Did Free Agency Indicate If Jaguars Are Rebuilding or Reloading?

After a busy free agent period, are the Jacksonville Jaguars reloading or going on an all-in rebuild?

Jacksonville Jaguars General Manager James Gladstone, left, laughs with Head Coach Liam Coen, center, as explained what he was bringing to the table during a press conference Monday morning February 24, 2025 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. as Head Coach Liam Coen, right, listened as Jacksonville Jaguars Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli cracked a joke during a press conference introducing Gladstone. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]2025 / Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars entered a new era this offseason.

It is an era of abrupt change and a complete remodeling of how the Jaguars operate. Few things are the same as when the Jaguars made the playoffs in 2022, let alone as they were at the end of the 2024 season.

New head coach Liam Coen, general manager James Gladstone and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli are all first timers in their roles, with the first two serving as complete opposites of the men they have replaced.

All of that is why this year's free agency meant more for the Jaguars than most teams. For the Jaguars, it was a chance to finally put a stamp on how they plan to build the roster and franchise for years to come. A chance to show what the new era really means on the field.

"I think it’s pretty simple. What we were seeking during pro-free agency was to raise the floor of this football team, and every player that we pursued and that we’ve now acquired is meeting that standard," Gladstone said last week.

"By being nothing more than who they are and who we know them to be, both on and off the field, they’re going to do exactly what we would hope they’d do and that’s level up this ecosystem.”

But what did we really learn about this new Jaguars regime this week? Did the Jaguars tip their hands on how far they think the roster needs to go? Ultimately, is it a rebuild or a reload?

The Jaguars have made moves to warrant arguments for both. For one, the Jaguars dumped experienced pass-catchers in Christian Kirk and Evan Engram and stayed away from any big-ticket free agents.

By going with a high-volume approach and not spending big on any weapons for Trevor Lawrence, it would not be unfair for one to think the Jaguars saw serious mending when it came to their roster.

"There were some holes on our roster and unlike the draft, an NFL pro-free agent has the chance to say, ‘You know what, I appreciate the offer, but I'm going somewhere else,’ right? In the draft, you send a name into a system and they're now a part of your team," Gladstone said. "So, that was a dynamic that walking into that door on Monday, you feel like, you know what, we're going to have to adjust today."

On the other hand, just because a team operates in free agency like it is one or two moves away does not actually make them a contender or a reloading team. Just see the 2024 Jaguars for example.

When it comes to rebuilding or reloading, it is probably fair to say the Jaguars may have more questions about their roster than previously thought. In the same sense, it is also fair to say the job should not be fully examined until we see what the Jaguars do in next month's draft.

"Well, lo and behold, we had nine names that we were prioritizing and we ended up with nine players that ended up on our roster as of today. So, seeing that plan come to life, being executed in the way that it was, certainly something that at this point in time, I'm proud of," Gladstone continued.

"But I can't wait for these players to engage with the rest of the team, get out on the grass in the fall because it's not the offseason that we're looking to win from a perception standpoint. We're looking to win football games this fall and can't wait for the next phase of this in the draft to truly see what the shape of the roster is going to look like and then get everybody out on the grass together here later in the spring.”

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