Jaguars GM search coming to an end as they narrow down finalists for the job

The Jacksonville Jaguars are taking their time in their search for a general manager to ensure they end up with the best man for the job. They had several intriguing options to choose from and have done enough due diligence that they've come up with a list of finalists.

The team announced their list of finalists for their general manager opening: Chicago Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham, Los Angeles Rams director of scouting strategy James Gladstone, Green Bay Packers director of player personnel Jon Eric-Sullivan, San Francisco 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams, and their own interim general manager Ethan Waugh.

Those who didn't make the cut include Los Angeles Chargers assistant general manager Chad Alexander, Las Vegas Raiders assistant general manager Champ Kelly, former Tennessee Titans general manager Jon Robinson, New York Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown, Buffalo Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray, and Cincinnati Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown.

Of the list, the only one who has been a general manager in the NFL is Jon Robinson. He held the position for the Tennesse Titans from 2016-2022. Based on how his stint in Nashville ended, it's not surprising to see that he didn't make it to the last round.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated then reported that Jacksonville is working out the logistics for interviews, noting that the Jaguars' brass will meet with candidates Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and make a decision over the weekend.

Based on how things are playing out, the Jaguars have been operating on a set timeline. Whoever ends up with the job, will have to fly to the combine as soon as he becomes the general manager.

Who will be the next general manager for the Jacksonville Jaguars?

From an outside perspective, it's hard to tell who will become the next general manager for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Rumor on the street is that they'll just promote Ethan Waugh full-time, which is reasonable. He knows the inner workings of the team and has held the position during the offseason. His only potential downside is that he was Trent Baalke's right-hand man.

Then again, Waugh is his own man, and you cannot judge him because his boss was difficult to work with. On the other hand, Ian Cunningham has been seen as a frontrunner for the job throughout the process. In fact, Albert Breer mentioned him as one of the candidates in the mix before the Jags started the search. The other two were Waugh, who remains in the race, and Jon Robinson, who didn't make it to the finalist round.

There's also James Gladstone. His candidacy has picked up steam and he's been showered with praise by virtually everyone in the Los Angeles Rams organization. Of course, Jon Eric-Sullivan and Josh Williams shouldn't be ruled out just yet. If they've made it this far, it's for a reason, and perhaps they're the dark horses, but nobody should bat an eye if either one of them ultimately gets the job.

The bottom line is that the Jacksonville Jaguars put together a list of worthy candidates to fill the vacancy left by Trent Baalke. In the end, it won't matter who gets the job if he's on the same page as head coach Liam Coen and together steer the ship in the right direction.

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