Detroit Lions scout Roman Phifer leaves for senior personnel job with Denver Broncos
Brad Holmes is not overhauling the Detroit Lions scouting department this spring, but the first-year Lions general manager does have a handful of openings to fill.
Roman Phifer, a former NFL linebacker who spent the past three seasons as a west coast area scout for the Lions, has accepted a job as senior personnel executive with the Denver Broncos, the Broncos announced Tuesday.
Phifer is at least the fifth departure from the Lions' scouting staff. He was part of a tandem of west coast scouts the Lions employed, along with Cary Conklin.
The Lions had a heavy west coast influence in this year's draft, selecting Oregon's Penei Sewell in Round 1, Washington's Levi Onwuzurike in Round 2, USC's Amon-Ra St. Brown in Round 4, and Oregon State's Jermar Jefferson in Round 7.
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Phifer covered schools in California, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.
Kyle O'Brien, the Lions' vice president of player personnel under former general manager Bob Quinn, left for a senior personnel job with the New York Giants in March, and the Lions parted ways with college scouts Jay Muraco and Ron Miles and pro scout Charles Brensinger after the draft.
Personnel department changes are common in the spring, as most contracts run through April.
Sports Illustrated reported that the Lions plan to hire Carolina Panthers scout Mike Martin, the former college scouting director for the Houston Texans, for their personnel department.
Holmes hired two executives to senior roles in the personnel department early in his tenure as GM, adding Ray Agnew as assistant general manager and John Dorsey as senior personnel executive.
Director of player personnel Lance Newmark, director pro scouting Rob Lohman and director of college scouting Dave Sears remain on staff.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions scout Roman Phifer leaves for job with Denver Broncos
