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.