Broncos relying on a few Goodmans
Father, son ready for their new roles in organization
By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Ken Papaleo / The Rocky
Jeff Goodman and his father, Jim, right, spend time together Thursday at the Broncos' Dove Valley headquarters after discussing their new front-office duties.
The Broncos have been busy keeping up with the Joneses . . .
And the Rooneys and McCaskeys, the Spanoses, Bidwills, Browns and Glazers.
And, now, after Denver's offseason, front-office shuffle, the Goodmans have been elevated into the NFL's first families of decision- makers.
Jim Goodman, 56, a football lifer as a scout and coach who likely could identify from memory Motel 6s off every interstate, has ascended to Mike Shanahan's right- hand man as vice president of football operations/player personnel.
Meanwhile, his son, Jeff, 29, has rocketed into a power chair at Dove Valley in two years, forsaking a career as a lawyer in high-profile cases such as Enron to become the point man on many player contracts while overseeing pro scouting.
He recently was joined by Brian Xanders, 37, a longtime front-office executive with the Atlanta Falcons, as co-assistant general manager as the Broncos completed a power-structure remodeling after Ted Sundquist was fired.
"It's been a wild ride, no doubt, since I've been here," Jeff Goodman said Thursday during the first media availability of his Broncos tenure.
The trip has been particularly tempestuous for the younger Goodman, whose quick rise would be akin to a 4.3-second time in the 40-yard dash.
At 24, he already was practicing law in Birmingham, Ala., and destined for partner status. Three years later, the former University of Florida football walk-on opted to switch gears in his life and took a job with the Broncos as an area scout. Barely two years later, he is a young, rosy-cheeked power broker.
"I got that from a lot of federal and state judges: 'How old are you?' " he said. "But it's something I never thought much about."
Jeff Goodman, in lawyerly fashion, had evidence to support the notion age isn't everything in sports. He pointed to Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein's successful reign and Lane Kiffin's quick ascension to coach of the Oakland Raiders.
He also noted his boss, Shanahan, wasn't exactly a late bloomer.
"Once you show people that you know what you're talking about and bring good ideas to the table and expertise beyond your years, people listen to you," Jeff Goodman said. "It's more about what you say and the work you produce than the gray hairs on your head sometimes."
It helped that Shanahan has a certain affinity for those who practice law. Jeff Goodman could present an opinion on a player in succinct, no-nonsense fashion, and the fine detail provided in his written reports wowed the man in charge.
Even his father's nervousness at his son's sudden career switch evaporated when he saw Jeff in action during a crowded meeting with coaches, scouts and executives.
"A lot of people can write 40 pages and some people can talk in one paragraph and I remember Jeff telling me one time, 'Dad, judges don't like me beating around the bush. They like me to get to the point,' and I think that helps him," Jim Goodman explained. "And the fact he grew up in a football home . . . it's not a shock to him how the ups and downs of football work."
Jeff Goodman's transition was eased a bit because his law practice also had sports ties. Some player contract negotiations were involved, as was the resolution of university disputes.
"I knew when we hired him he'd advance," his father said. "I didn't know it would be that soon."
Jim Goodman's move to overseeing the entire Broncos operations department, on the other hand, is a culmination rather than a sudden rise.
The Broncos' former college scouting director started as a high school coach in Ocala, Fla., in 1974 and later worked the sideline at the University of North Alabama, Marion (Ala.) Institute Junior College, Air Force, Valdosta (Ga.) State, Arkansas and Rice. He also had recruiting responsibilities elsewhere before joining Denver 11 years ago as an area scout.
During his journey, he met Shanahan in 1980, beginning a nearly three-decade bond.
"I would have been perfectly happy as an area scout," Goodman said. "I'm obviously thankful and honored that Mike would think enough of me to promote me to director of college scouting, to pro personnel."
And when it comes to keeping up with the Joneses, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry and his son, club CEO Stephen, well, Jim Goodman definitely does.
He coached the younger Jones at Arkansas.
Now, as the two Goodmans join an exclusive NFL club, they must be sure to maintain the brutal honesty a father-son relationship inherently brings while, as co-workers, keeping the ties that bind loose.
"I think the unique thing is, we've got a different set of skills we can bring to the table," Jeff Goodman said, pointing to the briefcase-vs.-clipboard dynamic of he and his father. "And we can be brutally honest with each other at times. . . .
"There's no fear of hurting feelings, but sometimes you've got to pull back because you can be too comfortable with each other and remember it's a professional environment. But I'm honored to work with him. . . . Really, it's a unique opportunity."
What they do
The Broncos have a three-pronged power base that reports to coach Mike Shanahan.
* Jim Goodman, vice president of football operations/player personnel: In charge of pro and college scouting. Will dabble in pro scouting and negotiations, but main emphasis will be coordinating the college scouts and draft while making sure daily operations on the football side run smoothly.
* Jeff Goodman, assistant general manager: Oversees pro personnel department on a daily basis. Cross-checks and analyzes pro players. Frequently serves as point man on contract negotiations, including upcoming talks on draft-pick signings. In charge of Broncos' security detail.
* Brian Xanders, assistant general manager: Chief role is long- and short-term salary-cap management and cash management. Also handles contract negotiations with both Goodmans and Mike Bluem, the team's director of football administration. Contributor in player personnel.
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May 16, 2008
12:30 a.m.
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flybys writes:
The Denver Broncos, give them credit, are not afraid of change, from player personnel to management. The problem is this often seems like an inability to find answers and stay committed to decisions.
Regardless of the qualifications and accomplishments of Jim and Jeff Goodman, most will see them as puppets to the man behind the curtain pulling the strings, as he always does -- Mike Shanahan -- a man who all but runs the team in totality with owner Pat Bowlen's blessing.
Bowlen's man crush is born out of the fact that if his head coach gave him two Super Bowl wins he can birth more if they just stay in bed together trying repeatedly to conceive another championship bunch.
Maybe Shanahan has finally found the proper mix of front office talent to lift this suddenly marginal organization. If the Goodman's are strong enough to stand up to Shanahan's heat and if the sovereign is willing to cede some of his control freak ways, this might actually work.
The Broncos keep looking for their lost winning ways. Maybe this marriage will actually work out and restore harmony between the franchise and the fans.
May 16, 2008
8:26 a.m.
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millertime3852 writes:
"their lost winning ways"...is that what you call one losing season this century? The key ingredient to any team's 'winning ways' is the quarterback. Once you have that winning quarterback, look how everything else you do falls into place. (Unless you're Cincinatti...which we're thankfully not) If Jay Cutler developes into a top 5 qb in this league, we won't miss the playoffs more than a couple times over the course of his career, regardless of who is manning our front office.
And all teams have a 'the buck stops here' guy. For a lot of teams it's the owner. For Denver, it's Shanahan.
May 16, 2008
9:09 a.m.
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DenverBroncosFan writes:
I agree with MillerTime3852. Everyone thinks Shanahan is a control freak, but I think he's just the guy at the top that everyone in the organization has to answer to. He lets people do their jobs. Look how he let the defensive coordinator acquire players and get rid of players he didn't like last year. In the end the guy was responsible to succeed and he didn't so Shanahan went in another direction.
My only criticism of Mike Shanahan is that he is bad at managing the clock at the end of games. We loose at least one game a year because he makes mistakes with the clock. John Elway won almost all of his comeback victories under Dan Reeves who was very good at clock management.
May 16, 2008
9:19 a.m.
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mpat08 writes:
Someone should just state the obvious.... He got the job because of his Dad, not because he is necessarily qualified or the best person for it. By the way, no one is destined for partnership at a law firm at 24 and in their first or second year of practicing law.
PFT is reporting that nepotism reigns supreme and Tyler Goodman has also been hired as a scout for the team with no experience or qualifications.
May 16, 2008
9:26 a.m.
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markregan writes:
Gee, Millertime, we already made the playoffs EVERY year with Plummer until Cutler took over. So where's the improvement there?
May 16, 2008
9:26 a.m.
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MikeaLoeb writes:
Sounds like someone is jealous.
May 16, 2008
10:27 a.m.
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Brain writes:
Succesfull coaches: Bill Bellichick, Bill Parcels, are coaches that have all the power; San Diego, who is in charge there? The G.M., how many super bowl wins?
May 16, 2008
3:06 p.m.
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CyberHostage writes:
Was John Goodman not available?
May 17, 2008
2:21 a.m.
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wwelwayd writes:
I am sure that the new VP of Football Operations and assistant general manager are a good men, but why don't they just tell us their names?
May 20, 2008
1:23 a.m.
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tahosa writes:
I have never like family working for an NFL team: Father/ Son, Brother in law of the Coach, or old College roomates coaching together or any other form of importance in an NFL organization. It's not good business and never will be.
May 24, 2008
7:19 a.m.
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AlthaGator writes:
The Goodman family is a fine group of good Christians who have strong character, great integrity, and a tremendous work ethic. The Bronco organization is going to benefit from the efforts of James, Jeff, and Tyler Goodman.