3 Early James Gladstone Moves That Have Aged Well

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off one of their best seasons in a long, long time. And it took more than a few moves for the Jaguars to get there.

In a time of reflection upon the 2025 Jaguars team that won 13 games and an AFC South title, we take a look at three moves that helped shape that team that, almost a full year later, have aged well.

Christian Kirk Trade

The first heat check of the new regime was when the Jaguars and newly minted general manager James Gladstone made it clear they were going to cut starting wide receiver Christian Kirk. The move would free up cap space and give the Jaguars a chance to build a receiver room that fit their new scheme, but the Jaguars managed to turn the early news into a deal as the Houston Texans sent a 2026 seventh-round pick.

Kirk was the star of the Jaguars' 2022 class and, early on in his Jaguars tenure looked like the team's next No. 1 receiver. But injuries shut him down in both 2023 and 2024, and the Jaguars moved on from Kirk to rebuild the room with Travis Hunter, Jakobi Meyers, and an elevated Parker Washington. Kirk had a good playoff run (10 catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns), but in the regular season, he caught 28 passes for 239 yards and one touchdown -- which is roughly what the Jaguars got from Dyami Brown.

The Evan Engram Move

One move that seemed like a toss-up at the time was the future of tight end Evan Engram. The Jaguars had yet to see Brenton Strange in an extended full-time role, and Engram was just a year removed from the best tight end season in franchise history. Releasing Engram seemed like another bold move from the new regime after his years of leadership and production.

The Jaguars got everything they could have possibly hoped from Strange as a starter, meaning the Engram move was a painful but necessary one for the Jaguars to take the next step with a younger players. Strange caught 46 passes for 540 yards and three touchdowns, and he did this while missing five games with injury.

Robert Hainsey Deal

When the Jaguars signed Robert Hainsey to a starter's contract in March, they were giving a respectable deal and a starting commitment to a player who had only started one game the season before. It seemed like the Jaguars were going out on a limb for a player because he had experience with Liam Coen, but Hainsey's play quickly proved this to not be the case.

Hainsey was a big upgrade for the Jaguars after years of struggling at the position, and he also earned a captain's patch in the process. He was the perfect messenger and soldier for Coen as he got his hooks into the franchise.

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