The Jacksonville Jaguars officially hired James Gladstone as their new general manager on Friday.
Gladstone, 34, spent the last four years as the Los Angeles Rams' director of scouting strategy. He was one of five candidates to receive a second interview for the open position, beating out Jaguars interim general manager Ethan Waugh as well as Jon-Eric Sullivan (Green Bay Packers), Josh Williams (San Francisco 49ers) and Ian Cunningham (Chicago Bears).
"James emerged as my choice, and our choice, following a painstaking but energizing interview process that left nothing to doubt," Jaguars owner Shad Khan said in a statement. "... In the end, we found James to be a class ahead and exceptional in every regard—vision, new ideas, communication, chemistry and a keen understanding of the league and our team, to name a few of many virtues he will bring immediately to the Jaguars.
"It's going to be fun watching James work with our football leadership team of Liam Coen, Tony Boselli and Tony Khan, but most of all it will be rewarding. I am confident of that."
Gladstone began his career in the NFL as a senior assistant to Rams general manager Les Snead ahead of the 2017 season. He was hired as the Rams' director of scouting strategy in 2022.
Gladstone is now the sixth general manager in franchise history. Jacksonville fired former general manager Trent Baalke on Jan. 22 while it searched for a new head coach. One day later, the Jaguars hired Liam Coen as their next head coach, poaching him from the in-state rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Jaguars have just two winning seasons and one playoff appearance over the last seven years. Gladstone will be tasked with building a winning roster around quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who is signed through the 2030 campaign.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jaguars Hire Former Rams Exec James Gladstone As New General Manager.