There have been plenty of jokes about James Gladstone having the "stones" to engineer the bold trade for Travis Hunter in the NFL. However, that's far from the only tough decision he's had to make in his first year as the general manager of the Jacksonville Jaguars. In fact, he just made one that further distanced him from the previous regime and proves he's now running the show.
Teams had until May 1 to exercise the fifth-year options for 2022 first-round picks. The deadline came and went, and the Jags opted not to pick up Devin Lloyd's. This isn't surprising when you take into account that he's been solid but unspectacular since being drafted 27th overall. Couple that with the arrival of Jack Kiser, and it's easy to understand why the front office doesn't want to make a long-term commitment to the former Utah Ute.
Having said that, the Jaguars are willingly running the risk of having to either pay Lloyd or let him leave next season if he puts it all together. It's not uncommon for players to break out in their third or fourth season, so nobody would be surprised if he puts it all together. However, it appears that Gladstone will wait to cross that bridge when he gets there. And that's a notable departure from the past regime.
Last year, the Jaguars gave long-term extensions to Walker Little and Tyson Campbell before their contracts expired. While there was nothing inherently wrong with getting ahead of the curve and paying players before salaries at their respective positions went up, you could make the case that Trent Baalke, Gladstone's predecessor, rewarded them before they proved themselves.
It's also worth noting that paying Walker and Campbell might've been an overcorrection from Baalke. He waited too long to give Josh Hines-Allen an extension, and he team had no other option but to pay retail for him to ensure he stayed in Jacksonville. This is just a conjecture, but it is a reasonable one.
Either way, it looks like the Jaguars' new regime won't mind rewarding Lloyd or any other players in the future, but they'll need to prove themselves first.
Not picking Devin Lloyd's option is a breath of fresh air for the Jaguars
Trent Baalke had several hits during his stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but not nearly enough to put together a perennial contender. On top of that, he hardly ever held himself accountable for his mistakes. That's why there's a night and day difference between him and James Gladstone.
Unlike Baalke, Gladstone isn't afraid to show his face and give detailed explanations for his decisions. But leaving aside his transparency, his philosophy of letting players prove themselves is most definitely welcome, as it allows him to raise the team's ceiling and not just bring back players for the sake of continuity.
Sure, the Jaguars could've saved themselves lots of money if Lloyd comes through in 2025, but there's a chance he won't, and they planned accordingly by drafting Jack Kiser.
Don't be surprised to see the Jaguars employ the same approach with other players in the future from now on.