The Jacksonville Jaguars recently moved on from several executives the previous regime brought in. They now have hired a former NFL general manager to round out general manager James Gladstone's front office.
Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports that the Jags are hiring former Los Angeles Rams senior personnel executive Brian Xanders. Mia O'Brien of 1010XL might've hinted at the hiring when she said not long ago that Xanders' name was worth revisiting.
Before spending eight years with the Rams, Xanders held the same position with the Detroit Lions from 2013-2016. However, he's best known for laying out the groundwork for the Broncos' Super Bowl-winning team in 2015.
During his stint in Denver, Xanders drafted edge rusher Von Miller, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, and cornerback Chris Harris Jr. All went on to become key contributors, but his biggest move might've been signing then-free agent quarterback Peyton Manning in 2012.
Xanders was gone after the 2012 season, but there's no doubt he played a massive role in turning the Broncos into a contender. Now, he'll bring his expertise to the Jaguars. On a related note, he attended college at Florida State and began his front office career with the Atlanta Falcons in 1994. He left in 2007 to become the Denver general manager.
Just recently, the Jags moved on from pro scout Geep Chryst, director of college scouting Michael Davis, and assistant general manager Ethan Waugh. All of them were brought in by former general manager Trent Baalke. Gladstone most likely kept them because preparations for free agency and the draft had begun last year, and it wouldn't have made sense to put their work to waste. Now that the draft is over, Jacksonville can fully overhaul its front office.
The Jaguars are reuniting Brian Xanders with James Gladstone
There's no doubt that Brian Xander's role in putting together a Super Bowl team with the Denver Broncos made him an appealing addition to the Jacksonville Jaguars front office. That said, having spent the last few years with James Gladstone with the Los Angeles Rams was surely a factor.
Keep in mind that Xanders isn't the first executive Gladstone poaches from the Rams. Earlier in the offseason, he hired away Jake Temme, who helped him develop a system that allowed them to sort out and grade players. He's surely helped develop a similar system in Jacksonville.
With Brian Xanders now in the fold, James Gladstone is filling the front office with executives he fully trusts. That will allow him to do things his way and, in turn, have success.