AFC Notes: James Gladstone, Chris Ballard, Jarrian Jones, Colts, Jaguars

Colts

Before the draft, Colts HC Shane Steichen said the team would be looking at pass-catching tight ends during the draft and in free agency, with GM Chris Ballard also weighing in. After selecting Penn State TE Tyler Warren in round one, here’s what Ballard was looking for in a tight end. 

“To be able to play on all three downs, to be able to be functional in the run game to where you don’t necessarily know it’s always a pass when he’s in the game, and then to be able to finish and make plays at critical times and have him give the quarterback an option in the middle of the field,” Ballard said, via the team website.

Jaguars

Jaguars CB Jarrian Jones expressed frustration last season when playing exclusively in the nickel role and asked the coaching staff to move outside. 

“Last season when I was playing all 100% nickel, like, I was asking them, like, can I go play corner? Like, that’s what I played. Like, you know, what I am saying, like, obviously I played nickel, but like, bro. I play corner. I guard people,” Jones said, via John Shipley of Sports Illustrated. “Like, that’s what I do. I guard people. That’s what I do. You know, I’m saying it’s like, I don’t know what all went into it, but just last year they wouldn’t let me do it.”

Jones said he approached Jacksonville’s new coaching staff under HC Liam Coen to play the outside cornerback role, which they said is their plan for 2025. 

“And they was like, well, actually, that’s what we were thinking,” Jones said. 

Jaguars

The Jaguars landed James Gladstone as their new general manager following his time in the Rams’ front office. Los Angeles GM Les Snead highly praised Gladstone, saying it was always clear he was ready for the next step in his career. 

“You want to maybe politically correctly go, ‘Time will tell if he’s ready,” said Snead, via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. “But there’s this element where you just want to scream, ‘Isn’t it blatantly obvious he’s ready, that he just oozes ready?’”

Snead said Gladstone helped “be my voice” around the organization and solve problems. 

“He was able to be my voice, I call it, in unscripted (and) unscheduled moments across the building,” said Snead. “Maybe help solve a problem, help engineer alignment or help just communicate clearly. … Everyone in the building would come to me and go, ‘Man, that dude. … He’s such a good communicator, and he doesn’t use the proximity to you as a weapon.’”

Rams HC Sean McVay said Gladstone tried to approach the game through the lens of a coach. 

“He has a great feel for the game,” McVay said. “He was about really trying to see the game through the same lens as us as coaches, while also being honest about his opinions. … There’s this calm demeanor. There’s this clarity at which he communicates. He’s able to connect.”