The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have promoted pro scout Shelton Quarles to the coordinator of pro scouting on Thursday. Quarles was hired by former Bucs general manager Bruce Allen as pro scout in 2007 after playing his last season of NFL football in 2006.

From 1997 to 2006 Quarles played 10 seasons for the Buccaneers and was the Mike (middle) linebacker on the Bucs 2002 team that won Super Bowl XXXVII. Quarles went to the Pro Bowl after that season.

In 2007 Quarles joined the Bucs front office to work under the then director of pro scouting Mark Dominik. After Dominik was made the Buccaneers general manager in January of 2009, former Bucs quarterback Doug Williams took Dominik's place in charge of the pro scouting department. Quarles remained on the staff under Williams.

Williams left Tampa Bay in the spring of 2010. Pewter Report reported after Williams' departure, that Quarles would likely be elevated to the coordinator of pro scouting. Dominik and the Buccaneers waited until after the 2010 season in order to promote Quarles, who was officially the only pro scout employed by the Buccaneers. Quarles was also being assisted in pro scouting by a few other scouts that are hybrid college and pro scouts due to the team emphasizing the draft and de-emphasizing free agency.

Dominik and Quarles were the point men for pouring tapes of preseason games to sign away players from opposing team's waiver wires and practice squads. Among the standouts that they signed during the 2010 season included running back LeGarrette Blount, wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe and guard Ted Larsen.