Front office turnover continues post-draft, as teams regularly use this stretch to rearrange staffs after prioritizing continuity for the draft. These changes generally hit scouting departments, as contracts often run through the draft.
The Broncos have made a few changes since the draft, most notably promoting Reed Burckhardt to fill Darren Mougey‘s assistant general manager post. They also hired Camren Williams from the Patriots as co-director of player personnel. With Burkhardt moved up, Williams and A.J. Durso will share that role.
The Broncos also made a notable scouting-side hire by bringing back Jordan Dizon. The former John Elway-era exec is returning as Denver’s director of pro personnel. This will be a move up for Dizon, who had previously served as a national scout for the Eagles. Although the Broncos have lost some front office cogs this offseason, 9News’ Mike Klis notes the team now has six assistants at the pro personnel director level or higher. That doubles the number of such staffers when Elway stepped down in 2021. In addition to GM George Paton and the aforementioned staffers, GM interviewee Kelly Kleine Van Callighan remains with the team as executive director of football ops.
Dizon, 39, left for Philadelphia shortly after the 2022 draft; the move certainly looks to have proved beneficial. The Eagles ventured to two Super Bowls in this span, winning Super Bowl LIX. Rookies acquired during the two drafts in which Dizon served as a national scout (from Jalen Carter to Quinyon Mitchell to Cooper DeJean) provided considerable aid, and George Paton will bring Dizon back to Denver. Elway hired Dizon, a former Colorado and Lions linebacker, in 2015. Dizon stayed on through Paton’s first GM year and will come back under Elway’s successor. Prior to leaving for Philly, Dizon had served as the Broncos’ assistant director of pro personnel.
Denver had lost Mougey, Mark Thewes, Brian Stark and David Shaw from its front office this offseason. Mougey and Stark’s exits — the latter is now the Raiders’ assistant GM — headlined this brain drain of sorts, but the Broncos also announced a promotion for their longest-tenured staffer. Paton elevated Scott DiStefano, who has been with the team since 1982, to senior college scout. One of the NFL’s longest-tenured employees, DiStefano has served on the scouting level throughout his tenure with the team.
It is interesting that the Broncos’ scouting department has not changed significantly since Sean Payton‘s arrival, and the team made some moves to retain hires from previous regimes. The Broncos bumped Bryan Chesin — in his 12th year with the team — to college scouting director. The Elway hire had been the team’s Midwest national scout. Second to DiStefano in scouting seniority with the Broncos, Dave Bratten will move from west area scout to assistant college scouting director. Bratten has been with the Broncos since 1997. Previously in that role, Nick Schiralli is now in place as a senior personnel executive entering his 18th year with the club. He joins former NFL linebacker Roman Phifer in holding that title in Denver.
