JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
William from Jacksonville
James Gladstone, huh? As the Who says, I guess the Kids are Alright.
The Jaguars on Friday afternoon indeed hired as general manager former Los Angeles Rams Director of Scouting Strategy James Gladstone, officially ending a busy period of major organizational change – and ending a two-week process to fill the general manager role vacated when former General Manager Trent Baalke and the team parted ways on January 22. Though I don't know that this is the only – or even the biggest – takeaway from the process, Gladstone at age 34 indeed is young. And he joins a comparatively young group of leaders/coordinators: Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli (52), Head Coach Liam Coen (39), offensive coordinator Grant Udinski (29) and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile (42). All are in the most powerful/important football organizational positions they have held in their careers. So while they're not "kids," youth and inexperience absolutely will be a storyline. The thought here is those two factors are subplots, with their ability and common vision far more important. It's hard not to like this franchise's current direction. There's a realness to it, and I expect that focus on what's really important – and a focus on the entire organization pulling in the same direction – will continue. This is going to be interesting and fun to watch. We know from experience good, cohesive beginnings don't guarantee success. But they sure give you a better chance than the alternative. Here we go.
Kevin from Fernandina Beach, FL
Gladstone is from the Rams, right? So is Coen. This smells off, somehow. Did we not do due diligence?
Coen and Gladstone indeed share backgrounds with the Rams, with Gladstone spending his previous nine NFL seasons with the franchise and Coen serving as an assistant coach there from 2018-2020 and again in 2022. I don't know exactly how it smells, but it certainly doesn't feel untoward or off. Coen admires the Rams' organization and culture, and said as much during his introductory press conference in January. It therefore makes sense that the Jaguars would at least consider a general manager from that organization. Rams Head Coach Sean McVay and General Manager Les Snead also each spoke to Jaguars officials extensively in recent weeks about Gladstone's abilities and qualifications. As for due diligence … the Jaguars interviewed 11 candidates for general manager. The process was thorough. Gladstone was deemed the right fit. That's a lot more on than off.
Roy from Ridgewood, FL
I wanted Sullivan from Green Bay. But I will be nice. Until it's time ... not to be nice!!
The Jaguars also interviewed Green Bay Packers Vice President of Player Personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan for the general manager position. He would have been a fine choice. Gladstone is a fine choice.
Cristiano from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Remember last week when I said I was "cautiously optimistic" about everything going on? Forget that!!! I'm all in again!!! Let's go!!!
One fer Gladstone all the way from Rio de Janeiro, evidently …
Tommy from Jacksonville
They nailed it this offseason. I really like what they have done. Stay tuned.
… and one fer the whole offseason.
Big Jags Fan from Jacksonville
Based on his bio, James Gladstone has a scouting background and was fortunate to learn under Les Snead. Do you know if he dealt with other facets for which a GM has responsibility and oversight, specifically contracts and salary cap? Do the Jaguars have personnel in place currently that manage these areas?
I don't know how much Gladstone has handled contracts and the salary cap. I wouldn't worry about this much. Tim Walsh is the Jaguars' director of football administration. He manages the Jaguars' salary cap, develops strategic planning, crafts contract proposals and parameters, negotiates player contracts and budgets. He doesn't get much publicity because he's not a publicity guy. He is is one of the best, longest-serving people in the Jaguars' organization. As long as Walsh is around, the Jaguars need not worry about handling contracts and the salary cap at a high level. He's the best.
Joe from Jacksonville
Wow! Hiring Gladstone! You mean, the Jags are hiring someone from a well-functioning organization with a track record of success in his profession and not countless burned bridges. No, this can't actually be the Jags!??
One fer Gladstone – albeit in a bit of a backhanded way.
Bill from Springfield, VA
A couple of young free-agent linemen out there. Should the Jags have interest before GM hire?
It doesn't matter all that much if the Jaguars had interest in a free agent before Friday or after Friday. What matter is their interest as the March 12 start of the NFL League Year approaches, and I expect they will have a good idea of that soon after next week's NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Limo Bob from Neptune Beach, FL
Seems the last few years we haven't had a cap problem. Who is in charge of that now?
Gladstone, with Walsh.
Brendan from The Moral High Ground
Congrats to James Gladstone: 34 years old. I love this "young and hungry" vibe we got going on now.
One fer young and hungry …
JT from Palm Coast
A few weeks ago, I had almost zero faith in the direction of our beloved Jags. Man oh man, things have changed. Every hire since firing Trent has been spot on. Love the GM hire, John.
… and another fer Gladstone and all else.
Howard from Homestead, FL
The Rams are not known for draft and develop, but trade and acquire. Now that we have a coach and GM with connections to LA, will they bring that mentality with them?
We shall see.
Bradley from Sparks, NV
I definitely could be wrong about this, but it seems many of the good-to-great offensive lines are basically one elite guy and four average dudes that are made better by association with the All-Pro. It often takes a premium pick to find the All-Pro. However, the Jags have not gone O-line with any of their last nine top 10 picks. Is this the year they finally attempt to get "the guy" or am I over blowing the effect a "hoss" has on the rest of the unit?
While I can't say you're dead on in your analysis, I can say you're at least hovering around the right area. An All-Pro lineman, particularly at the tackle position, often serves as the anchor to any offensive line. An All-Pro lineman can typically do his job with little-or-no help, allowing other players to help other areas with double teams. This doesn't automatically make the other four linemen "average dudes," though it can make the job of those dudes "easier" and raise the overall performance of the group. As for the Jaguars in the 2025 NFL Draft … we're more than two months away from Round 1 and the Jaguars just hired a general manager. I don't doubt at all that the team will focus on offensive line moving forward – perhaps more than has been the case in the past. Does that specifically mean choosing one at No. 5 overall this offseason? That depends on the player and the draft board, but it's certainly a possibility.
John from St. Augustine, FL
"Party on, Don!" (cue guitar riff)
Fair.
Jaypee The Vortex
Why haven't we seen any player transactions yet? Has the window not opened yet? Are we waiting for a general manager? I know I probably could have googled this. But then I realized I have the O-Zone and really likes doing his own research.
Regarding research, you apparently have the wrong O-Zone. Thankfully for your sake, there's no research to be done here. We haven't seen "any player transaction" from the Jaguars this offseason yet for a couple of reasons. One is that the NFL's 2025 League Year doesn't begin until March 12, so no team can sign unrestricted free agents from other teams until then. Another is that the Jaguars just hired a general manager, so releasing their own players to manage the salary cap hasn't taken place yet. There's plenty of time for that in the coming weeks.
Mario from West Kelowna, BC
John. Before you retire from the Jaguars, whenever the time comes, Mr. Khan should award you with an all expenses paid trip around the world to every city you've received questions from. Sounds like a great farewell present!
First stop: St. Augustine. I have a meeting with Gary.
Art from Glassboro, NJ
I'm not going to pretend I know if our new general manager will be good or not, but I see a lot of knowledgeable people saying it's a good hire. I'm also not concerned with them all being young. Experienced guys haven't been very successful here, so I applaud them thinking outside of the box.
I'm not going to pretend to know if Gladstone will be good or not either. Anyone saying they do know is pretending. He's capable, as are the other people now running the Jaguars. Stay tuned. Away we go.
