Brian Xanders
Senior Personnel Executive, Detroit Lions
Brian Xanders has 18 years of NFL experience, including 3+ years of experience as General Manager of the Denver Broncos. Xanders is currently a Senior Personnel Executive for the Detroit Lions.
Xanders led all initiatives in evaluating player talent for the Broncos. This included directing the club’s college scouting department through the NFL Draft and the pro personnel department with offseason acquisitions. Xanders strived to assemble a roster full of tough, smart and versatile players during his time as the Broncos’ General Manager.
Xanders worked in the NFL for 18+ seasons for the Falcons and Broncos, generating an extensive background in all areas of player personnel, college scouting, pro scouting, coaching and football operations.
+ Player Personnel Evaluator/Team Building
+ College Scouting (16 NFL Drafts)
+ Pro Scouting (11 years of evaluations of UFA classes)
+ Contract Negotiations/Player Cost Management/Agent Relations
+ Strategic Planning/Diverse Industry Knowledge/Trades
+ Innovative Football Technology/Project Management
- Executed high-producing NFL Draft classes over the last three years: 2010-2012 Playtime: 40.9% (#1), Starts: 276 (#2), Plays: 20,265 (#2), including 9 current starters -- WR Demaryius Thomas, WR Eric Decker, OG Zane Beadles, OC J.D. Walton, OT Orlando Franklin, DE Derek Wolfe, LB Von Miller [2011 Defensive Rookie of the Year], FS Rahim Moore and CB Chris Harris
- Broncos (2011) were only the third team since the 1970 NFL merger to win its division and a playoff game with a new head coach following four or fewer wins the previous season
- Broncos have won the AFC West Division for the last two years (2011-2012) -- 51/61 players on active/reserve list were acquired through the draft or free agency from 2009 to May, 2012
- Draft choices/CFA's (2009-12) who started for Denver: Career (GP/GS) -- DE Robert Ayers (57/24), G Zane Beadles (48/46), S David Bruton (61/4), SS Quinton Carter (19/10), CB Tony Carter – CFA (23/1), P Britton Colquitt – CFA (48 GP), CB Perrish Cox (28/9), WR Eric Decker (46/28), T Orlando Franklin (32/32), TE Virgil Green (27/5), CB Chris Harris – CFA (31/16), RB Knowshon Moreno (44/30), S Darcel McBath (34/1), LB Von Miller (31/31), FS Rahim Moore (31/22), TE Richard Quinn (30/4), QB Tim Tebow (33/16), WR Demaryius Thomas (37/23), TE Julius Thomas (9/1), DT Mitch Unrein – CFA (16/1) CB Cassius Vaughn – CFA (35/11), OC J.D. Walton (36/36), DE Derek Wolfe (16/16)
- 32/35 drafted players and 13 college free agents made the opening day roster from 2009-2012
- Pro Bowl Signings/Extensions: CB Champ Bailey (re-signed, 2011), OT Ryan Clady (1st round, 2008), SS Brian Dawkins (UFA, 2009-11), DE Elvis Dumervil (re-signed, 2010), WR Brandon Lloyd (FA, 2009-11), QB Peyton Manning (FA, 2012), WR Brandon Marshall (re-signed, 2010), RB Willis McGahee (FA, 2011)
- Other Starting Free-Agents Signed: SS Mike Adams (2012), DT Justin Bannan (2010, 12), RB Correll Buckhalter (2009-2010), DT Brodrick Bunkley (trade, 2011), TE Joel Dreessen (2012), TE Daniel Fells (2011), CB André Goodman (2009-11), FS Renaldo Hill (2009-10), DE Jason Hunter (2010), G Chris Kuper (re-signed, 2010), LB Joe Mays (trade, 2010), CB Tracy Porter (2012), WR Brandon Stokley (2012), TE Jacob Tamme (2012), DT Kevin Vickerson (2010), DT Jamal Williams (2010), LB Wesley Woodyard (re-signed, 2012)
- Acquired eight new defensive starters in 2009, as the unit improved its NFL ranking in points allowed (12th from 30th), yards allowed (7th from 29th) and takeaways (9th from 32nd)
- Served on NFL College Advisory Committee , NFL Combine Selection Committee and the NFL Statistics Committee
- Head Coaches worked with: June Jones (1994-96), Dan Reeves (1997-2003), Wade Phillips ( 2003), Jim Mora ( 2004-06), Bobby Petrino ( 2007), Emmitt Thomas (2007), Mike Smith ( 2008), Mike Shanahan (2008), Josh McDaniels ( 2009-10), Eric Studesville (2010), John Fox ( 2011-12)
- Football Executives worked with: Ron Hill (1998-05), Bobby Beathard (2002-03), Rich McKay (2003-07), Thomas Dimitroff (2008), Tim Ruskell (2004), Les Snead (1998-08), Billy Devaney (2006-07), Phil Emery (2004-08), John Elway (2011-12)
Xanders was a member of the Atlanta Falcons’ defensive coaching staff on their 1998 team that became the first in franchise history to earn a Super Bowl (XXXIII). Selected by the Falcons to attend Stanford University’s NFL Program for Managers in 2005, he has given speeches at several universities on NFL player personnel issues.
A former middle linebacker who played for Bobby Bowden at Florida State University from 1989-1992, 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 was born on April 10, 1971, in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Amy, reside in Atlanta, Georgia with their two children Reid and Mary Claire.