GENERAL MANAGER JAMES GLADSTONE
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
(On what he likes about RB Chris Rodriguez Jr.) “I think there’s a lot to like. Obviously, Liam
[Head Coach Liam Coen] has some familiarity with him dating back to his time at Kentucky.
Beyond that, it’s kind of fun. If I unravel, sort of diving into who he’s been as a professional
football player and get into the nuances of our exposure to him and the lead up to the
decision to prioritize him as an untendered RFA [restricted free agent]. It’s interesting.
When we watch players, [Executive Vice President of Football Operations] Tony Boselli has
been a consistent presence in that but he’s fallen into the line of ‘if you watch the tape’right
before sharing his perspective on each player and we’ve kind of fallen into that becoming a
funny comment knowing that he’s usually talking to a group of people that have watched
the tape. And so with that, Chris Rodriguez is in fact somebody that if you watch the tape,
you understand very quickly exactly who he is as a football player, the superpowers that he
taps into consistently and if you draw back to his time at Kentucky, it’s remained a
constant. He is very physical at the point of attack. He has a really good pace in his
approach to the line of scrimmage and finding the lanes. Obviously, an intimate
understanding of the system and how [Head Coach] Liam [Coen] likes to call things. So,
there’s a lot of strong matches just generally from how those two in tandem can really work
together. And then also our interest in continuing to find ways to level up our capacity in the
run game to make it a really balanced attack, being able to attack the perimeter and also
the inside in really fair and balanced forms. I think that Chris seamlessly provides that.”
(On the team building philosophy this season in free agency) “Man, quite a bit different
than a year ago today. We came out the gates what you might call as hot, signing double-
digit free agents, external free agents right off the bat a year ago. And the whole approach to
that cycle was raise the floor of the football team and that was a part of it. We’re at a stage
now where a higher volume of draft capital is what we’re hunting up in those compensatory
picks. When you think about high-priced free agents of ours ended up signing elsewhere,
well deserved contracts. A lot of guys that have already announced the signing, they did
their part to put themselves in really sound positions to earn that and excited for all those
guys. In return, by not signing any outside free agents, we recoup 2027 draft capital. And I
think on its surface, you would think, oh, okay, you’re going to make picks in 2027. Whereas
in reality those draft picks and having more of them actually allows you the luxury of
remaining in the hunt at different intervals throughout the entire calendar year for acquiring
players. You think about training camp a year ago and using a day three pick to acquire a
wide receiver in Tim Patrick. You think about ahead of the trade deadline and being able to
use two picks on day three to acquire a wide receiver in Jakobi Myers. Without that draft
capital at your disposal, you may not be as willing or able to relinquish some of those future
picks. 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.”
(On how the absence of LB Devin Lloyd will change the linebacker room going forward)
“Yeah, I think Devin’s impact on our football team over the course of the last year was
nothing short of significant. And without him, without his on-ball production, games are
going to look a lot different. The results of those games are going to look a lot different and I
know that our coaching staff had such a high appreciation for what he did. The players in
the locker room loved to play beside him and appreciate all the pieces that he brought to
the puzzle. Beyond that, I think we can look at our own that we still have, as people that can
step in and have stepped in over the course of their rookie contracts in [LB] Ventrell Miller.
He started multiple games at linebacker for us and did so even last year. Beyond that, [LB]
Branson Combs, who as an undrafted college free agent found his mark on special teams
and still has a lot of upside that can be built upon. Beyond that you look at the middle
linebacker spot in Foye [LB Foyesade Oluokun] who’s held that down for quite a few years
and is the leader of that crew. It’s really exciting to know that he can continue to evolve in
that capacity with [LB] Jack Kiser right behind him. Then the fact that we were able to get
Dennis [LB Dennis Gardeck] back, who wasn’t a signing until after the draft last year, and
really made his dent within the really flexible role that is SAM backer – being able to rush,
being able to drop, being able to really be active on special teams and bring a competitive
fire. Anybody who loves football will love Dennis Gardeck. And I think that was pretty clear
and he allowed Campy [Defensive Coordinator Anthony Campanile], who really
appreciates that SAM backer position to grow it and really make it so that was suited for
what Dennis does best. Then right behind him you’ve got McLeod [LB Jalen McLeod] who’s
coming off of really a redshirt year dealing with his injuries and then also [LB] Yasir Abdullah
who’s obviously been such a critical piece, in particular on special teams. So, there’s a lot
of experience coming back with obviously still room to find ways to improve over the course
of the offseason, not including just the draft.”
(On improving the defensive front and reported involvement with Raiders DE Maxx Crosby)
“Yeah, I think that’s going be an ongoing process where we’re continuing to map out how we
can level up. And that’s a pairing of personnel and scheme and also the back end being tied
to rush plans and continuing to ensure that we’re able to stop the run at such a high tick like
we were last year without diluting that element but still improving the pass rush. So that’s a
fun piece to this offseason to try to really map out. That wasn’t necessarily something that
we were actively engaged in. We’re always communicating with other clubs on the
landscape of their thoughts and I can tell you, we never got down to a real dialogue
exploring that.”
(On if it has been difficult to be ‘disciplined’ in free agency and the impact of the salary cap)
“Yeah, I think FOMO [fear of missing out] sets in a little bit, we’re all human. While at the
same time, 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. 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. So, it’s exciting from my vantage point to know that the start of the
league year began yesterday roughly 24 hours ago, a little less, and it’s nothing more than
the start.”
(On if he has received any trade offers for WR Brian Thomas Jr.) “No, we haven’t, and there
hasn’t been a ton of dialogue around that front as teams check in simply because it seems
like—I know the word reputable came up earlier—I don’t think there’s been any reputable
statement. We don’t have any real action on any of those fronts. I think you think back to
where we landed at the end of the season, where our passing attack was. 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.”
(On if the team’s needs match up with what is available in Rounds 2 and 3 of the NFL Draft)
“That is a really fair question. The best way to sort of think about that is right now what
we’ve structured it to be is that we don’t have to pick based off of need necessarily at any
specific spot. That’s a luxury. I think when I was with the Los Angeles Rams there were too
many drafts, and I got to live this, where you felt pressed to take a specific position. And
there were instances where it worked out fine for us. There were instances where it didn’t
and that may just be the draft. It may just be the way that those specific situations
unfolded. But I think walking into the door on day two, as it stands right now, we’re not
saying that we need this position at this spot, which is a luxury. I’m excited about that. It
means that we can really take somebody that we understand that we have a clear vision
for, alignment on and it doesn’t have to be dependent on it’s got to be at this specific spot
or this side of ball.”
(On if there was an attempt to re-sign RB Travis Etienne Jr. and if RB Bhayshul Tuten can be
the lead running back) “Fair question. We engaged with his reps and monitored his market.
We approached it knowing that his contract was going to be pretty high and wanted to
make sure that we were never out of the loop on that. And as things progressed, we
obviously made the decision to step aside and have him get what was earned. And I think
he’s pretty darn excited, it seems, to be back in his home state and be able to step in to that
stadium and I know for us it’s really exciting because Bhayshul was in a spot obviously
where he didn’t receive the bulk of the carries, but certainly had his moments to shine
throughout the course of the year and showcase a good chunk of what he has to offer. And
outside of just Bhayshul, you’ve got LeQuint [RB LeQuint Allen Jr.], who carved out a very
clear role and contribution to the football team, bringing in Chris and you’ve got a nice little
trio alongside [RB] DeeJay Dallas and [RB] Ja’Quinden Jackson. So, it’s a really good crew
that we feel confident in at this stage. Look forward seeing how things unfold throughout
the course of the spring and allowing our coaches to get hands on with Chris and see how
that all takes shape. But as it stands, it’s a fairly well-rounded, complementary group and
we’re excited about it.”
(On his reaction to seeing rumors spread during free agency in reference to Thomas Jr.) “It
can be very strange for sure. I care more for what weight that might put on Brian himself
when it’s something that’s entirely out of his control and unnecessary. So, I think that’s
where my mind would go, if anything. But when it’s fraudulent claims, you just keep your
mind on what you can focus on and you can actually control and try to do what’s best for
the Jacksonville Jaguars. Ultimately, that’s not the hardest thing to do and that’s the role
and where you can try to compartmentalize things. If anything, hopefully it’s not a weight
that comes with the player that ever would be involved in such a thing.”
(On how things are different this offseason compared to last season going into his second
year as general manager) “Last year there was a lot of translation in comparison. Not
everyone speaking the same language and trying to bridge that gap. This year it’s very
seamless. Dialogue is on the same plane and when communication’s operating at a high
tick, it allows decisions to unfold in a way that you would feel really confident in because of
that. There’s clarity that comes with that. So, there’s a lot of energy that I look back on a
year ago that was applied to bridging the gap and a lot of parallel modes of operation that
were being brought together but this is now a situation where everybody’s walking down the
same track. So that allows it to be a little bit more efficient.”
(On the importance of re-signing CB Montaric “Buster” Brown) “Yeah, so jacked to have
Buster back. His interest in being back existed and when it’s such a strong match, both
parties really interested in bringing that to life… Buster’s in a position where he’s finally got
a chance to play with the same defensive coordinator back-to-back seasons and build off
of what was a really strong schematic and skill set tie. And I know him and Coach Camp
have a really close relationship. He’s just starting a family and to have consistency is not a
bad thing. Everybody feels like he’s just touching the floor of what he can do in this system
and feel really excited about what he’ll be able to do as he builds off of the momentum that
he was able to showcase. Then the rest of the group as a whole, it brings with it some
stability that allows everybody to operate at a high clip and feel assured going into the
offseason that that’s not something that we’ve got to be thinking much of as it relates to
decisions moving forward.”
