Darnell Sallins
February 25, 2025, 12:15AM
James Gladstone was introduced as the new General Manager of the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday morning in Jacksonville. The press conference took place at 11AM as owner Shad Khan introduced Gladstone to the Jacksonville's local media.
Gladstone opened up with gratitude and thanks to Shad and Tony Khan for the opportunity as GM of the Jags. He thanked his family as he wife and daughter were in attendance. He would go on and thank the Los Angeles Rams, where he worked nine years for under General Manager Les Snead and Head Coach Sean McVay.
Gladston would shortly thereafter talk to the Jaguars fanbase. Saying with a discipline approach, he and Head Coach Liam Coen will bring a product where the fans in Jacksonville would be proud of.
"With Liam's vision. With a discipline approach. We're going to bring a product you all can be proud of and we're so appreciative of your support and with game on."
During the Q&A section of the press conference, James Gladstone talked about Les Snead was an essential part of Gladstone taking the Jaguars GM job.
"It was alone until he rosed his hand and said, 'it's time.' And so, at that point, when this became available and when he knew it would be a match with Liam, with Tony and everybody else you see up here, that's when we began to accelerate the process to the next phrase and becoming a general manager."
As mentioned earlier, Gladstone spent nine years with the Los Angeles Rams from 2016-2024. He was the Senior Assistant to the General Manager in 2016 when the first moved back to Los Angeles from St. Louis. In 2018, he was promoted to Player Personnel Coordinator along keeping the Senior Assistant role. From 2019 through his departure after the 2024 season, Gladstone was the Director of Scouting Strategy for the Rams.
In those nine years, Gladstone help build the Rams to a successful and respectful organization. The Rams won four NFC West Division Titles, made six postseason appearances including this past season, two Super Bowl appearances, and Super Bowl 56 Champions. Gladstone has seen and help building the Rams in two different philosophies. One way was trading away draft picks for veteran players like Matthew Stafford, Odell Beckham Jr., and Von Miller to win Super Bowl 56 in 2021. The other way through the draft and finding gems like Wide Receiver Cooper Kupp, a third-round pick in 2017 from Eastern Washington who became a triple-crown wide Receiver in 2021 as well as Super Bowl 56 MVP. Running Back Kyren Williams from Notre Dame in 2022 in the fifth rounder, now the Rams lead back. WR Puka Nacua, drafted in fifth round in 2023 from BYU, now the number one WR for the Rams. This past NFL Draft class that features Defensive Rookie of the Year, Jared Verse in the first round from Florida State and fellow FUS teammate DT Braden Fiske in the second round.
Gladstone said he will use those two different modes and bring those to Jacksonville. He also said that he will be looking for players that are "intangibly rich". Players that are good character, about football and winning. When listening to the press conference, you can the McVay/Snead come out of Gladstone. The way Gladstone talks about being a team, working with Coen on bring a product that the people in Northeast Florida can be proud, and a culture similar to the Rams and have sustained success in Duval.
Shad Khan and the Jaguars may have struck gold with hiring James Gladstone. Only time will tell, but after this press conference Monday morning, the Jaguars fanbase can feel optimistic that changes is coming.
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