James Gladstone Shows Conviction in Jaguars Offseason Approach

Having conviction within football always had its risks and rewards. Every NFL team's decision-maker has a unique approach to how they want to construct their roster with one goal in mind: building a Super Bowl champion.

Team-building for the Jacksonville Jaguars has been stagnant to begin the league year. General manager James Gladstone has been under pressure from the outside for why the team has lacked aggressive moves this offseason so far. In his first press conference of the new NFL year, Gladstone was candid, upfront, and direct with his approach to building the roster, whether others may agree or not.

Gladstone has a clear conviction for building the Jaguars roster

Turning 36 this June, Gladstone is one of the youngest general managers in the NFL. His baby-face look and meteoric rise from being the Los Angeles Rams director of scouting and scouting strategy in the final few years with the franchise may have come as a surprise for many Jaguars fans compared to other popular names available for hire.

However, Gladstone, alongside head coach Liam Coen and executive vice president of football operations Tony Boselli, has helped establish a culture and continuity within the franchise that was toxic enough to lead to 13 wins, the AFC South title, and a rejuvenated organization. However, the momentum has stalled.

Not a lot of money, no first-round pick in this year's NFL Draft, and a lack of bigger signings to offset the losses from the Jaguars free agency have left fans anxious for what's next. A team coming off 13 wins should be more aggressive, but Gladstone's approach provides more context.

Gladstone Jags — Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone, right, speaks as head coach Liam Coen looks on during a press conference at the Miller Electric Center, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As the second-year general manager explained in Thursday's press conference, the reason for last offseason's aggression in free agency was to help raise the floor of the roster, and they did a great job of doing so. This offseason, with the losses of running back Travis Etienne (signed with the Saints) and linebacker Devin Lloyd (signed with the Panthers), the Jaguars earn more compensatory selections for the 2027 NFL Draft.

Gladstone used the examples of acquiring Tim Patrick and Jakobi Myers with Day Three draft capital as a way to help build the roster through these compensatory selections, especially in rounds four through seven.

"Without that draft capital at your disposal, you may not be as willing or able to relinquish some of those future picks," Gladstone said. "So, by building that up now, it allows us the luxury of remaining with the flexibility to do those sorts of things as we move into the next stages of the offseason and into the regular season."

This makes sense, especially from a team-building perspective. Smart teams have shown to do this, whether it is Gladstone's former team, the Rams, or Brett Veach of the Kansas City Chiefs, who used late-round capital to make the acquisition of quarterback Justin Fields. Gladstone will certainly use this stockpile of Day Three picks to add to positions of need, whether it is edge rusher, defensive tackle, or linebacker.

The reports that the Jaguars were involved in trade talks for Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby were quickly squashed, in a sense, as Gladstone admitted that they talked to other teams to get their thoughts on the matter, but making a move that aggressive would go against his philosophy, especially without a first-round choice.

Gladstone is one of the more honest general managers I've heard speak to reporters from any team. He admitted that there is some fear of missing out—or FOMO, as he liked to abbreviate it—on free agents due to the impact of the lack of salary cap space, but with his and Coen's previous experiences with teams like Tampa Bay and Los Angeles, this is not uncharted territory.

"It's not uncharted territory for me. It's not uncharted territory for Liam. He was with us at the Rams, and this was an approach that we took in multiple cycles," Gladstone said. "And it’s really one that I know well and feel confident we can navigate and really be able to use all the different intervals that lie in front of us to continue to shape what will be the 2026 Jacksonville Jaguars."

Coen Jags — Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen speaks during a press conference as general manager James Gladstone looks on at the Miller Electric Center, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Rams' strategy under Les Snead has worked for years, leading to consistent success and pushes at the Super Bowl, including this offseason and upcoming regular season. Jacksonville is not far off from championship contention, and some thought a more favorable matchup in the first round would've led to a clear path to Santa Clara over a month ago. It is not crazy with the Jaguars current structure, approach, and the shape of the roster that they could remain in this position in 2026.

One item from Gladstone's press conference was the termination of Brian Thomas Jr. trade rumors, as the talented wide receiver had been in the news as a potential asset to acquire more draft capital, but as Jacksonville Jaguars On SI reported on Thursday, Gladstone made it clear he is a part of their plans and trading him would hurt the continuity of the team.

"I think you think back to where we landed at the end of the season, where our passing attack was," Gladstone said on Thursday. "We have no interest in disrupting the momentum. We look forward to continuing to build off of where we left things and know that Brian Thomas is a big piece to that puzzle, and we don't want to make sure that that gets disrupted at any time."

From my perspective, the Jaguars are going about this the right way—the smart way. This is how good football teams maintain continuity and sustainable success in the NFL. This is an ever-changing sport with hurdles to jump each season, and Gladstone's approach has good merit, though any direction taken has risk involved.

Jacksonville should not be expected to win 13 games for a second year in a row, but their minds are on the right path to success, and it is thanks to the mind of James Gladstone.