One of the biggest plotlines surrounding the Jacksonville Jaguars in recent weeks was their search for a general manager. While finalists Ethan Waugh and Ian Cunningham had compelling cases to get the job, the organization ultimately settled on James Gladstone due to his vision and track record as the director of scouting for the Los Angeles Rams. Pete Prisco of CBS Sports is pleased with the hire and gave it a high mark.
Prisco talked in length about the Gladstone hire and raved about it, pointing out that it's refressing to see a youth movement take place in Jacksonville.
"It's a little bit off the grid. And when you look at their hirings, the head coach, young guy. Got the general manager, young guy. These aren't traditional hires by any sense of the imagination. And so when you look at it, they had traditional guys," Prisco said. "They had Trent Baalke in there, and they had Doug Peterson there. They both came from organizations where they had success, and when they got to Jacksonville, it was a great failure. So why not go in a different direction? I have no problem with this. "
Prisco continued, "Everything and everybody I've talked to in the organization and around the league about Gladstone says he is one of the bright young minds in the NFL. And you'd sit here and you'd say, well, maybe he's one of those analytics guys and because he's smart when it comes to the draft and how to use analytics, but that's not the reality. He's really a football guy who also happens to be really smart and good at analytics."
Later in the exchange, Prisco gave the hire an "A" but rightly states that nobody ultimately knows how things will play out.
"Well, I think, from a non-traditional standpoint, I think it's an A. Now again, I go into every situation saying we have no idea. We really don't. When you look at it on paper, some of the greatest GMs have failed in second stints. Some of these guys we thought were going to be great jams have failed in their only stint. So we don't know. We have no idea. But from a traditional standpoint, this would be everybody, 'why didn't I hire this guy?'" Prisco said.
Below is Prisco's full breakdown of the Gladstone hire:
James Gladstone's track record gives Jaguars fans a reason for optimism
All things considered, Prisco is right for giving the move a high grade but also have reservations. After all, a hire that makes sense on paper may ultimately not pan out. Think about the 2022 hiring cycle, when Doug Pederson landed in Jacksonville. How many of the head coaches who got hired that year are still with their club? The answer is four out of 10, and two of the ones that remain in place, Brian Daboll and Mike McDaniel are on shaky ground.
Heck, the Philadelphia Eagles raised eyebrows when they hired Nick Sirianni to replace Pederson in 2021 and they've played two Super Bowls and won one since then. Of course, this is from a coaching standpoint, but the same principle is true for general managers. We simply don't know how things will play out.
Working in James Gladstone's favor is that he's shown he's good at identifying talent. During his four-year stint as the Rams director of the scouting department, he played a role in drafting players such as defensive tackle Braden Friske, pass rusher Jared Verse, and wide receiver Puka Nakua. The challenge for him will now be to lead a front office instead of just being part of one.
In Jacksonville, Gladstone will have his work cut out, but if the Jaguars get going, you will point to his hire as the turning point.