The people and résumés in the Broncos front office “are impressive” but what the team's football operations execs “don't have is a whole lot of experience,” according to Mike Klis of the DENVER POST. Broncos Exec VP/Football Operations John Elway said, “When you talk about experience, we're going to have a consensus with the decision-making. Ultimately, I've got to break any ties.” Dir of Football Administration Mike Sullivan is known as the “new salary cap guru, recently a high-powered agent who for years made his living negotiating ‘against’ salary cap gurus.” Meanwhile, Dir of Pro Personnel Keith Kidd has previously worked for the Cardinals, Browns and Patriots, in addition to ESPN's Scout Inc. The perceived inexperience “surfaced when Elway recently streamlined the top part of his front-office structure by not renewing the contract of longtime salary cap manager Mike Bluem and parting ways with" GM Brian Xanders. Regarding who now serves as the team's GM, Elway asked, “What's your definition of a GM?" Klis noted Dir of Player Personnel Matt Russell “has the most front-office responsibility beneath Elway.” Elway said Russell "has been in the business of evaluating players for a long time. And he's very good at it." Assistant to the head coach Mark Thewes “is handling personnel administrative duties, including collective bargaining agreement compliance and communication with the league office.” In addition, Broncos coach John Fox has 24 seasons of experience on NFL coaching staffs, "and is involved in every roster decision” (DENVER POST, 6/3).
