3 Bold Moves James Gladstone Has Made That Have Paid Off for Jaguars

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- For the Jacksonville Jaguars to find truly sustained success in the years to come, there are few people whose performance is more important than general manager James Gladstone.

Luckily for the Jaguars, Gladstone's first offseason at the helm saw the Jaguars make all of the right moves to support head coach Liam Coen and push the Jaguars to a 13-4 season. But what were some of the boldest moves Gladstone made that ended up paying off for the Jaguars in a year's time? We break down three such moves below.

Trading Christian Kirk

jacksonville jaguar — Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk, left, is congratulated by quarterback Trevor Lawrence after a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Texans at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida on Sept. 24, 2023. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

When Gladstone and Coen took over for the Jaguars a year ago, they had some big decisions to make on both sides of the ball as it came time to collect on dues from the Doug Pederson/Trent Baalke era. One of those decisions was in regard to veteran wide receiver Christian Kirk, who stepped into the No. 1 receiver role for the Jaguars when they signed him to a jaw-dropping deal in 2022.

Kirk proved the Jaguars right at first, collecting a 1,000-yard season in his first year with the Jaguars as they made a playoff push. Injuries then limited him to 20 games over the next two seasons, and the Jaguars' new regime then had to decide if they were going to keep him on his big deal, or make the tough decision to part ways.

The Jaguars and Gladstone first opted to release Kirk, but the news of the impending move led to the Houston Texans sending a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Jaguars. The move not only freed up cap space for the Jaguars, but it also freed up room in the receiver pecking order for Parker Washington and, eventually, Jakobi Meyers to ascend seamlessly.

christian kir — Jan 18, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk (13) celebrates a touchdown in the second quarter against the New England Patriots in an AFC Divisional Round game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kirk caught 28 passes for 239 yards and one touchdown for the Texans, just a fraction of what Washington and Meyers were each able to do in the Jaguars' offense last year. The Jaguars also then used that seventh-round pick from the Texans in a trade-up in the sixth-round for Baylor wide receiver Josh Cameron. If Cameron develops into a solid depth piece and/or a quality return man, then this move will have continued to pay off in a big way for Gladstone and the Jaguars.

At the time, people slammed the Jaguars for sending a talented receiver to an AFC South rival for a seventh-round pick 15 months away. Now, though, it is hard to imagine the Jaguars will not leave this trade as clear winners. A move that was once deemed risky is now one of the easiest moves the Jaguars could have made in hindsight.

Releasing Evan Engram

Former Jaguars tight end Evan Engram, who had the greatest single tight end season in franchise history in 2023, is in a similar situation to Kirk. Like Kirk, Engram signed a big-money deal with the franchise that made him a question mark once the new regime took over last offseason. Like Kirk, he also spent much of the 2024 season injured, adding another layer to a equation.

The Jaguars and Gladstone opted to outright release Engram last offseason, leading to him signing a sizable deal with the Denver Broncos. At the time, the move was panned because it came at the same time as the Kirk move, which meant the Jaguars were making sweeping changes in their pass-catcher room that led to 402 combined catches from the last three seasons leaving at once.

But fast forward to 2026, and it is hard to even remember that the move was once tagged as risky. The Jaguars clearly believed in the traits they saw on film from former second-round pick and Engram's backup, Brenton Strange, and the Jaguars' young tight end was able to make the Jaguars look smart rather quickly.

brenton strang — Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange (85) runs on the field before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Titans 41-7, capturing the AFC South title. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Strange was fantastic in all phases for the Jaguars last season, and the Jaguars went 11-1 with him in the lineup. He was unlocked as a pass-catcher, and the physical blocking that he had become known for stood out from the very first game of the season. Strange was so impressive when stepping into Engram's role that the Jaguars made him one of the NFL's highest-paid tight ends last month.

The Jaguars took a bet on upside and scheme fit over familiarity and veteran production when they moved on from Engram. Now, it is impossible to say they didn't make the right choice as Strange enters the 2026 season as one of the most important players on the whole team.

Rebuilding Secondary

There were four big moves Gladstone made in 2025 when it came to the future of the Jaguars' secondary. As it stands today, three look like clear wins.

The first two moves were signing veteran defenders Jourdan Lewis and Eric Murray in free agency. The Jaguars made Lewis one of the highest-paid slot cornerbacks ever and gave Murray a bigger deal than many anticipated, but each proved to be critical to the Jaguars' success last year. Not only were they the leaders of a young secondary, but they made the big plays throughout the year to justify their deals, and each is set to play a significant role yet again.

The next move was trading up for Travis Hunter during the 2025 NFL Draft. While the former No. 2 pick spent more time at wide receiver than at cornerback during his rookie season last year, the widely-held belief is that he will see a significant increase of snaps at cornerback this season. The NFL already views him as a future shutdown cornerback after just seven games as a rookie, and he should become an X-Factor for the Jaguars' secondary this season.

There was the Tyson Campbell trade, which had mixed results. The trade allowed the Jaguars to get out of Campbell's deal, but Greg Newsome was so-so before his departure helped the Jaguars net a future sixth-round compensatory pick. But even with that included, the Hunter/Murray/Lewis moves were bold risks that have helped turn around a Jaguars secondary that was one of the NFL's worst in 2024.

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