James McClintock

NFL Front Office Updates: Falcons, Broncos, Chargers

The Falcons announced a number of changes to their front office earlier this month. The team’s scouting department saw three promotions, made two new hires, and named a group of short-term workers.

For the promotions, BLESTO scout James McClintock was elevated to area scout and scouting assistants Cami Pasqualoni and Kevin Weisman moved up to new roles, as well. McClintock is in Year 4 with the team after starting as a scouting assistant and getting promoted to his most recent position after only a year. Pasqualoni, the daughter of former Lions defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni, and Weisman joined the team a year ago. Pasqualoni will now serve as personnel and coaching assistant, while Weisman will now hold the title of football administration and personnel assistant.

Taking McClintock’s role as BLESTO scout will be new hire Alex Brown. Brown was announced as a new area scout for the team back in July, but it appears he will swap that title with McClintock’s. The other new hire is Kevin Melore, who will fill one of the scouting assistant roles vacated by Pasqualoni and Weisman. Melore spent last year as a senior personnel assistant at the University of Texas.

Atlanta also announced three Bill Walsh Diversity Fellows. Former NFL safety Erik Harris — played for the Falcons for two years — filled the role in the offseason, Jarred Gray filled the role in training camp, and Jalen Harris served in the role for both the offseason and training camp. After their fellowships, Harris will return to his usual role as special teams coordinator at Gulf Breeze HS (FL), Gray will return to Austin as the Longhorns defensive analyst/senior personnel analyst, and Harris will go back to work as the player development coordinator/assistant wide receivers coach at Georgia.

The other two temporary workers were Shaunessy Fisk and Jordan Young, who served as scouting training camp assistants. Fisk is a recruiting and scouting graduate assistant at Boise State who worked a player personnel internship with the Seahawks last year. Young, a former undrafted outside linebacker for the Buccaneers out of Old Dominion, returned to his alma mater as a defensive quality control coach in 2024.

Here are a couple other front office updates from around the NFL:

  • The Broncos also announced a few promotions in their front office, per Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post. The headlining moves saw Kelly Kleine Van Calligan and Tony Lazzaro elevated into VP roles. Formerly the executive director of football operations/special advisor to the general manager, Van Calligan becomes the vice president of football operations in her 14th year in the NFL and her fifth with the Broncos. Gabriel notes that Van Calligan, who interviewed for the Raiders’ general manager job in 2024, now stands as the second-highest ranking woman in an NFL front office, behind only Browns assistant general manager and vice president of football operations Catherine Hickman. Lazzaro, entering his 25th year with the team, receives a title bump after leading Denver’s football information systems and football analytics departments since 2020. Denver also saw western national scout Sae Woon Jo promoted to national scout and football administration & strategy coordinator Rob Simpson promoted to football administration & strategy manager.
  • Finally, Walder reports that the Chargers have hired Ben Wendel to their analytics staff. A finalist in this year’s Big Data Bowl, Wendel’s title is unknown at this moment.

NFL Staff Updates: Cowboys, Falcons, Ravens, Lions, Chiefs, 49ers, Saints, Caminiti

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has made analytics a focus since joining the staff three years ago. That trend has continued into 2023 as Dallas made three hires this week, all of them in the analytics department. The Cowboys even took a page out of another sport’s book, as baseball has taken the lead in analytics over the past several years.

Bryant Davis will join the team as a strategic football analyst, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. For the last four years, Davis has been a research and development analyst for the Tampa Bay Rays of the MLB. Even in a sport that’s already more analytical than football, the Rays are one of the more advanced teams in their use of analytics.

Joining Davis as a strategic football analyst, according to Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports, is William Britt, a former Steelers staffer. Britt spent the past two seasons as a data analyst in Pittsburgh. Along with Davis and Sarah Mallepalle, this is the third person the Cowboys have hired to that role this offseason.

Finally, Dallas has convinced Max Lyons to return to the NFL in the role of football data engineer, according to Marcus Mosher of Pro Football Focus. Lyons has been out of the league for about ten years, founding and maintaining the website Gridiron Rank over that period. After working with the Eagles and Jaguars all the way back in 2012, he finally makes his return to the league.

Here are some other staff updates from around the NFL:

  • After joining the Falcons as a scouting assistant a year ago, Hakeem Smith has been promoted to assistant pro scout, according to Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. Before coming to the NFL, Smith had spent three years working in the Pittsburgh Panthers recruiting department. Another scouting assistant hired last summer out of the college ranks, James McClintock has been promoted to a BLESTO scout for Atlanta, according to Stratton. McClintock’s time in the collegiate ranks was spent at Auburn, North Carolina, and Liberty.
  • The Ravens are also reportedly hiring out of the college arena. According to Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports, Baltimore is expected to hire Adam Neuman as chief of staff and special advisor to the president. Not to be confused with Adam Neumann, the founder of WeWork, Neuman has served the last four years as chief of staff for strategy and operations for college football’s Big Ten conference.
  • There’s been a promotion in the Lions‘ analytics department, according to Seth Walder of ESPN. After joining the team in 2020 as an analytics assistant, Caio Brighenti will now be in the role of football information manager. Brighenti has served as football information analyst for Detroit since March 2021.
  • Chiefs‘ staffer Anthony McGee has finally climbed the ranks to become a pro scout, according to Stratton. After interning for the team in different roles from 2018 to 2021, McGee was hired in the personnel department as a player personnel assistant. Two years later, he’ll get his chance at a scouting role.
  • A personnel staffer who got his chance as a pro scout last year, J.P. Crowley Hanlon of the 49ers has been promoted to West Coast area scout, according to Stratton. Crowley Hanlon joined San Francisco after gaining some experience with the Eagles and a sports agency.
  • The Saints poached an analytics staffer from the Jets this week, according to Walder. After serving in New York as football analytics coordinator since 2020, Zach Stuart will head south to New Orleans as director of analytics.
  • Lastly, the Patriots will lose a scout this summer, according to Stratton. Chris Caminiti will be departing for a role to head the Disruptive Sports firm’s coaching representation division. Caminiti has been an area scout for New England since 2021 after serving in operations and coaching roles previously with the Browns, Chiefs, and Chargers.