Combine Q&A: James Gladstone, Jaguars GM
Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone meets with the assembled media in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine.
COMBINE INTERVIEW: JAMES GLADSTONE, JAGUARS
Jacksonville Jaguars new general manager James Gladstone took to the podium in Indianapolis at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine to meet with the assembled national media. (photo: @TheJaguarsWire)
Did you have a chance to work with Brad Holmes? If so, is there any inspiration that maybe you take from him from scouting?
No, I did have the chance to work with Brad. He was the college director when I first joined as [Rams GM Les Snead] assistant and learned a ton from him. Really just about the landscape of scouting from the bottom all the way to the finished product and there is absolutely some things that I'll carry forward from him knowing that he's had a lot of success in Detroit. He's leaned into a lot of the things that we've already began preaching as a part of what we'll prioritize as players and make it so that top of mind is intangibles and we'll remain rooted in that moving forward.
You got hired few days ago where are living right now, do you know your way around the Jags building?
Currently I'm living in Indianapolis and then I will return to Jacksonville here in a handful of days and start looking for a new home that's a little bit more permanent, but my wife is in fact pregnant and she's due at the end of May, so we got about a 30 day travel window before we can work with here, bring it all to life. So there's a shot clock for sure.
What do you look for when interviewing players?
That's a great question. I think at this stage of the game, we're rooting ourselves in the film and getting a better understanding of what they can draw from their own tape and articulate for us, and then working in some of our own terminology and seeing how fast they can pick that up. Obviously in the 20 minute conversation, you're not necessarily going to know the entire human being and you probably don't want to put too much stock knowing that these guys are up late and they got a full slate in front of them. So whether or not you're seeing the best or worst of them is to be determined, so certainly leave it open-ended even as they exit the room.
The Rams haven't really come to combine in the last few years. What do you think that you guys are going to get out of it here this year with this team?
Yeah, so with that, I haven't been to the combine since 2019 but there's an extreme value for the combine and the event that's put forward now with that. I think the fact that we're a new coaching staff, a new general manager working with our scouting staff, this is a great opportunity for an offsite and just build some of the connective tissue that otherwise wouldn't necessarily exist because we'd just be in our normal mode of operation in Jacksonville. So we're already meeting today, tomorrow, and beyond with our scouting staff and our coaching staff working through the initial conversations around our roster as well as the pro free agent landscape, while also working in some of the conversations that are specific to the draft. So, it's a great dynamic at this stage and really looking forward to more that comes for the rest of the week.
What kind of coach is Liam Coen? What can players expect?
He's an elite communicator and I think that bridges a lot of gaps but when it comes to his offensive philosophy, the marriage between the run and the pass, the multiplicity of the screen game, the variety of the run game, I mean he gives this team a notable edge and I think that that's something that everybody's going to appreciate.
Coming into this stage of the process. What's an area where you feel like you can put your stamp on this draft process, even though it's a little bit late.
Yeah, I don't think the timing is going to impact it at all. I do think that the disciplined approach to prioritizing the things that you've probably heard me say over and over at this point is going to be something that I think everybody's going to appreciate. Both players, coaches and staff.
We saw the Commanders embrace virtual reality technology, will you use that to help improve?
It’s a fair question. I haven’t put a lot of thought into it. I think that’s probably more rooted in what our players and coaches would say that they would prefer to use. And so, if that ever comes to life and shows itself, we’re certainly going to pursue those options.
On what he likes about this year’s draft class.
I like it all.
How does the Jaguars chain of command play out in the draft?
What one of the most alluring and intriguing pieces to this opportunity was the fact that the leadership group and the dynamic actually mirrors what I'm most familiar with in Los Angeles. So it was one that I could see a clear visual for finding success. So, really excited about the opportunity to work with Tony [Boselli] and Liam and support both of them and bring Liam's vision to life here in these next few weeks and into the later portion of the spring from the grass.
How tough is it for you to be able, I don't want to say start from scratch but it's not like you can bring some materials you have, so still looking for places to live and so how difficult is it when you've got to hand out millions of dollars with your agency in three weeks?
It's really no different from a timeline standpoint. During this week, if we were with Rams, we'd be having pro free agent related dialogue. That's what we're currently doing with the Jaguars, and so there's no real difference on that front. Now, in terms of what you may say is me getting up to speed, I'm going to calibrate my own mode of operation to the Jaguars current mode of operation. One person changing rather than a large group changing in the immediate mode is going to be a little bit more efficient and less disruptive. I think adaptability is certainly a key trait that any leader or person in this space is going to have to embrace, and that's one I look forward to deploying so that our entire group actually sees that in action and really just looking forward to learning because only known it through the lens that I've experienced and so I really look forward to getting an opportunity to digest a different way of moving about business.
What did you learn from Les Snead and what will you bring to Jacksonville in terms of roster construction?
Where it stands right now I think we'll prioritize positions that really are across the front, both offensively and defensively and those that put points on the board. That's where my mind goes when you ask a question like that. And beyond it, we'll continue to round out.
How do you view the youth of Jaguars leadership?
Yeah, I think I view it as a key strength because really I have a fresh perspective and I think that's also the case for both Liam and Tony [Boselli] and through my own experiences, I feel like I have a deep understanding of really the tools and modern mechanisms that are revolutionizing the sport. And so I don't ever view the number of years that I've had on planet Earth as a limitation but just my preferred way of moving is one that I think can bring a dynamic asset and an edge over the competition.
Do you agree with Liam Coen that this wasn’t a 4-13 team?
Yeah. I think that the talent that exists on this team is better than that record. Look forward to bringing that to life. And we're going to elevate the floor of the roster immediately.
What do you think Trevor Lawrence’s strengths are?
Yeah, I don't think we've seen the best of Trevor. I'm really excited for Liam to get a chance to work with him, support him, and really bring the tools that he has in his arsenal to life. And I think it starts by the protection, right? Making sure that he feels like he's got as much time to work with as possible and also that he's comfortable with the pass catchers. And so I think through that lens he's going to feel that change in both the operations schematically and then the personnel that we invited into the building.
What about the rumors of trading wide receiver Christian Kirk at trading deadline last season, is that back on the front burner now?
No, I wouldn't say that. We're just starting the conversations about our own current roster across both scouting and coaching staff as well as working in periphery agent related dialogue. So at this point in time you can say that we're happy to have Christian.
What's your favorite part of the pre-draft process when comes to film evaluation, meeting these guys face to face? What gives you the most juice?
I would say being in the bunker with the crew. I think through that, building connective tissue, creating a team dynamic that you can be really proud of, that's one of the most fulfilling elements.
Did you have a pre-existing relationship with President Mark Lamping as St. Louis natives?
It actually wasn't until I began the process, and Mark made the initial call that we tied that together. So, it was a pleasant surprise and one certainly we leaned into after that. But no, I didn’t. I was unfamiliar. Now, my dad, right? So, he's a former high school teacher and football coach, second generation, and he really sparked my interest in the sport and also becoming a teacher. So, I was rooted in my high school from a young age, actually wanted to return there and my dream was to be the head coach there just like my dad, eventually become the athletic director and one year into that had pivoted to go work with my father after he came out of retirement at another school. Now, very lucky in that the same day that I arrived on campus, Les Snead and Logan Snead [son of Les Snead] arrived to sign up for our football program. Now through that, I do remember now that I think back, but didn't know it at the time, Mark's name up on the walls throughout Vianney High School [St. John Vianney High School, St. Louis]. So, it's flashing back, but was never something that I was actually aware of even prior or thinking about.
So Lamping made the initial call to him during the interview process?
Yes. He was leading the process and lining up interviews, et cetera.
What are the must-have traits he looks for when evaluating defensive players?
I think the ability to create disruption is, above all else most important and that type of chaos, it makes it hard for an offensive operation. I lean into that more than just about anything and I think the combination of urgency and explosiveness is something that I certainly prefer.
Thoughts on how Rams OL Jonah Jackson’s injury while in Los Angeles will affect how he approaches building the offensive line in Jacksonville.
I won't speak to Jonah exactly because he's not on our roster but I do think that by addressing the interior, that setting the dish for a quarterback is something that can be really helpful to their success.
Will the resurgence of the run game continue to be a trend?
It certainly feels like it's a shift. It's certainly going to be something that we prioritize. You can see the success that Liam had last year in the running game. It's certainly something we value.
What do you think has caused that resurgence?
I think that the landscape of the NFL is ever evolving and you're always finding ways to maybe exploit some inefficiencies on the opposite side of the football and that might be something that is showing itself here for people.
What’s your opinion of the running back class?
I think it's a very deep running back class.
Would you be open to drafting a pair of defenders from the same school as the Rams did last year with FSU players?
I definitely think there's merit to that. I think that building on that type of momentum makes life easy. It makes it so that there's an immediate impact. Anybody that's doing something alone, it's usually a little easier when you're working in combination with somebody that you're aligned with and know you can work off of. So, it'll definitely be something if the opportunity ever presents itself that we would love to bring to life in different ways.
What do you expect out of the Jaguars defense this year?
We'll be an urgent and explosive bunch on defense. It'll certainly be a shift from what our fans probably saw last year.
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