BREAKING: Gladstone Reportedly Adding Former NFL GM to Front Office

The Jacksonville Jaguars are carving out their new front office following the draft.

Dec 21, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Detroit Lions senior personnel executive Brian Xanders against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. The Lions defeated the Bears 20-14. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-Imagn Images | Andrew Weber-Imagn Images

Brian Xanders just cut his work commute by about 2,500 miles. The Jaguars are hiring the former general manager and Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., resident in a senior personnel role, CBS insider Jonathan Jones reported Tuesday.

Like most NFL scouts, Xanders (pronounced zann-ders) made his home closer to his region, and he did most of his work for Les Snead and the Rams in a mobile role. During his eight seasons with Los Angeles, Xanders worked with in tandem with new Jaguars GM James Gladstone and others to stock the roster, earning a Super Bowl ring in 2021.

As Denver general manager from 2009-12, Xanders drafted several All-Pro and Pro Bowl players, including Von Miller, Chris Harris, Zane Beadles, Orlando Franklin and the late Demaryius Thomas. His draft choices built the foundation for a Denver team that won Super Bowl 50 during the 2015 season.

After leaving Denver, Xanders served from 2013-16 as a senior personnel executive with the Detroit Lions. He joined the Rams in 2017, the same year Snead brought Gladstone with him from St. Louis to Los Angeles after a fateful Starbucks meeting.

A Pennsylvania native, Xanders played high school football at Lincoln High School in Tallahassee, Fla., then stayed in town to play for Bobby Bowden at Florida State. A linebacker for the Seminoles, his college teammates included Charlie Ward, Derrick Brooks, LeRoy Butler and Terrell Buckley. His Florida State teams combined to go 42-7 from 1989-92.

Xanders spent his 14 NFL seasons in a personnel-coaching role with the Atlanta Falcons. He was a defensive assistant on the team’s coaching staff when it earned the first Super Bowl berth in franchise history, ironically against Denver, in 1998.

Xanders is expected to replace Ethan Waugh in Jacksonville. Waugh, who served as assistant GM under Trent Baalke and interim GM while the organization conducted the search that ended with Gladstone, saw his Jaguars tenure end last week.

But don’t expect Xanders’ job description to mirror Waugh’s. Xanders has a unique background. He’s been involved in all facets of football operations, from coaching to video to scouting, and should serve a pivotal role in helping not just Gladstone, but also Liam Coen and the team’s new head of football operations, Hall of Famer Tony Boselli.

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