You have to give James Gladstone props for his work with the Jacksonville Jaguars. In his first season as the general manager, he did a superb job of elevating the roster's floor. Granted, he inherited a talented core from Trent Baalke, but he put the finishing touches on a playoff-caliber team.
Of course, not every move Gladstone made panned out. He certainly had a good hit rate also had his fair share of misses. The silver lining is that most of his blunders weren't necessarily costly, as he avoided going into a spending spree in free agency. Still, there are a handful of moves he may regret.
With this in mind, here are five players who fleeced the Jaguars in 2025
Walker Little, Jaguars left tackle
You can give James Gladstone a pass for this one, because it was Trent Baalke who gave Walker Little a three-year, $40.5 million extension in 2024. In his defense, it looked like a solid deal at the time.
A second-round pick in 2021, Little flashed early in his career but only got a chance to start full-time until Jacksonville traded Cam Robinson at the 2024 deadline. He fared well the rest of the year and entered the offseason firmly entrenched as Trevor Lawrence's blindside protector. In theory, this would allow him to hone his skills in 2025. But on paper, the former Stanford Cardinal struggled once the regular season rolled around.
Little was eventually benched in favor of Cole Van Lanen. Although he had the chance to fill in for Patrick Mekari at right guard, he also failed to make an impression. The Houston, Texas native had one last chance to show out in the playoffs in relief of Van Lanen but once again flopped. With his future in Jacksonville in doubt, he appears to be a trade candidate ahead of free agency.
Patrick Mekari, Jaguars right guard
As noted before, the Jaguars didn't make a splash signing, but they did allocate significant resources to beef up the offseason line. In free agency, they gave Patrick Mekari a five-year deal worth $35 million to start at right guard. The California Golden Bear had played pretty much every position in the trenches during his six-year stint with the Baltimore Ravens, but it wasn't until he lined up at left guard that he hit his stride in 2024.
The team's brass expected Mekari's transition to the right side to go smoothly, but he didn't stand out. Aside from missing a handful of games with injuries, the veteran hog molly didn't look completely comfortable throughout the season. The good news is that he isn't going anywhere, and another year at the position could allow him to take his game to the next level. Still, there's no doubt that he left a bit to be desired in 2025.
It's worth noting that Mekari had a manageable cap hit of $6.6 million last year, but that amount will go up to $14.8 million in 2026, so he could be under pressure to deliver next season.
Related: 2 most puzzling moves the Jags made in the James Gladstone era
Greg Newsome, Jaguars cornerback
Since the Cleveland Browns drafted Greg Newsome in 2021, he always flashed potential. However, he wasn't able to play at an elite level on a consistent basis. That might've been a reason why Cleveland picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal but didn't commit to him beyond 2025. Then, the Jags came calling and acquired him in return for Tyson Campbell.
The expectation is that Newsome was a better fit in their defense scheme, and he would be an upgrade over Campbell. He wasn't. The former Northwestern Wildcat never truly found his footing during his stint in Duval. He's now a free agent, but it's hard to see him return unless he takes a steep discount. Whether he returns or not, he'll leave a bit over $7 million in dead money in 2026.
Hunter Long, Jaguars tight end
The Jags released tight end Evan Engram last offseason because Brenton Strange proved in 2024 that he was ready for a starting role. They were right, as the 2023 second-round selection went on to catch a career-best 46 receptions for 540 yards with three touchdowns. Still, Jacksonville needed depth at the position, so the front office signed Johnny Mundt and Hunter Long in free agency.
With Strange entrenched as the starter, Mundt and Long were expected to take on reserve roles. Neither was expensive, so their signings didn't make headlines. Having said that, only one of them panned out. Whereas Mundt became a fine backup, Long was unremarkable, and by the end of the season, he was a healthy scratch several times, including in the playoff game against the Bills.
Long originally signed a two-year deal. He's set to have a cap hit of $2.7 million in 2026, but releasing him would free up $1.3 million and leave $1.3 million in dead money. Don't count on him sticking around.
Emmanuel Ogbah, Jaguars defensive end
Even though the pass rush was in need of upgrades, the Jaguars didn't do much to address it. They did sign Danny Striggow and B.J. Green II after the draft but didn't probably expect either one to make the initial 53-man roster. Eventually, the front office brought in veteran Emmanuel Ogbah on a one-year deal worth $3.2 million. All things considered, it seemed like a solid move, as he was a productive rotational piece throughout his career.
However, Ogbah was a non-factor once the season started. He was eventually phased out in favor of Green and Striggow. By the end of the year, he was inactive for several games. Based on how things unfolded, he'll be one-and-done in Duval.