday announced the appointment of Brian Xanders as General Manager for the National Football League team, effective immediately.
Bowlen said, "In evaluating the work of our football operations department over the past several weeks, it has become clear to me that Brian Xanders is the right person to step into our general manager's job. I am confident he will work in tandem with Head Coach Josh McDaniels to re-establish our football team at the level we desire."
Bowlen also announced that both Jim Goodman and Jeff Goodman have been dismissed from the organization. Jim Goodman had been Vice President of Football Operations and Jeff Goodman had been Assistant General Manager, sharing that post with Xanders.
Xanders said, "This appointment comes with unfortunate circumstances as I have enjoyed working with Jim and Jeff over the last year. Nevertheless, I am humbled by this opportunity and accept it as a great challenge on behalf of our fans, our community, Mr. Bowlen and the organization. I am excited to work together with Coach McDaniels and put our collective resources into winning football games."
McDaniels said, "I want to thank Jim and Jeff for their contributions to the Denver Broncos. I'm excited for Brian and look forward to working with him hand-in-hand well into the future."
Xanders joined the Broncos as Assistant General Manager on May 5, 2008, after spending the previous 14 years with the Atlanta Falcons in player personnel, coaching and football operations.
Xanders now is in charge of all player personnel issues, including college scouting, pro personnel and labor negotiations. He also will have oversight responsibilities with respect to the video, equipment, grounds and athletic training staffs.
He played college football at Florida State University, where he was a linebacker on four bowl-winning teams. Xanders graduated from FSU with a bachelor's degree in business management along with a master's degree in business administration.
On the field, the Broncos also announced a couple roster moves.
The Denver Broncos on Thursday signed free-agent guard Matt McChesney and released defensive tackle Josh Shaw, it was announced.
McChesney (6-foot-4, 307 pounds), who played at the University of Colorado, is entering his third NFL season and joins the Broncos from Miami, which released him on Monday. He competed on the Dolphins' practice squad and saw time in one game for the club last season before he was placed on injured reserve on Nov. 15.
McChesney's only other NFL game action came as a rookie with the New York Jets in 2005 when he posted three tackles in three games played as a defensive lineman. He entered the NFL with St. Louis as a college free agent on April 29, 2005.
The guard spent his first three professional seasons (2005-07) with the Jets and also earned All-NFL Europa honors in 2007 while helping the Frankfurt Galaxy advance to World Bowl XV. He began the 2008 season on the Jets' practice squad before signing with the Dolphins' practice squad on Sept. 23.
At Colorado, McChesney earned honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference honors as a defensive tackle during his senior season. He received the Dave Jones Award as the team's most outstanding defensive player and the Derek Singleton Award for spirit, dedication and enthusiasm.
A USA Today honorable mention All-American at Niwot High School in Longmont, Colo., McChesney was born on Nov. 6, 1981.
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Maybe Bowlen
Learned that Xanders was more responsible for last years draft then the Goodmans and decided to make the mover or maybe Hoodie Jr and the goodmans butt heads so Bowlen let them go. No one outside the inner circle will ever know.
by gnarlybroncodude on Feb 12, 2009 6:20 PM MST reply actions
X-man
wasn’t hired until after the draft. That draft was the product of the Goodmans. I am actually concerned.
It all starts in the trenches HT 11/11/08
Hillis=Cowbell. You can’t have too much. styg 01/29/09
Since Jim Goodman
Was tasked to help find and hire McD, isn’t that much like being asked to preside over your own hanging?
In Goodman We Trust
Wow this is a stunner.
I hope Bowlen has sound reasons for this. From the outside and at first, it seems an odd move and reeks of disfunction. However, Shanny’s firing was a shock and I think we understand the whys at this point. We shall see…
Another Jerry Jones?
One statement in the press release stands out.
I am confident he will work in tandem with Head Coach Josh McDaniels to re-establish our football team at the level we desire
I would take that to mean that they both report directly to Bowlen. I am not liking this more by the minute.
It all starts in the trenches HT 11/11/08
Hillis=Cowbell. You can’t have too much. styg 01/29/09
Can you blame Bowlen....
When his best friend basically left his business in a state of decay and underachievement. I love Shanny, but he monumentally screwed the pooch for Denver.
I would be making the same moves as Bowlen.
And to compare Bowlen to Jones is insane…..Bowlen is revered around the NFL and Jones is despised. Lets giove Pat some credit and see what happens.
Those that cant coach, compete!
Failing to plan is planning to fail.
I respectfully disagree
that this franchise is in a state of decay. Thanks to the Goodmans we have a very solid core of young players who demonstrate the values that I embrace as a Bronco fan. As to the comparison to Jerry Jones, I am not comparing their personality or social skills, I am referring to the extent of involvement in day-to-day operations of the team. The most successful owners are those who let professional football men run the team. Those owners keep a healthy distance from football operations and avoid micromanagment.
It all starts in the trenches HT 11/11/08
Hillis=Cowbell. You can’t have too much. styg 01/29/09
“The most successful owners are those who let professional football men run the team. Those owners keep a healthy distance from football operations and avoid micromanagment.”
Wow, Bowlen makes his second major personnel move in the last 15 or more years, and suddenly he’s a micromanager….
I am not saying that
I am simply saying that the amount of separation between the owner and the club is getting very thin. I sincerely hope Bowlen does not try to run the team too closely. I hope he lets Coach McDaniels and Mr. Xanders operate independantly. I very much appreciated the things Jim Goodman did for the club and I do not know much about Xanders and therefore questioned the move. Bowlen is obviously in a better position to make that decision and besides, it’s his club, he can do whatever he wants to.
It all starts in the trenches HT 11/11/08
Hillis=Cowbell. You can’t have too much. styg 01/29/09
hopefully it is the just the right amount of thinness
there are certain high performance gears which fail if either too much or too little oil exists in the linkage. Too much oil (the situation the broncos are coming out of) and the power transfer is compromised, and power is reduced. Terrific torque can make it to the gear, but the output at the other end is negligible, and belies the amount of energy going into the system. Too little oil (the fear you have with Bowlen getting too close to the day to day operations of the team) adn the gear transfers energy in too focalized of an area, burning up the teeth or changing the dimensions of some teeth allowing the gear to slip and fail.
Bowlen needs just the right amount between him and the machine. I know how I would feel as an operator if the boss came along and took half the oil out of my machine, but hopefully she runs like a beaut from here on out…
Concision in style, precision in thought, decision in life.
by Jeremy Bolander on Feb 13, 2009 3:22 PM MST up reply actions
Good analogy.
You certainly have a way with words.
It all starts in the trenches HT 11/11/08
Hillis=Cowbell. You can’t have too much. styg 01/29/09
I think people are nervous
at the idea that personnel selection will be a triumvirate with Bowlen at the apex, but that’s not the way I read it. I think he wants something like New England had with Polian and Bellichick, in which they assumed that if both agreed on a player he was probably a safe choice, but if either demurred maybe not. Bowlen said there will be no ties, but I’m guessing that he doesn’t want to be a tie-breaker but would rather that when they disagree on a player they find someone else they can agree on. That may or may not be a correct reading, but it’s predicated on the idea that Bowlen is an intelligent man, not a buffoon.
The same assumption is relevant to our concern that he’s dismissed good college talent evaluators in the Goodmans in favor of a man who has no known expertise in that area. We don’t know for sure who’s most responsible for our recent excellent drafts, but we do know both Jim Goodman and Shanahan have been together since the ‘90s. We can acknowledge either that that team has been in place through good drafts and bad, or that the problem hasn’t always been player acquisition but player retention. After all, Trevor Pryce, Bertrand Berry, Reggie Hayward, and Gerard Warren together comprise a pretty decent defensive line. Problem is, they play for Baltimore, Arizona, Jacksonville, and Oakland. That doesn’t exhaust the list of quality defensive linemen who have come and gone.
A good team in any enterprise is built from the top down. If the man at the top knows what he’s doing he picks good people who in turn pick good people all the way down to the guys actually doing the heavy lifting. I suspect Bowlen trusts that Xander will be good enough to put together or retain a scouting department capable of identifying quality players, and will also be able to retain players. If we’d have someone like Xander in past years maybe fewer of our top defensive linemen would be playing for other teams. Maybe when a future Trevor Pryce enters free agency dollars and cents decisions in prior years will leave us in a position where we can afford him. Or maybe Xander and McDaniels together can do a better job of deciding who’s worth keeping.
I think considerations like these, looking to the viability of the Broncos organization over the long haul, would go far in explaining Bowlen’s thinking in hiring McDaniels and retaining Xander by promoting him (given that other teams were showing interest).
"In the empty spaces - lacunae, vacuums, pauses, voids, black holes - new things begin. We are born anew from the unexplored space, the badlands, the outlaw territory." - Sam Keen
by spock on Feb 14, 2009 2:46 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
Oops. I meant Pioli, of course.
"In the empty spaces - lacunae, vacuums, pauses, voids, black holes - new things begin. We are born anew from the unexplored space, the badlands, the outlaw territory." - Sam Keen
great comment.
Concision in style, precision in thought, decision in life.
by Jeremy Bolander on Feb 14, 2009 8:26 PM MST up reply actions
I think Shanny left the franchise in a mess....
So we will agree to disagree.
I will never dispute Shanahan the coach, but Shanahan the Vice President in Charge of Football Operations was an unmitigated catastrophe.
Look at our defense now, the level of our coaches bar Turner and Dennison, and it is clear that we were still heading down hill.
I am glad we have a new regime and Bowlen is stepping in and running HIS business.
Football guys need to concentrate on football….business guys need to concentrate on business.
Those that cant coach, compete!
Failing to plan is planning to fail.
Money crunch
and with odds against for playoffs and superbowls, Bowlen might be making a business decision first.
Can’t say that this feels good for the short term, but economic concerns might trump even concerns for leaguewide success…
Concision in style, precision in thought, decision in life.
by Jeremy Bolander on Feb 12, 2009 6:37 PM MST reply actions
This is about money and too many chefs in the kitchen
After all, Bowlen still is supporting Shanny at ~$8 mil per year. I think he is putting his business hat on cuz he can’t afford to have the open checkbook of year gone by. Now Free Agency and this draft really got interesting!!!
by BroncoConvert on Feb 12, 2009 7:22 PM MST up reply actions
WOW...............
I see said the Blind man to the Deaf man who was near.
What is it you hear when I speak in your ear.
WOW...... is right.
It all starts in the trenches HT 11/11/08
Hillis=Cowbell. You can’t have too much. styg 01/29/09
This is actually more surprising to me than Shanny's firing was
we’ve been drafting great the past 3 years (even 2007, when we got Harris and Thomas) so I’m stunned.
Lindsay Jones for the Denver post describes Xanders as being “an expert on the business side of personnel matters, especially in dealing with the salary cap and contract negotiations.” That doesn’t make it sound like he’s the guy who’s been hitting on so many of our draft picks.
This may actually be the first thing this offseason that has curbed my optimism for next season. Either way, good luck to Jedi McD and crew in the draft.
WOW!
This move makes more sense after Shanny’s firing… Why now? We’re so close to the draft, free agency, etc… I have to imagine Bowlen was leaning this way from the beginning or that he felt there were too many cooks in the kitchen, but WOW, this blows me away.
Shaking my head on this one…
Beware the wrath of a patient adversary.
John C. Calhoun --
actually
if we buy the idea that it would make sense to fire Goodman, it makes more sense to fire him after he has put his “draft house” in order. I do less than 1% of what these guys try to do, and I can say that if someone tried to finish off my college prospects database even for just the current year, it wouldn’t be a pretty picture.
A case could be made for Bowlen allowing Goodman to finish organizing his rankings and what not. Does that seem a little cold-hearted-snake to you? It does to me, but then again, he was being paid for the last several months, and unlike Shanny, he probably wouldn’t have been entitled to the contract money. Of course, even if he was, it is always nice to get what you pay for…
Concision in style, precision in thought, decision in life.
by Jeremy Bolander on Feb 12, 2009 7:38 PM MST up reply actions
I just don't see why you don't let them finish it out...
were they that bad that they had to go this year? or was this part of the clearing house mindset?
Beware the wrath of a patient adversary.
John C. Calhoun --
true
something to think about, they must not let the combine alter their rankings that much… Almost sounds like they are professionals! :)
And maybe it isn’t so much about “bad” as it is about “better”.
Concision in style, precision in thought, decision in life.
by Jeremy Bolander on Feb 12, 2009 8:18 PM MST up reply actions
Is it possible they mostly had their player rankings figured out already?
And were at the point where they were ready to really start IDing the best fits for their new system? I can’t imagine Bowlen would have made this move if it would have caused instant disarray in the process…
Win or lose, do it fairly. -- Knute Rockne
by broncosmontana on Feb 12, 2009 7:57 PM MST up reply actions
There is no way this can be a knee jerk reaction
that derails the offseason, or puts us at a disadvantage.
Concision in style, precision in thought, decision in life.
by Jeremy Bolander on Feb 12, 2009 8:19 PM MST up reply actions
I think that's the right move...
Bowlen is NOT Jerry Jones. He clearly wants to put his stamp on this team and must have all the confidence in the world for X-man.
Beware the wrath of a patient adversary.
John C. Calhoun --
I am with you on that.
I was shocked when I heard the news. I figured that the Goodmans would remain where they were and be the ones making the GM decisions. However, whatever helps the Broncos move in the right direction and become more successfull, I am all for. The fact that we hired from within is good to hear.
"It doesn't dissipate" ~ Mike Shanahan
Cutler's 4th qtr/OT game winning drives: 9
My theory
is that Bowlen recognizes he is now making decisions with primary consideration to the mid-to-distant future. He has a new coach he hopes will be good enough to last for years. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted an actual GM to complement McD. Goodman was VP of Football Ops, and was with the Broncos for 15 years or so, so he didn’t really represent the future. Maybe it was a choice between the young Asst GMs.
But Goodman was heavily relied upon by Shanny, so there may have been something lingering or straining there with Bowlen, or he might have just wanted a clean break given the talent he presumeably recognized in Xanders. If it was clear to him that X (I’m gonna call him X now!!!) was the GM of the future, the Goodmans were probably walking dead.
Anyway, it is sad to see these guys go, as they undoubtedly gave us some great players, especially over the past 3 years.
Win or lose, do it fairly. -- Knute Rockne
There is a silver lining here
Namely, that Jeff Goodman has been fired. I think that might be the last of the nepotism purged from the previous regime. I mean, the kid scouted the SEC (where he also happened to be from) for two years and then was promoted to assitant general manger when his dad was promoted to vicepres. of player personnel. Denver and most teams have scouts on their payrolls who would love to be moving up that ladder that quickly. There are scouts who have been with Denver for 29 years, 11 years, 15 years, etc.
And not to unduly disparage Jim Goodman, but ask yourself about his qualifications, despite the recent drafts, if he thinks that promoting his son like that was really a good idea…
And the scouting staff is still intact (so far!!). Trulove is still heading up the pro scouting, and Dave Bratten is still heading up the scouting coordination department. The Goodmans made their suggestions to Shanny for final approval, so at best we still only know 50% of their ability to choose good players in the draft. And don’t forget that LOTS of teams had great drafts last year: it was one of those kinds of years. I think the Jim Goodman had a positive impact, no doubt, but the jury should still be out on whether he is irreplaceable.
Still, it will be interesting to see what happens in the draft now.
Concision in style, precision in thought, decision in life.
by Jeremy Bolander on Feb 12, 2009 7:32 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
Excellent points styg
Win or lose, do it fairly. -- Knute Rockne
by broncosmontana on Feb 12, 2009 7:34 PM MST up reply actions
Styg
I’d feel better about that if the last draft wasn’t one of the best in history and if McD hadn’t just hired his brother.
The first kind of shoots the idea that quality suffered down, and the second that any changes in nepotism are other than generational (if that’s a danged word). Shanny’s crew to the Hoodie Crew, but at least I knew that the Goodman’s produced solid gold.
In Goodman We Trust
IMO
I have to admit that I very positive impression of Xanders, who looked like an up and coming star as an executive.
Perhaps this is a good time to put a spike in the various theories that attribute greatness to personnel people after a good draft and various levels of mental disorder to them after a bad one. The post entitled, Draft trade values severely overvalued, is worth a read or re-reading.
Both our mistakes and successes were at the hands of the Goodmans, but I think we’re better off organizationally with Xanders in charge. I wish the Goodmans well and thank them for all their contributions to the Broncos organization.
I think that can certainly be a uniting factor here
that whatever our opinion of Goodman, time will show that Xanders is a good replacement choice. He was definitely a hot commodity coming out of Atlanta.
My impression of him when he arrived was that of hiring a structural engineer to look at a building. He ends up spending a lot of time in the bowels of the building, and is hardly heard from, but you can almost FEEL the foundation of the building firming up beneath his hand.
Concision in style, precision in thought, decision in life.
by Jeremy Bolander on Feb 12, 2009 8:16 PM MST up reply actions
my impression
It’s not a criticism of the Goodmans but I got a ‘warm buzz’ when I read his résumé upon joining the Broncos. He clearly had some skills that were lacking here besides a fairly impressive background as a player, even though his playing skills are irrelevant although nonetheless encouraging, particularly on defense. My impression was of a very bright guy, and that’s a good description of McDaniels, too. I have to admit that I’m mystified by honors points (for an obvious reason), and how one accumulates a 4.4+ G.P.A. Both McD and Xanders have educational backgrounds that bode well for the future of the Broncos. And I recognize that I have a bias towards bright, up to date executives, but my initial reaction at the Xanders hiring was “good, we’re joining the 21st century.”
How to get a GPA above 4.0
I can’t speak for every university program, but when I was in college you could take courses that were deemed difficult enough to allow a student to achieve more points than a normal course. For example, as an undergrad I petioned for (and was accepted) to take two law school courses related to my political science studies. I also took two courses normaly reserved for masters students. This earned me a GPA above 4.0
(Disclaimer – I should add that I was a terrible student in HS, and was lucky to have graduated at all. After HS I joined the army. That kind of scared me into going to college and working my tail off).
"Greater is an army of sheep led by a lion, than an army of lions led by a sheep" Defoe
by Steve Nichols on Feb 13, 2009 5:51 AM MST up reply actions
I'd guess that it depends on the school
I know at my school, you receive a 4.33 for a grade of A+ (and consequently a 3.67 for an A-), but your gpa is capped at a 4.0 regardless of how many A+s you have received.
My 2Cents
"In evaluating the work of our football operations department over the past several weeks, it has become clear to me that Brian Xanders is the right person to step into our general manager’s job. "
This sounds like during prepping for evaluation of talent for Senior Bowl, Broncos players, and the upcoming draft, Bowlen has noticed that Xanders is the one who’s been doing his homework and expressing his expertise to help the team. Yes, Xanders came in after Sundquist was fired, why? Because the Goodmans weren’t qualified enough so they needed help. I think it became more obvious that Xanders was the requisite jobs of the trio.
by tedwin on Feb 12, 2009 8:06 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
Pretty valuable two cents.
Yes, Xanders came in after Sundquist was fired, why? Because the Goodmans weren’t qualified enough so they needed help
Fantastic observation.
Concision in style, precision in thought, decision in life.
by Jeremy Bolander on Feb 12, 2009 8:13 PM MST up reply actions
good point
I think Bowlen is trying to have his GM run the financial side and make financial decisions, while letting McDaniel make the football decisions. I think in a way Bowlen is signaling how much confidence he has in the McHoodie to right the player personnel while allowing X to run the business side. Streamlining the decision making process while not having a all powerful Shanahan.
hmmm......good points tedwin
Maybe this isn’t such a bone-head move after all.
It all starts in the trenches HT 11/11/08
Hillis=Cowbell. You can’t have too much. styg 01/29/09
Clearing the way
The Broncos organization has been a coach over GM system and still is as we have watched first the coach being replaced and now the GM. In Kansas City the opposite has taken place. First the GM was replaced and then a coach was hired by the owner and GM. Just like the Chiefs owner and GM worked together to hire a coach, so it seems to me that Pat & McD have decided upon a GM. Now there is room for McD and X to build the front office with younger talent.
The NFL is really going through generational change. The 30 to 40 year old men that started the AFL in 1960 are now 78 to 88 years old if still alive (except Al isn’t he like 102). Some of these like the Hunt family in Kansas City are now being run by their sons. I think Pat being near the half way point of his ownership career has watch the old timers go and this new generation of owners come in and win. He has decided from head coach and GM on down it time for an influx of 30 to 40 year old’s that will run the football operations for the next 20 years.
Bowlen is in charge now
Both McD and Xanders will answer to Bowlen.
Bowlen said McDaniels will not report to Xanders but to Bowlen, and Xanders will report to Bowlen as well.
X-man's History: Rags to Riches
This is an amazing story of Xanders from NFL.com.
“Xanders said in an interview with The AP last year that he sent resumes to every NFL team and was rejected at least three times by all of them until finally landing a job for $19,000 a year working as assistant general manager at the Falcons Sports Complex……
"I was changing light bulbs, scrubbing toilets and cleaning racquetball courts, and then they made me GM three months later of the Falcons Sports Complex,” Xanders said.
Two years later, he taught himself databases and began working in information technology by day and helping the coaching staff put together tape in the night. That led to a job as the Falcons’ defensive quality control assistant in 1997. He was a member of the Falcons’ coaching staff on their 1998 Super Bowl team, which lost to the Broncos.
Shanahan hired Xanders last year to assist the Goodmans in the front office following the firing of GM Ted Sundquist."
This says to me that Xanders has that fire to make a team win…no matter how demeaning a job is or teaching himself how to be a better GM.
Here's what I think the point is....
X-man represents the future of football. Sophisticated multidimensional analysis or prospects (draft & FA). Computerized analysis of cap impacts now and looking into the future. A management science approach to running a football team.
Goodman was still tied to the old-school, gut instinct approach. Pat is trying to build an organization like the Pats. X-man is the new Piolli; McD is the new Belichick.
by SlowWhiteGuy on Feb 12, 2009 8:40 PM MST up reply actions
I hope you're right.
I was shocked when I heard the news. I guess all we can do now is wait and see. crosses fingers
A little bit of a misnomer, for you will find no solace here.
"I have no intention of hiring a general manager."
Man I’d hate to face Mr. B in a poker game. He’s got some steel ones.
Win or lose, do it fairly. -- Knute Rockne
He didn't become a billionaire in the oil business....
by being made of cotton candy.
by SlowWhiteGuy on Feb 12, 2009 8:40 PM MST up reply actions
The good news
is that this means that Peyton Hillis is safe.
I mean, Pat has to tip his cap when he sees someone with a set comparable to his, doesn’t he?
Concision in style, precision in thought, decision in life.
by Jeremy Bolander on Feb 12, 2009 8:50 PM MST up reply actions
Hey styg, heres a wild thought-----maybe shanny found it
hard to let go—-could goodman be a mole—for shanny???
just a thought…..
I see said the Blind man to the Deaf man who was near.
What is it you hear when I speak in your ear.
After reconsidering
He has an awesome nickname. AWESOME. He is Professor X, and the Broncos are the X-Men. I nominate Peyton Hillis for Wolverine.
But wait, if we are the X-Men, then can we still be Jedi? You know, I’ve thought long and hard on this, and having Jedi powers is one of my top 3 X-Men superpower choices. The others are the ability to control and communicate with all animals (My X-name is the Beastmaster) or the ability to shoot lightning at stuff. Although lightning kind of comes with being a Jedi… Does this make me a nerd?
Average Bronco Fan's IQ: 120!
Average MHR Mod's IQ: 145!
Brett Favre's IQ: 56!
Click here to beat these scores!!
Okay, I was initially upset about the Goodmans firing
But with Professor X to pair with Jedi McD, how can I complain?
added thought
I was certain that Xanders was going to be the new GM after the Shanahan dismissal so the promotion of Goodman struck me as very, very surprising. My intuition proved right after all.
Well, not all the Goodmens were purged ...
… because scout Tyler Goodman remains.
Nevertheless, this move is a step in the right direction, one that I hoped they would make, and one that truly shows a change in the direction of the organization. It’s tough for the Goodmens, but it’s for the best to change the culture.
by Holden Caulfield on Feb 12, 2009 10:09 PM MST reply actions
I think this is all a ploy
To make us forget that we cut chad mustard. That the real loss this week
83 days til draft...
LMAO!
Guy’s a human boomerang. He’s a comet! He’ll be back on his regular orbit!
But he may come back as Chad Smith. He’s gotta be getting damned sick of the “cut the mustard” jokes by now…
Win or lose, do it fairly. -- Knute Rockne
by broncosmontana on Feb 12, 2009 10:23 PM MST up reply actions
The Goodmans were...
more talking heads in the GM’s ear than one organization needs.
I expected change coming and the thing I am most excited about is this gem from the denverpost.com article:
Bowlen said he felt he needed to streamline the personnel department further, and decided Xanders was the man he wanted to be his general manager. With that decision made, Bowlen said he didn’t think Jeff Goodman would want to remain in Denver, and that Jim Goodman would not be comfortable staying without his son.
Really, what I was interested in doing was re-setting the way we do business around here," Bowlen said. “Brian Xanders was what I considered a true general manager.”
Xanders will be in charge of player personnel issues, including scouting and contract negotiations, though McDaniels will likely have the final say in selecting the roster. Bowlen said both Xanders and McDaniels will independently report to him. "
Sounds like McD will have the final say in player acquisition. Huuuuge news. I’m excited.
at first...
nervous.
as i read your thoughts…
great move. this shows there is a commitment to changing/re-adjusting the culture of this team that really hasnt been trending upwards in the last 5+ years.
choosing a savvy businessman seems ever more important in the business age of football, where great players are lost and found of contractual nuances, and management of financial headroom is critical for maintaining a core of premier talent.
the new trinity: pat-mcjedi-X father son holy-ghost.
amen
"I want this team to be tough, smart and prepared to play well under pressure...Everybody here in this organization is going to be held accountable to do their job — their piece of the puzzle to make this team a competitor for a championship every season." J-Mac
by Jay Fin Anderson on Feb 12, 2009 11:50 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
What this might signal...
I think this means that McJedi has total control of ALL personnel decisions. I personally view this move as a good idea. The Goodmans might have clashed with the new regime come draft day and now McDaniels will have absolute control and there will be no conflicts; If the draft is successful than it will turn out to be a great decision on Bowlens part but if not… look out Pat.
I tend to doubt that though
X is associated with the recruitment of some top talent not to mention A Gibbs’ zone blocking scheme. And if you go back 14 years, he’s actually from the Dan Reeves tree.
There is no doubt in my mind that McJ will be passionate and informed about who he needs to make his system work. But to me this looks like Mr. B was drawing clear lines of accountability.
The stray thought I had when I heard this was, why didn’t he hire Pioli if he wanted a good GM? I guess the answer is he’d rather pay players than shell out for a pricey executive.
Win or lose, do it fairly. -- Knute Rockne
by broncosmontana on Feb 13, 2009 7:17 AM MST up reply actions
That makes me somewhat nervous.
Didn’t Shanny have control of all personnel decisions? What’s the diffence now with how it was run under Shanahan?
A little bit of a misnomer, for you will find no solace here.
The difference
is that we have an Owner that learned for his mistake of allowing his coach to sloppily build things and surround himself with gargantuan staff numbers of fairly nepotistic hires. He’s not going to let that happen again. As much as we blame Shanny, Bowlen was his enabler. But he learned and should be commended for it.
We have a coach who comes from an organization with a strong background and process when it comes to personnel evaluation and oragnizational structure related to the personnel evaluation strategy.
Denver doesn’t need a hot shot GM. I think there’s an interesting long term story developing in regards to Pioli w/o the Hoodie and the Hoodie w/o Pioli. Will only one succeed? Will both? Will neither. We’re going to see, in a few years time, who was the brains behind the Pats’ long term success.
In a different article
I read that Bowlen said there was “anxiety” between Jeff Goodman and Xanders- apparently both were vying for the GM position and Bowlen felt that Xanders was the better choice.
Our loss, I believe.
"What do you hear?"
"Nothin' but the rain, sir."
"Then grab your gun and bring in the cat."
Between the lines
This is Bowlen saying that McDaniels has won his trust on the personnel side. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and Bowlen is already gravitating back to the all powerful head coach model. Xanders is more Beake and Sundquist than he is Pioli or Newsome. It makes more sense than having four personalities clashing over even the most mundane roster moves.
It looks like this is Kansas after all, Toto.
by PredominantlyOrange on Feb 13, 2009 8:33 AM MST reply actions
I LOVE this move...
2 Young, SMART guys in charge of our franchise that can be pro-active (would that not be nice for a change) instead of being stodgy and re-active like Shanny and his cronies were for the past 5 years.
The more I seed the changes, the more it highlights how mired in mediocrity our whole franchise was……..lets not look back at the past but imbrace the future.
WE need a total house cleaning and new concept and we are getting it.
GET EXCITED BRONCO LAND THIS IS GOING TO BE AN EXHILLARATING RIDE!!!!
Those that cant coach, compete!
Failing to plan is planning to fail.
+100000 boydy
Damn straight. This thin air is certainly invigorating. What’s life without a little risk? : )
Win or lose, do it fairly. -- Knute Rockne
by broncosmontana on Feb 13, 2009 12:54 PM MST up reply actions
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