HEAD COACH LIAM COEN AND GENERAL MANAGER JAMES GLADSTONE
END OF SEASON MEDIA AVAILABILITY
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2026
Q. You put together a rookie class to comes into the season, a lot of injuries in this
class. How hard does that make it to kind of evaluate the group of young players you
brought in?
JAMES GLADSTONE: Yeah, I think that’s a really fair question to ask. The idea of the rookie
contributions, it’s a fun one to talk through and obviously as we think back to our priorities
headed into the draft and really where we wanted to place our points of emphasis, it’s
certainly a clear sign when he you wrap up a season and have double-digit rookies take
either an offensive or defensive snap throughout the course of a season that you can feel
good about the experience heading into year two. Beyond that, obviously injuries are
something that take place over the course of a natural season, right? And for it to happen to
a few of our rookies over the course of this first year is, on a level, disappointing. Would
have loved to see more and obviously with Travis [WR/DB Travis Hunter] having gotten to a
place midseason where he felt like he was starting to peak and really make a real dent and
the plan for post bye was to continue to enhance that. Tough not be able to see that come
to life down the back stretch. With Caleb [CB Caleb Ransaw], obviously the fact that he
never got a chance to even step on the grass for a regular season game was not ideal, but
both of those guys are attacking their rehab process in the way that you would expect and
really looking forward to what their future holds for us and their place on the football team
into 2026 and beyond. Obviously with Wyatt [OL Wyatt Milum], having experienced an
injury in pre-season game three that impacted the first half of his season. By the end of it,
being able to see levels of his game take steps was really a positive sign. Beyond that,
obviously got some contributions from day three players, which is always a helpful piece to
the puzzle. In particular with [LB] Jalen McLeod, not unlike Caleb, not getting a chance to
step on the grass was not ideal, but nonetheless getting experience and taking steps
throughout his recovery process in a way that makes you feel optimistic about what the
future holds for him. And then beyond just the draft selections themselves, to get
contributions from undrafted college free agents like we did in two defensive ends was
certainly cause for optimism, especially knowing that that was not just through special
teams but also on the defensive side of the ball. It’s not easy to find people at that position
in particular in undrafted college free agency, so to walk away with two, got to give a lot of
credit to our coaching staff and our scouting staff who worked through the undrafted
college free agent committee process to identify those players and be able to walk away
with signing them. That’s a collaborative effort that brings that to life, and obviously our
coaches and support staff to be able to get those guys in a place to be able to play and
those two individually to be able to prepare in the right ways as rookies by end of season to
really have real roles. Obviously beyond that, a couple different guys who started on our
practice squad and were either elevated at different points or ultimately brought to the 53-
man roster through undrafted college free agency is a really good sign for the future and
really our process as a whole. But obviously when it involves a few different players with
injuries, it’s something that has to be thought through a little bit differently, but nonetheless
at this point, there’s plenty of room for optimism.
Q. James, you guys were seventh in quarterback pressures as a pass rush but 27th in
sacks. What kind of offseason priority is it to get that cranked up, particularly in a
playoff game like last Sunday?
JAMES GLADSTONE: That’s a cool question because sacks in particular are never a true
indicator. Pressures are probably a better indicator of whether or not you’re impacting the
QB. The way in which our scheme will evolve will have a role in how we address it from a
personnel standpoint. Clearly, I think we saw by season’s end that there was an uptick.
What may have not necessarily been a superpower of our defense on the front end of the
season became more impactful by season’s end and I think we saw evolution of usage and
I do expect that our scheme itself will evolve and not necessarily be the exact same. There’s
going to be some preliminary discussions that take place over the course of the latter
weeks in January. Our coaching staff won’t return until mid-February at which point we’ll
dive into that stuff in greater detail.
Q. Back to Hunter. For both you guys, how is his rehab doing and what is the plan for
him moving forward?
JAMES GLADSTONE: Yeah, I think very fair to say his rehab process is going as expected.
He’s hitting it hard and obviously the joy that he brings to just the everyday operation is still
something that permeates throughout the space that he enters and beyond that and the
role that he’ll play, we still expect him to play on both sides of the ball. Obviously you can
take a peek at expiring contracts on our roster and which side of the ball has more.
Obviously at this point walking into the offseason, corner is a position that we have a few
guys who are on expiring contracts. By default, you can expect there to be a higher
emphasis on his placement.
I think from Liam’s perspective, he can share it, but the steps he was taking by the midpoint
of the season really made us feel good about what the back half of the year was going to be
like on both sides of the ball and what that impact was going to look like being a feature
point on offense and an impact player on defense. It was disappointing timing but
nonetheless feel good about where we are heading into this offseason and what next year
should hold.
Q. Liam, you said before you try not to put a number in mind for the team. You had 13
wins this season. Is there a moment early in the season, training camp or something,
where you start looking and saying I kind of like this group, you got a chance to maybe
do something?
LIAM COEN: Yeah, I think you can point to a number of different times throughout training
camp that you felt like the team was responding to the message. They were responding to
challenges. They were practicing their asses off. Every day that we went out on the grass
and competed, these guys continued to elevate and set new standards. So you feel good
about the way they’re responding. You kind of always look to, all right, when is the drop-off
going to happen throughout training camp and early in the season and you didn’t really
sense that. You didn’t feel that too often. So you feel like you have a group that is at least on
the right path. What that equals and what that comes out to be from a win/loss standpoint,
you never know, but you’re excited. You’re excited about working with the group and how
they’re going to continue to respond and play on Sundays and so you did feel it at an early
part of the season in terms of, all right, we’re not afraid to go compete with the best. We’re
going to go play any place, any time, anywhere and see what those results are. I was proud
about the group early on and you just see what it looks like midway through the season and
keep evaluating.
Q. Liam, do you look at Travis going into next year as wide receiver one or the number
one wide receiver? How do you think your guys’ plan for him in getting him ready
helped? Or where does that need work or were you pleased with it?
LIAM COEN: Yeah, I think it’s all part of this evaluation process. I never really look at
anybody as, like, one or two or three. It’s just who do we have on the roster? That’s going to
be active and that we can continue to work with and prepare through the offseason
program with. For him right now it’s about getting his rehab right and diving in mentally
because of some of the limitations we’ll have throughout the offseason program. But I’m
really excited about getting back to work with Travis and continue that evolution and see
what that looks like and I’m going to take a few of these weeks here to look at that schedule
and see what that… any of those changes or adaptations we may need to make.
Q. Just in terms of this season, sort of reflecting on the sting of a loss but also the
success that you guys had, 13 wins. How did that sort of align with your overall long-
term vision for what Jaguars football should look like?
JAMES GLADSTONE: Yeah, that’s a fun one. The desired result obviously wasn’t there but
there’s a lot of pride in the process. I think you talk about reflection and that’s an ongoing
piece to the puzzle. It’s never-ending and obviously we were doing that along the way. We’re
doing it moving forward. As I think back to where we were this time last year, shoot, Liam
was probably just embarking on the interview process. I wasn’t even considering it as an
option. There were plenty of people in Jacksonville that had never heard my name, and I
think the fact that we got a longer runway right here is going to be a luxury. As I thing about
what myself, Liam, Tony [Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli] were
able to do with a vision, being able to execute that, raising the floor of the football team,
knowing that when you think back to 2024 there was plenty of talent to keep, close games,
but we needed to raise the floor and inject intangibles into the football team so that we
could close games. To be able to see that come to fruition is something that we can
certainly take some pride in and being able to talk through and engineer what this football
team looks like moving forward and where our points of emphasis need to be is certainly
something we’re having those early discussions around and need to continue to dive
deeper into what that actually looks like. Looking forward through that, seeing proof of
concept as a version of fulfillment, knowing that our whole message and really what was so
great is Liam’s message was absorbed by our players. It was believed by our players, but it
was going 1-0. To be able to say, hey, looking right here we need to pour in simply into our
process, not worry so much about the results and find fulfillment there knowing that
regardless of if we win a Super Bowl or if we don’t, that ball is rolling back down to the
bottom of the hill and we got to start all the way over.
Q. [WR] Brian Thomas Jr., how much do you view him as a part of this thing in the long-
term, and also how much more can you get out of him with his skill set and as a 23-
year-old player?
JAMES GLADSTONE: I’m glad you asked that, and I think I can point back to the question
about wide receiver one. The cool thing about our offensive system, and this is my
observation and Liam can dive into the details, is each and every game presents a different
problem for an opponent. You never know who it is that’s going to pop off. You look back at
the output of the collective. We had three receivers go over 700 yards. That’s abnormal.
That’s not typical. To be able to spread the wealth, so to speak, is a really positive thing.
With Jakobi’s [WR Jakobi Meyers] arrival, it certainly allowed B.T. [WR Brian Thomas Jr.] to
continue to level up in areas that fit within the system itself that were fit for his skill set and
allowed him to be the best version of himself down that back stretch of the season. I think
beyond that you saw even in [WR] Parker Washington, his play, being able to take steps with
opportunities. That was showing itself throughout the course of the offseason program and
training camp. Training camp didn’t lie to us this time around. Sometimes those are things
that you question. Hey, is this a real reflection of what we’ll see come regular season? With
Parker Washington, that was no fraudulent exposure. That was an accurate interpretation.
When his opp [opportunity] presented itself, he certainly stepped up and helped our cause.
But I think to your point, B.T. in particular, when you were talking a little bit about Travis
being wide receiver one, the wide receiver one doesn’t necessarily exist in the system in the
way that you would typically feel like it might and Liam can obviously dive into the nuances
as needed.
Q. Do you see a lot of growth in him? As you know so many guys, we saw a lot of great
play. He was one we saw a drop-off from the outside.
LIAM COEN: Yeah, I think you point to wins and losses as really what it comes down to.
When you’re part of a team that wins, typically that wealth is shared, so it’s never truly
going to be about one player. I continue to pour into every single one of these guys as will
[Wide Receivers Coach] Edgar Bennett and as will [Offensive Coordinator Grant Udinski]
Grant and as will our entire staff continue to pour into guys to try to get the most out of
them to help our team win as many games as humanly possible and B.T. will 100 percent be
a part of that.
Q. Coach, how important is it for this year, I heard you say you got to go on to the next
play, whether it’s good or bad. There’s a lot about this year that was foundational. Is it
a challenge for you to carry that over but to let the team know not one first down or
touchdown or 13 wins is going to — we have to start this thing all over again?
LIAM COEN: Yeah, that is very fair. That was the message to the team on Monday. I was
extremely proud of a lot of things that we were able to accomplish, very proud of their
response to adversity and to that 1-0 message and that next-play mentality and now the
real work is here to where we have to go and reload it. We’re not going to just stand here
and say, man, we’re just going to re-do it all with all the same, same, same, same because
that got us 13 wins and knocked out of the playoffs this the first round. Clearly it was not
good enough for the full end of the season standard, but 31 other teams are having a
similar conversation and they will have the similar conversation. So that’s the beautiful part
about this profession and the challenge that it brings. Every year is a new year. Every team
is a new team. That’s what this offseason will be able to provide. That’s what the offseason
will be for, getting to know this new team, what it looks like with the message being, hey, we
got to continue to go 1-0 each week and play the next play.
Q. Liam, how encouraged were you with [QB] Trevor Lawrence’s growth this season,
and what was your message to him in terms of what you would like to see him
emphasize this offseason?
LIAM COEN: Yeah, I haven’t had any of those conversations yet. It’s been about a little bit of
appreciation, just talk to him briefly about how much I appreciated his work this season.
His trust, the growth that he did make, his openness to be coached and coached hard. I
think he would be one of the first ones to tell you there’s a lot of work to continue to do and
to be done. That’s what we’ll look at for these next few weeks as our coaching staff will,
when we get back into the building, alright, what’s the three better three best that we want
to end up providing for each player specifically and have some of those conversations
when we get back in the building.
Q. James, how impressed were you with Lawrence over the last half of the season?
JAMES GLADSTONE: I was really impressed. Back to the offseason program, there was a
learning curve, obviously, and the one thing that was very clear throughout that window in
the cycle was his interest in making sure the operation was clean and he was going through
step-by-step to make sure he was learning the right way and pouring in the right way. You
could see a turn in the second week of training camp where he began not just learning but
testing, right? Testing what could work, what could fit, all those sorts of things, so that was
kind of a cool evolution over the course of the offseason. Into the regular season, generally
zooming out away from Trevor, just the idea that teams can be built over the course of an
offseason is true, but the good ones, the great ones, they evolve over the course of the
regular season and you saw that evolution in Trevor over the course of the regular season
as you compare the first quarter to the second quarter to first half to second half. There
was a clear uptick in command, control, comfort, play-making, all that stuff jumped out in
a real way, and I look forward to being able to have him carry that momentum into the
offseason here and continue to dive into what Liam and our coaching staff would call three
better, three best, which is a very pointed offseason attack.
Q. James, [LB] Devin Lloyd was a player who maybe hadn’t found his role in two
previous defensive schemes here. Second Team All-Pro this year, contract year. What
is the evaluation?
JAMES GLADSTONE: How cool was that, right? Such an impactful season. What he meant
to our end result was certainly notable. The way in which he operated on a daily, weekly
basis was really cool to watch and observe. He committed himself to being the best
version. The connection between him, the coaching staff was real. He was being deployed
in the right ways. He felt confident the ways he was doing it from both defense and special
teams. Talking about a guy playing at an all-pro level on defense but is running it down on
kickoff every time we score and making plays for us. Extremely happy for Devin and his
production this season and finding real footing in a way that aligned with what he knew he
could be. Look forward to working through the offseason process with our coaching staff
and everyone else to determine what’s best for everybody and seeing if there’s something
to be done. But nonetheless, the role that he had in what we did this season was real and I
think it was very vivid for all to see.
Q. Another player on the defensive side of the ball kind of falls in a similar category
and once the trade was made for Tyson [Browns CB Tyson Campbell] or Greg [CB Greg
Newsome II] was [CB] Montaric Brown. What did you see from Buster [CB Montaric
Brown] that validated making that move to give him more exposure also in a contract
year on the outside and what does his future look like?
JAMES GLADSTONE: Yeah, that’s another one that’s in alignment with Parker Washington.
What you saw in the offseason program and in training camp was authentic. It was real. He
was getting his hand on the ball endlessly. His skill set aligned with the scheme in a true
form. And I think that that probably from last season to this season was something that
many could understand on their own, but he’s very comfortable operating in it. He’s very
effective in it. I think that that certainly gave us the confidence. His mode of operation is
one of trust. I think that gives a coaching staff certainly a willingness to give it an attempt
even if walking into the season or looking outward in you may not have identified Buster as
being a starting cornerback or not and certainly proud, just like with Devin, to see his
output continue to climb over the course of the season and make a real dent in our result.
Q. James, you obviously have a fifth-year option with Travon [DE Travon Walker], but
just a guy like him who had injuries this year, how do you evaluate and assess that and
the path going forward with him?
JAMES GLADSTONE: Yeah, I think that’s fair to ask. The thing that I really appreciate in
watching Travon move is how much he loves this place. How much he loves his
teammates. That just seeps out of his soul. Those are the types of people you want to align
yourself with. It’s the type of players that we want to make sure that are still in our building
moving forward. And I know obviously dealing with injury, that’s never easy for a player. To
tough through those types of things, especially when it’s coming with a wrist and a knee
simultaneously, it’s not something that’s easy or many would be willing to put themselves
potentially at risk for looking worse. You wouldn’t hold that against him. It’s not something
that’s ever considered as long-term concern or anything of that nature. In fact, it’s
something that you would prop him up for, right? The willingness to step into that despite
being in adverse situation or your body is not feeling its best. That’s stuff that he should
take real pride in, and he certainly is somebody that we want to make sure we align
ourselves with moving forward.
Q. James, playing with [RB] DeeJay Dallas at the last minute making contributions and,
of course, the move for wide receiver in the middle of the year and so many guys being
out still having success, does it make it easier for you to sell guys not only with the 53,
but the practice squad to prepare themselves to be the next man up?
JAMES GLADSTONE: You know, that’s a good question. I don’t know that it comes down to
a sell job as much as it was — like, I think back to a lot of our conversations last spring into
the summer and it’s going to be really important, I think, for us as a leadership group to
make sure our words align with action and when we say something we stand on it. When it
comes to injuries over the course of the season, I think that provides opportunities,
opportunities to showcase depth and agility and development and I think you mentioned a
few guys, but there’s a long list of folks that sort of shined when those opportunities
presented itself. There’s a long list of examples of our coaching staff adjusting in real time.
That stuff, they all deserve a ton of credit for that. The attrition that takes place over the
natural course of a season is real and you’ve got to prepare for it. You don’t get to 13 wins
unless you have chemistry, you have folks that can step in when voids are created and you
don’t feel massive drop-off. I think that showed itself time and time again in a number of
different ways and having guys who start the season on a practice squad and end up
starting for you by end of season, that’s another sign of some really high quality
opportunities that will present itself even when an injury isn’t what triggers it. So I think
those actions speak louder than any sell job that I could do for anybody and we’ll let
players and representation point to those as examples of why they should be here.
Q. I’m talking about culture. Is that what culture really is, though, everyone buying in?
JAMES GLADSTONE: Undoubtedly. Undoubtedly. The words on the wall, the words that you
speak, that’s one thing but being able to live and breathe all that is a totally different
dynamic. I’ve got to give a ton of gratitude and appreciation for Shad [Owner Shad Khan]
and his family for entrusting Tony, myself, and Liam to step into these roles. I’ve got to give a
ton of gratitude and appreciation to the players for embracing us and buying in. Obviously,
Liam setting the message, setting the tone, holding the standard firm, them embracing that
and putting it into action as players is something that isn’t easy to garner, isn’t easy to
produce and that takes time. It takes time to build that trust. It takes time to showcase
what you’re saying is actually what you’re living and, yeah, that’s a real part of it for sure.
But certainly look forward to pressing that restart button because you’ve got to recreate.
You’ve got to iterate. It’s never going to be the exact same that it was and we look forward to
that challenge.
Q. What’s the hardest thing about getting the boulder back up the hill and maybe even
further than you got it this year?
LIAM COEN: I’ve got to look at what those exact, I guess you could call it bullet points,
would be to get that over the hump. I think that we had a lot of great energy towards the end
of the season in terms of, like, I don’t know if a lot of guys were just like oh my gosh, let’s get
this season over with type thing to where the schedule, the routine, the support staff, the
operation, the routine, the practices. It felt like it was going in the right direction in terms of
sustainability throughout maybe a few more weeks. So, looking at that, I think that it was on
par with being able to continue moving forward. It was just some critical moments,
obviously, and plays in a game that you’ve got to be able to make. Those are things that you
end up having to build upon and try to recreate in the offseason, right? So, when we do
situational masters and we go through our offseason plan and recreating some of those
moments that we ended up losing in, obviously the end of half, great execution to get us
into a position to make a — hey, we just didn’t make the kick. Like, it is what it is, right? All
right, let’s go put them back in that situation in the spring and continue to recreate
moments to create positivity to have that muscle memory to go and make those plays
when the time comes.
Q. James, how would you describe the growth and production of [TE] Brenton Strange
this year?
JAMES GLADSTONE: I point back to really our intent with what we did in the offseason
program, which was when we first arrived, there were players that were longstanding
starters in the wide receiver room and the tight end room. Our belief in Brenton and others
in the wide receiver room that they, with opportunity, could take a step. Certainly excited
now where we’re seated to be able to say that was a sound decision. Now, at the same
time, Brenton did his part to bring that to life. Rich [Tights End Coach Rich Angulo], in
conjunction with our offensive staff, helped bring that with life. Obviously at this point in
time feel like he’s someone that we can really rely on moving forward, some version of a
security blanket in the passing game and can make things happen when the ball is in his
hands. But as a run blocker, he’s certainly somebody that can dent the line of scrimmage
and set the tone, and so at this point in time, certainly feel like that vision being brought to
life through him, through others that are around him is really cool to have seen unfold.
Q. Do you expect to have contract negotiations with Brenton and Parker? You could
now, I mean, get them early and get them cheaper.
JAMES GLADSTONE: I think we’ll take the time here. Obviously, it’s all preliminary
discussions at this point in time and probably premature to truly dive in. Have to wait until
we hit that full three-year mark with the new league year but nonetheless, I think both
Brenton and Parker are people that we feel like align strongly with how we want to move
forward.
Q. Liam, part of the success is potentially losing some guys. Do you anticipate that you
may have to replace, it sounds like Grant [Offensive Coordinator Grant Udinski] has an
opportunity in Cleveland and I think Campanile [Defensive Coordinator Anthony
Campanile] maybe down in Miami. What’s your view on that? How do you approach
that? And do you expect some changes, I guess?
LIAM COEN: I mean, both those guys did a great job this year and were in their first years
doing those roles and responsibilities and so any time you have success, you’re going to
have people come and call and knock on the door. Those guys have earned some of those
interviews and opportunities. Whether those happen this year, down the line, I think both
those guys are future head coaches at some point. That just comes along with the territory.
It comes with it. It’s the bittersweetness of our profession. You want to continue to give
people opportunities to grow while also protecting your product and what you do here and
how you operate, so it’s definitely a fine line that you walk, but it’s opportunity and they’ve
earned those opportunities to interview for those positions and you try to help them along
that process as much as possible. Do I anticipate losing those guys or many coaches from
this staff? Not sure. I’m not sure what that looks like. That ultimately isn’t my decision and
we have to be prepared. We have to think about what are the next steps if those things were
to happen. Those are conversations that we’re having right now.
Q. James, [OL Cole] Van Lanen at left tackle specifically, what did you see from him to
say you’re comfortable extending him?
JAMES GLADSTONE: Yeah, I think I will zoom out for a quick second. Right now, we are in a
position where everybody that played for us on the offensive line this season is coming
back next season and that was a big part. The continuity at that position group in particular
is one that makes more sense than any other. It’s a necessity. It’s never one individual that
tilts the scale there as much as it is just the collective effort as a whole and being able to
insert guys throughout the course of a season and not feel some significant drop-off in the
collective output is a really important piece. In Los Angeles, if there was ever a thing
offensively that could stand in our way or be a debilitator it was when we had injuries at
offensive line. To ensure that the quality of depth existed there is something that we
prioritized, that we’re always going to make sure we protect. Knowing the natural course of
a season in particular across the offensive line, which tends to get more injuries than most
other positions has got to be something that we ensure we guard against. Cole obviously
getting the opportunity to step in at multiple spots, obviously four out of the five but then
settle in at left tackle and really face some of the best rushers in the NFL, doing his part in
particular in pass protection was a real piece to that puzzle and the reasoning as well as
projecting into what the free agent landscape looked like and where he might fall in the
crop that was upcoming. The depth of that group as a whole and trying to map out what
that could look like.
Q. Quick follow up on that… [OL Patrick] Mekari, two back injuries in the last four
games. How big of a concern is that moving forward?
JAMES GLADSTONE: It’s not a notable concern based off our initial understanding. It’s
something that can be addressed, won’t impact long-term standing or anything of that
nature, but thanks for asking.
Q. It’s only been a couple days, but first year in this role, what’s the biggest thing that
you’ve learned you will take away from this season?
JAMES GLADSTONE: I think communication remains to be something that is an area I feel
like needs to be improved upon personally. It’s always a point of emphasis but it’s never a
place where I feel like I’ve done my part. I continue to seek feedback in that regard
internally, obviously, from different departments as well as I think about how Tony and Liam
and I operate in conjunction with each other. Where it lacks, it’s very straightforward.
Negativity tends to field that void and I got to protect against that and do my part to ensure
it’s an area that I continue to assess and improve upon and that stuff is never easy, but just
like I mentioned at the beginning of the press conference, it’s always ongoing and certainly
want to put a lot of emphasis in that as we approach this offseason.
Q. How different do you feel this offseason will be procedurally, timing-wise, scouting-
wise as far as all of that is concerned versus this last offseason, coming in trying figure
everything out.
JAMES GLADSTONE: Yeah, that’s a fun question. Again, like I said, this time last year was
still focused on my roles and responsibilities in Los Angeles, wasn’t considering what an
opportunity in Jacksonville was going to look like. To be able to have some version of a head
start in that process and understand our team at a really deep level is extremely helpful and
extremely beneficial. The fact that the timeline of just the scouting cycle remaining
consistent up to this point, I’m in a very similar place that I was this time last year with the
draft, with pro free agency. The piece that is sped up is now the understanding of our
current roster and not being forced to sort of dive into that with very little nuances and
depth to it. So, I think that’s a really helpful piece in order to make decisions. Procedurally,
we incorporated new functions and mechanisms that our scouting staff and our coaching
staff didn’t necessarily have experience with in the past, so obviously those will be new
wrinkles that we’ll work in and looking forward to seeing those unfold in real time. As far as
my personal operation, it’s very similar in terms of the draft and free agency, it’s just an
accelerated understanding of who we are as the Jacksonville Jaguars that’s now in play.
Q. James, you mentioned the experience yourself. How do you project growth and
expanded roles so that you kind of look at the makeup of the roster?
JAMES GLADSTONE: Yeah, I think naturally you anticipate that. You can plan for it in some
ways by making sure that those runways are available to them. I think it may be a
misconception that there was endlessly—that the players we drafted in Los Angeles were
immediate contributors as rookies where that wasn’t truly the case. Now, at the end when
you think back to [Rams WR] Puka Nacua having a significant role as a rookie and then
[Rams LB] Jared Verse and [Rams DE] Braden Fiske having significant roles as rookies, that
can maybe overshadow what the year-over-year outlook was. Like [Rams RB] Kyren
Williams and [Rams S] Quentin Lake who both received contract extensions this year did
not play as rookies. They were both injured that season. So I think that that’s probably a fair
representation of what now is the Jacksonville Jaguars and having seen multiple rookies
have injuries surface, that you can think back to like, ‘Oh, wait—’ and also as I consider who
took jumps in their third year or now fourth year with the Jacksonville Jaguars and we’re
quick to rush to an assumption around whether that was some version of a hit or a miss.
Everybody’s on different timelines and certainly have a ton of optimism around what the
roles look like moving forward and look forward to seeing that come to life. Obviously, we
get a whole offseason before that will show itself, but feel like we’re in a good place.
Q. Last offseason there was a goal of raising the floor of the roster. Is there a tangible
goal yet for what this offseason needs to be?
JAMES GLADSTONE: Yeah, I think so. At the end of the day, we’re still in preliminary
discussions around what our approach, our process, our decisions could look like heading
into the real parts of this offseason. We’ll take the time and Liam, Tony, myself being able to
break away, just the three of us, we’ll invest energy with our coaching staff, our support
staff, our scouting staff mid to late February and really have a firm grip on that. At this point,
we’re all bringing those thoughts to the surface and beginning to map that out in a more
strategic and formalized manner.
