According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and The MMQB’s Albert Breer, the Indianapolis Colts have hired former Cleveland Browns vice president of player personnel Morocco Brown as their new director of college scouting:
Another big hire by #Colts: Former #Redskins & #Browns personnel man Morocco Brown expected to join GM Chris Ballard’s staff. 3 strong ones.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 10, 2017
Colts structure, per sources: Ballard as GM; Ed Dodds/Rex Hogan as co-VPs of PP; Brown as college director. Kevin Rogers stays pro director. https://t.co/dRW3NsHDjk
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 10, 2017
Brown spent 2014-15, as the Cleveland Browns vice president of player personnel, but was let go before the start of the 2016 season along with former general manager Ray Farmer.
Prior to joining the Browns, Brown served as the Washington Redskins director of pro personnel (2008-13).
It’s worth noting that new Colts general manager Chris Ballard already has a great familiarity with Brown from their days in Chicago, when Brown was the Bears assistant director of pro personnel (2001-07)–which coincided when Ballard was a southwest area scout in the ‘Windy City’.
Brown will replace the departed T.J. McCreight as the Colts new director of college scouting in an overhauled Indianapolis scouting department that includes former New York Jets senior director of college scouting Rex Hogan and Seattle Seahawks senior personnel executive Ed Dodds as Co-Vice Presidents of Player Personnel.
Not to mention, ex-Army Special Forces selection assessment commander Brian Decker will become their new player personnel strategist.
The Colts wanted to improve their scouting department, as the talent base of the roster had fallen off in recent seasons–especially on defense, and by naming Ballard as their new general manager, he’s been able to successfully utilize his connections to bring in some of the most highly regarded non-GM scouting personnel in the business:
Big objective from Jim Irsay in Colts GM search -- Find someone who can build up the scouting infrastructure. Chris Ballard has done that.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 10, 2017
Holy shit. Ballard is assembling the Avengers of scouting. https://t.co/JTvGiLJaJl
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) May 9, 2017
Morocco Brown another great addition to the front office Chris Ballard is putting together in Indy. Smart hire
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) May 10, 2017
Just seeing the Ed Dodds news. Going from Seattle to Indianapolis. Chris Ballard assembling a front office filled with respected scouts.
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) May 9, 2017
Obviously, time will tell how these new scouting personnel hires will work out for the Colts, but there definitely should be increased optimism for the team going forward. Ballard is filling his scouting department with ‘his guys’, and not just any guys either, but one’s who are already very well regarded among league circles.