The Jaguars are hiring Rams director of scouting technique James Gladstone as their subsequent basic supervisor, per NFL Community’s Tom Pelissero.
The crew confirmed the rent through social media, and Jaguars proprietor Shad Khan launched a press release calling Gladstone “distinctive in each regard,” per NFL Community’s Ian Rapoport.
Gladstone will grow to be the youngest basic supervisor within the league at 34 years outdated. He was beforehand a highschool coach in St. Louis earlier than being employed by Rams basic supervisor Les Snead. Gladstone has spent the final eight years in Los Angeles together with the final 4 as director of scouting technique.
The Rams constantly hit on their draft picks in Gladstone’s tenure regardless of buying and selling away most of their first-round picks. He’ll hope to carry that success to Jacksonville, who had an inconsistent drafting report below Trent Baalke. The Jaguars at the moment maintain the fifth total choice within the 2025 NFL Draft, giving Gladstone an opportunity so as to add an elite prospect along with his first choose as GM.
Snead could look to an inside promotion to interchange Gladstone in Los Angeles. Candidates might embody director of knowledge and analytics Jake Temme and scouting strategist Nicole Blake, per Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic.
Gladstone was not thought of a front-runner for the Jaguars’ GM job when the crew first requested to interview him, partially as a result of he was not thought of for any of the opposite vacancies this hiring cycle. He impressed crew decision-makers sufficient in his first interview to earn a second, solidifying him as a finalist for the job in Jacksonville. Now, he’ll crew up with new head coach Liam Coen in an effort to rebuild the crew after a 4-13 displaying in 2024.
The Jaguars’ GM emptiness was the final to be crammed of this 12 months’s hiring cycle, so Gladstone must transfer shortly to organize the roster totally free company. Jacksonville at the moment has just below $40M in cap house however might create one other $35M of room by transferring on from Christian Kirk, Evan Engram, and Josh Reynolds. Reynolds made only one catch in 2024 and received’t be price his $4.26M cap hit subsequent season. Kirk and Engram each performed nicely in 2022 and 2023 however skilled a downtick in manufacturing final 12 months earlier than happening with season-ending accidents. They characterize the crew’s two greatest cap hits in 2025, so the brand new regime could favor to chop ties reasonably than prolong gamers they didn’t initially signal.
Gladstone beat out a lot of veteran executives for the GM function in Jacksonville in what Khan referred to as “a painstaking however energizing interview course of.” Beneath is a full listing of their candidates:
- Chad Alexander, assistant basic supervisor (Chargers): Interviewed 2/13
- Brandon Brown, assistant basic supervisor (Giants): Interviewed 2/13; robust contender?
- Trey Brown, senior personnel government (Bengals): Interviewed 2/12
- Ian Cunningham, assistant basic supervisor (Bears): Performed second interview 2/19
- James Gladstone, scouting director (Rams): Employed
- Terrance Grey, vp of participant personnel (Payments): Interviewed 2/12
- Mike Greenberg, assistant basic supervisor (Buccaneers): Declined interview
- Champ Kelly, assistant basic supervisor (Raiders): Interviewed 2/14
- Jon Robinson, former basic supervisor (Titans): One in all prime candidates?; Interviewed 2/13
- Jon-Eric Sullivan, vp of participant personnel (Packers): Performed second interview 2/20
- Ethan Waugh, interim basic supervisor (Jaguars): Sturdy candidate?; Interviewed 2/20
- Josh Williams, director of scouting and soccer operations (49ers): Performed second interview 2/19
