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What new Jacksonville Jaguars GM James Gladstone said: 'A product you can all be proud of'
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- What new Jacksonville Jaguars GM James Gladstone said: 'A product you can all be proud of'
The Jacksonville Jaguars introduced James Gladstone as their new general manager Monday. He completed the team's leadership team that began with the hiring of coach Liam Coen and Executive Vice-President Tony Boselli and the extension of team President Mark Lamping's contract through 2030.
Here are the highlights of Gladstone's news conference at the Miller Electric Center.
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James Gladstone's promise to Jaguars fans
"We're going to bring you a product you can all be proud of and we are so appreciative of your support."
Why did he want to work again with coach Liam Coen ?
"I think back to our time at the Rams ... was there ever this idea that, 'hey, we're going to end up being GM and head coach, side-by-side? Not by default, because of where our roots both fall. I think through this whole process, some of the things that really were the most alluring and exciting about this opportunity is that the leadership structure mirrors what I'm familiar with in Los Angeles and I know that's one I can, A, have some success in and, B, something that can be successful in this line of work."
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What gets James Gladstone excited about Jaguars current?
"There's talent in a lot of key spots and with the amount of draft capital that we have at our disposal over the next two seasons, it's really exciting about what we can do there, especially knowing that's the highest volume of draft capital that exists for any team in the NFL over the next two years. We're coming off two cycles with the Los Angeles Rams where that was the exact same case, 24 picks over the last two drafts. So really, this is a dynamic that I'm uniquely positioned to navigate."
How long into the interview process did he realize this was the right move?
"I didn't take long for me to realize that this was a really good landing spot. And I don't think that Les [LA general manager Les Snead] would have ever raised his hand and said, 'hey, it's time,' unless he viewed it as a really strong opportunity to be successful."
What will be the dynamic on draft day between James Gladstone and Liam Coen?
"Okay, if I give you a two-word answer? Pure collaboration. Liam and I are aligned. We'll continue to grow and evolve together. There will be disagreements and we welcome that. And when there's ever a moment that we can't bridge the gap and find some version of common ground when it comes to evaluating a player, we will have players that we will align on and we'll focus our attention there and move those others off to the side."
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Jaguars EVP Tony Boselli on James Gladstone
"It's two things you're looking for ... is it the right individual, the right makeup of the guy that will fit into what we're trying to build, the culture we're trying to set in this building, and James knocked that out of the park. But that's not enough. Then you have to look as his ability to evaluate talent ... and we will see it day after day and year after year."
Jaguars owner Shad Khan on James Gladstone
"James was the last one we had the four-hour [interview] in person and I think right after that it was very evident to us that James was absolutely what we were looking for. We're very blessed to have him."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars' James Gladstone: 'Pure collaboration' with Liam Coen
