ENGLEWOOD, Colo. --On Tuesday, the Broncos announced that the club has added Tom Heckert to the personnel department.
Heckert, who first entered the NFL as a scout in 1991, will step in as the club's director of pro personnel.
Now in his 23rd NFL season, he will work closely with Elway and Director of Player Personnel Matt Russell in his new role, helping to shape Denver's roster. His responsbilities will primarily include scouting current NFL players as well as managing the advance scouting for the club's upcoming opponents.
"With more than 20 years' experience in the NFL, Tom brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and insight to our personnel department," Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway said.
Most recently, Heckert served as the Cleveland Browns' general manager from 2010-12. Prior to that stint, he worked with the Philadelphia Eagles as director of player personnel, vice president of player personnel and general manager in nine seasons with the club. Russell was a scout with the Eagles during part of Heckert's Philadelphia tenure.
Heckert started his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins, working his way from a pro/college scout to eventually the title of director of pro personnel in 2000.
During his previous 22 years in the NFL, Heckert has been part of 14 postseasons, eight division titles and six conference championship game apperanaces. Over that span, he has worked with coaches the likes of Don Shula, Jimmy Johnson, Andy Reid and Mike Holmgren.
He has also previously served on the NFL's College Advisory Committee, which advises college prospects on their draft status, along with the General Managers Advisory Committee, which consults with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league's football operations department on player development, scouting and technology issues.
Heckert's father, Tom Sr., also spent more than 20 years as an NFL player personnel executive, including stints with the Browns and Dolphins like his son.
"He has worked in several different capacities for multiple teams," Elway said of Heckert, "and his diverse background in talent evaluation will be a strong resource for the Broncos."
