Sean McVay Reacts to Jaguars GM Hire

Things looked a lot different for the Jacksonville Jaguars during this year's NFL Scouting Combine.

After former general manager Trent Baalke led the Jaguars' front office in the last four seasons, last week's combine served as new general manager James Gladstone's first chance to represent the Jaguars' franchise.

The Gladstone hire made positive impressions with many around the league, including with Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay, who spent nearly a decade working with Gladstone in Los Angeles.

"Congratulations to [Jaguars General Manager] James Gladstone, really happy for him and what he's going to do leading the way for the Jags," McVay said this week. "That's awesome for James. He's earned that right."

Gladstone served as a top voice in the Rams' front office since joining the franchise in 2016. He climbed the ranks and eventually became one of the key pieces of Les Snead's operation, especially with the Rams hitting on mid- and late-round draft picks in recent year.

"Les and his group do an incredible job of vetting, doing a bunch of different background checks, trying to be able to quantify things that aren't necessarily quantifiable to be able to help identify the makeup and different things," McVay said.

"We let the tape guide the majority of our evaluations. Because Les and I have such a good rapport, because there's such an understanding of where we want to go and what the vision is for our football team, it's been really seamless."

The Jaguars will now be taking some of the Rams' processes to Jacksonville with Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen, who was a Rams assistant for four seasons.

It is clear the influence both McVay and Snead have had on the Jaguars' new top decision-makers. Now, it is time to see how the influence manifests itself into success building the team.

"I think, first and foremost, Les [Snead] is unapologetically himself. He offers that same luxury to anybody he comes in contact with, and that is something that I think is one of the best things on planet Earth, to simply be able to be yourself. That's what drew me to him," Gladstone said at his opening press conference.

"Even though I was pursuing a career as a high school teacher and football coach, one that I really wanted to embark on from a young age, and pivoted to a different path simply for the sake that I could find somebody that I wanted to learn from and support."

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.