Brian Xanders
Brian Xanders (born April 10, 1971) is an American football executive and former Florida State football player. He is the former general manager for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL), and currently is a senior personnel executive for the NFL's Los Angeles Rams.
| Los Angeles Rams | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Senior Personnel Executive |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | April 10, 1971 East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania |
| Career information | |
| College: | Florida State |
| Career history | |
| As executive: | |
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The 2019 season marks Xanders’ 26th year in the NFL working in a variety of player personnel, scouting, football operations and coaching staff roles during his time at four different teams (L.A., Detroit, Denver and Atlanta). He has direct experience in player evaluations with the last 23 NFL Draft classes and 18 free agency periods.
Xanders joined the Rams organization in 2017, following a four year stint with the Detroit Lions. Prior to his Lions’ tenure, he served four seasons with the Denver Broncos as the team’s general manager.
During his tenure as the Broncos’ general manager, he engineered the personnel transformation where 90 percent of the team’s roster (55 of 61 players) were acquired through the draft, free agency or re-signed by the club. The four-year personnel foundation from 2009-2012, yielded 5 straight division titles and a 64-26 record from 2011-2015 (two Super Bowl appearances / Super Bowl XL Champions).
The Broncos executed high-producing NFL Draft classes from 2009-12, which finished third in the NFL in games started and fifth in playtime during the four-year period. Those four draft classes became the second highest compensated draft classes in NFL history from 2012-2016 ($920M). There are 22 primary starters (1+ year) on NFL teams from those draft classes, including five Pro Bowl players (16 appearances): LB Von Miller, WR Demaryius Thomas, CB Chris Harris, TE Julius Thomas and OG Zane Beadles. Other long-term core starters include T Orlando Franklin, WR Eric Decker, DT Derek Wolfe, DT Malik Jackson, DE Robert Ayers and LB Danny Trevathan.
- Core Starters [2009-2012] - 22 (1+ year as a starter)
- Pro Bowl Players - 6
- Pro Bowl Appearances: 18 (3rd)
- Total NFL Contract Value - $920M (2nd highest in NFL history)
- Total Playtime (5th)
- Games Played (6th)
- Games Started (3rd)
- LB/Von Miller [2011 - 1] 8-year starter, 7 Pro Bowls, 5 NFL All-Pro
- WR/Demaryius Thomas [2010 - 1] 7-year starter, 4 Pro Bowls, 2 NFL All-Pro
- DC/Chris Harris [2011 - CFA] 8-year starter, 3 Pro Bowls, 3 NFL All-Pro
- TE/Julius Thomas [2011 - 4] 5-year starter, 2 Pro Bowls
- DT/Malik Jackson [2012 - 5] 8-year starter, 1 Pro Bowl
- OG/Zane Beadles [2010 - 2] 8-year starter, 1 Pro Bowl
- OT/Orlando Franklin [2011 - 2] 7-year starter
- WR/Eric Decker [2010 - 3] 6-year starter
- DT/Derek Wolfe [2012 - 2] 8-year starter
- DE/Robert Ayers [2009 - 1] 4-year starter
- DC/Perrish Cox [2010 - 5] 4-year starter
- LB/Danny Trevathan [2012 - 6] 8-year starter
- OC/J.D. Walton [2010 - 3] 3-year starter
- FS/Rahim Moore [2011 - 2] 3-year starter
- RB/Knowshon Moreno [2009 - 1] 3-year starter
- TE/Virgil Green [2011 - 7] 3-year starter
- 6 players with 1-year as core starter
There were also eight other Pro Bowl players who were acquired, signed or extended during his tenure: QB Peyton Manning (FA, 2012-15), SS Brian Dawkins (UFA, 2009-11), WR Brandon Lloyd (FA, 2009-11), RB Willis McGahee (FA, 2011), CB Champ Bailey (re-signed, 2011), DE Elvis Dumervil (re-signed, 2010), WR Brandon Marshall (re-signed, 2010), and OT Ryan Clady (1st round, 2008).
Xanders also supervised the day-to-day operations of the Broncos’ college scouting, pro scouting, labor operations/salary cap, equipment, medical, video, football systems and football operations departments. He served on the NFL College Advisory, NFL Combine Selection and the NFL Statistics Committees. He was originally hired by Denver as assistant general manager in 2008.
Before joining the Broncos, he worked 14 seasons (1994-2008) with the Atlanta Falcons in various scouting, player personnel, football operations, coaching staff (defense/offense/ST) and technology/systems roles. Xanders was a member of the Falcons’ defensive coaching staff on their 1998 team that became the first in franchise history to earn a Super Bowl berth (XXXIII). He was selected by the Falcons to attend Stanford University’s NFL Program for Managers in 2005, he has given presentations at several universities on NFL player personnel issues.
A former linebacker who played for Bobby Bowden at Florida State University from 1989-92, Xanders was a member of four bowl-winning teams with the Seminoles that had a 42-7 combined record. He was an All-Atlantic Coast Conference academic team selection and graduated from FSU with a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in business management.
Xanders, Amy, Reid and Mary Claire and reside in Westlake Village, California. He and his family participate in Habitat for Humanity charities, Homes for the Holidays, and Warrick Dunn Charities.