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Press Pass | Jaguars GM James Gladstone on Team Building at 2025 NFL Scouting Combine · Press Pass

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: You were in a while with Brad home.
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  Speaker 2: From him with scouting and traveling.
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  Speaker 3: No, I did have the chance to work with Brad.
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  Speaker 3: He was the college director when I first joined as
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  Speaker 3: less as assistant and learned a ton from him, really
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  Speaker 3: just about the landscape of scouting from the bottom all
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  Speaker 3: the way to the finished product.
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  Speaker 2: Uh.
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  Speaker 3: And there is absolutely some things that I'll carry forward
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  Speaker 3: from him, knowing that, you know.
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  Speaker 2: He's had a lot of success in Detroit and.
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  Speaker 3: He's leaned into a lot of the things that we've
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  Speaker 3: already began preaching as a part of what we'll prioritize
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  Speaker 3: the players and make it so that, you know, top
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  Speaker 3: of mind is intangibles, and we'll remain rooted in that
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  Speaker 3: moving forward. Right now, currently I'm living in Indianapolis, and
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  Speaker 3: then I will return to Jacksonville here in a handful
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  Speaker 3: of days and start looking for a new home that's
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  Speaker 3: a little bit more permanent. But my wife is in
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  Speaker 3: fact pregnant and she is due at the end of May,
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  Speaker 3: so we got about a thirty day travel window before
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  Speaker 3: we can, you know, work with here bring it all
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  Speaker 3: to life.
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  Speaker 2: So you know, there's a shot clock for sure. What
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  Speaker 2: do you look forward and interview with a player. We know,
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  Speaker 2: you know what, that's a great question.
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  Speaker 3: I think at this stage of the game, we're rooting
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  Speaker 3: ourselves in the film and getting a better understanding of
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  Speaker 3: what they can draw from their own tape and articulate
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  Speaker 3: for us, and then working in some of our own
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  Speaker 3: terminology and seeing how fast they can pick that up. Obviously,
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  Speaker 3: in a twenty minute conversation, you're not necessarily gonna know
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  Speaker 3: the entire human being, and you probably don't want to
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  Speaker 3: wait too much stock knowing that these guys are up
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  Speaker 3: late and they got a full slate in front of them,
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  Speaker 3: So whether or not you're seeing the best or worst
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  Speaker 3: of them is to be determined, So certainly leave it
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  Speaker 3: open ended even as they exit the room.
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  Speaker 1: He James, the the Rams haven't really come to combine
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  Speaker 1: in the last few years. I'm just curious, what do
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  Speaker 1: you think that you guys are gonna get out of
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  Speaker 1: it here this year with this.
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  Speaker 3: Tand yeah, so with that, I haven't been to the
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  Speaker 3: Combine since twenty nineteen, but there's an extreme value to
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  Speaker 3: the combine and the event that's put forward now with that,
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  Speaker 3: I think the fact that we're a new coaching staff,
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  Speaker 3: a new general manager working with our scouting staff.
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  Speaker 2: This is a great.
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  Speaker 3: Opportunity for an off site and just build some of
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  Speaker 3: the connective tissue that otherwise wouldn't necessarily exist because we
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  Speaker 3: just be in our normal mode of operation in Jacksonville.
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  Speaker 3: So we're already meeting today, tomorrow and beyond with our
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  Speaker 3: pro scouting staff and our coaching staff, working through the
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  Speaker 3: initial conversations around our roster as well as the pro
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  Speaker 3: free agent landscape, while also working in some of.
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  Speaker 2: The conversations that are specific to the draft.
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  Speaker 3: So it's a great dynamic at this stage and really
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  Speaker 3: looking forward to more that comes with the rest of
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  Speaker 3: the week.
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  Speaker 1: Just your perspective, what kind of coaches Liam or what
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  Speaker 1: can players kind of expecting it out.
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  Speaker 3: You know, he's an elite communicator, and I think that
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  Speaker 3: bridges a lot of gaps. But when it comes to
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  Speaker 3: his offensive philosophy, the marriage between the run and the past,
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  Speaker 3: the multiple splicity of the screen game, the variety of
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  Speaker 3: the run game, I mean, he gives this team a
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  Speaker 3: notable edge and I think that that's something that everybody's
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  Speaker 3: going to appreciate the process.
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  Speaker 2: What's an area where you feel like you can put
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  Speaker 2: your stamp on on this draft process, even though it's so.
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  Speaker 4: A little bit late in the count.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't think the timing is going to impact
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  Speaker 3: it at all. I do think that the disciplined approach
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  Speaker 3: to prioritizing the things that you've probably heard me say
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  Speaker 3: over and over at this point is going to be
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  Speaker 3: something that I think everybody's going to appreciate, both players,
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  Speaker 3: coaches and staff.
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  Speaker 2: Mander's a very.
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  Speaker 3: Scial reality geology I was the most curious intensive that
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  Speaker 3: the s looked into.
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  Speaker 2: If you know what, you know what, that's a fair question.
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  Speaker 2: I haven't put a lot of thought into it.
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  Speaker 3: I think that's probably more rooted in what our players
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  Speaker 3: and coaches would say that they would prefer to use.
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  Speaker 3: And so if that ever comes to life and shows itself,
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  Speaker 3: we're certainly going to pursue those options.
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  Speaker 4: What do you like about the draft and turn those
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  Speaker 4: strengths when you look at this particular group, I like
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  Speaker 4: it all.
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  Speaker 1: Well, A lot has been made a chain of command.
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  Speaker 1: You guys have the interesting chain of command structure where
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  Speaker 1: you all report to the owner. How do you kind
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  Speaker 1: of see that plan out with the draft and during
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  Speaker 1: the season.
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  Speaker 3: You know what, one of the most alluring and intriguing
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  Speaker 3: pieces to this opportunity was the fact that the leadership
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  Speaker 3: group and the dynamic actually mirrors what I'm most familiar
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  Speaker 3: with in Los Angeles, So it was one that I
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  Speaker 3: could see a clear visual for finding success.
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  Speaker 2: So really excited about.
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  Speaker 3: The opportunity to work with Tony and Liam and support
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  Speaker 3: both of them and bring Liam's vision to life here
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  Speaker 3: in these next few weeks and into the later portion
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  Speaker 3: of the spring through the draft.
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  Speaker 4: How tough is it for you to be able to
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  Speaker 4: I don't want to start from scratch, but it's not
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  Speaker 4: like you can bring some of the materials you have
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  Speaker 4: from the RAMS over, so you're like, you know, you're
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  Speaker 4: still looking for places you know to live, And so
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  Speaker 4: how difficult does it when you got to hand out
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  Speaker 4: millions of dollars in free agency in like three weeks
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  Speaker 4: to kind of you can choose different words and start
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  Speaker 4: from scratch if you want. But like, where are you
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  Speaker 4: usually with the timeline with the RAM in the past
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  Speaker 4: few years that you've been doing this versus real you ward.
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  Speaker 1: Now with free agency?
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  Speaker 3: Evins, It's really no different from a timeline standpoint. During
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  Speaker 3: this week, if we were with RAMS, we'd be having
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  Speaker 3: pro free agent related dialogue. That's what we're currently doing
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  Speaker 3: with the Jaguars, and so there's no real difference on
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  Speaker 3: that front now in terms of you know, what you
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  Speaker 3: may say is me getting.
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  Speaker 2: Up to speed.
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  Speaker 3: I'm going to calibrate my own mode of operation to
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  Speaker 3: the jaguars current mode of operation. One person changing rather
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  Speaker 3: than a large group changing, and the immediate immediate mode
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  Speaker 3: is going to be a little bit more efficient and
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  Speaker 3: less disruptive. I think adaptability is certainly a key trait
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  Speaker 3: that any leader or person in this space is going
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  Speaker 3: to have to embrace, and that's one I look forward
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  Speaker 3: to deploying so that our entire group actually sees that
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  Speaker 3: in action, and really just looking forward to learning, right,
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  Speaker 3: because I've only known it through the lens that I've experienced,
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  Speaker 3: and so I really look forward to getting an opportunity
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  Speaker 3: to digest a different way of moving about business.
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  Speaker 2: What's another lens? You're excited about another lens? I don't know.
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  Speaker 2: Do I say the word too much? You spend so
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  Speaker 2: much time in Los Angeles with us. What are some
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  Speaker 2: things from a roost of construction standing right?
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  Speaker 3: But you're just kind of have a goal to bring
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  Speaker 3: with cheth to Jackson you know where it stands right now.
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  Speaker 3: I think we'll prioritize positions that really are across the front,
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  Speaker 3: both offensively and defensively, and those that put points on
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  Speaker 3: the board. That's where my mind goes when you ask
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  Speaker 3: a question like that, and beyond it, we'll continue to
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  Speaker 3: round out.
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  Speaker 1: You guys have a lot of Bear on the Bear's edition.
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  Speaker 2: How would that to strength?
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think I view it as a key strength
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  Speaker 3: because really, you know, I have a fresh perspective and
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  Speaker 3: I think that's also the case for both Liam and Tony,
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  Speaker 3: and through my own experiences, I feel like I have
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  Speaker 3: a deep understanding of really the tools and modern mechanisms
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  Speaker 3: that are revolutionizing the sport. And so I don't ever
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  Speaker 3: view the number of years that I've had on planet
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  Speaker 3: Earth as a limitation.
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  Speaker 2: But you know, just my my preferred way of moving.
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  Speaker 3: Is one that I think can bring a dynamic asset
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  Speaker 3: and an edge over the competition.
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  Speaker 1: Press conference, he didn't think this was a poor win
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  Speaker 1: team from.
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  Speaker 3: The talent You similar, Yeah, I think that the talent
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  Speaker 3: that exists on this team is better than that record.
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  Speaker 3: Look forward to bringing that to life and we're going
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  Speaker 3: to elevate the floor of the roster immediately.
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  Speaker 1: What do you think lawrens a strengths art and what
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  Speaker 1: are some things in this draft that you can get
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  Speaker 1: around him and can kind of bring that out even more.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't think we've seen the best of Trevor,
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  Speaker 3: and I'm really excited for Liam to get a chance
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  Speaker 3: to work with him, support him, and really bring the
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  Speaker 3: tools that he has.
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  Speaker 2: In his arsenal to life.
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  Speaker 3: And I think it starts by the protection right, making
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  Speaker 3: sure that he feels like he's uh, he's got as
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  Speaker 3: much time to work with as possible, and also that
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  Speaker 3: he's comfortable with.
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  Speaker 2: The pass catchers.
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  Speaker 3: And so I think through that lens, he's he's going
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  Speaker 3: to feel that change in both the operations schematically and
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  Speaker 3: then the personnel that we invite into the building. Say
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  Speaker 3: Christian drop Way before he got Robinson, but he had been.
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  Speaker 2: A linked the traade rovers before. Eventually, Mom, he's got
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  Speaker 2: something that's doing the Uh. No, I wouldn't say that.
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  Speaker 3: We're just starting the conversations about our own current roster
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  Speaker 3: across both scouting and coaching staff as well as working
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  Speaker 3: in pro free agent related dialogue.
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  Speaker 2: So at this point in time can say that we're
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  Speaker 2: happy to have Christian. What's your favorite part of the
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  Speaker 2: free dropt process for something like film evaluation. These guys
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  Speaker 2: taking faces gives me most jews. I would say being
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  Speaker 2: in the bunker with the crew.
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  Speaker 3: You know, I think through that building connective tissue, you know,
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  Speaker 3: creating a team dynamic that you can be really proud of.
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  Speaker 2: That's one of the most fulfilling elements. We get to
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  Speaker 2: asking yesterday, knowing you're safely as we're out of breaks,
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  Speaker 2: you and Mark plain think you have any sort of relationship.
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  Speaker 4: And you know more before your.
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  Speaker 2: Interview in the process with Dason.
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  Speaker 3: That actually wasn't until I began the process and Mark
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  Speaker 3: made the initial call that we tied that together. So
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  Speaker 3: it was a pleasant surprise and one certain we certainly
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  Speaker 3: we leaned into after that.
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  Speaker 2: But no, I was unfamiliar.
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  Speaker 3: And now you know my dad, right, So he's a
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  Speaker 3: former high school teacher in football coach second generation, and
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  Speaker 3: he really sparked my interest in the sport and also
• 9:11
  Speaker 3: becoming a teacher. And so I was rooted in my
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  Speaker 3: high school from a young age. Actually wanted to return
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  Speaker 3: there and my dream was to be the head coach there,
• 9:21
  Speaker 3: just like my dad. Eventually become the athletic director, and
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  Speaker 3: one year into that had pivoted to go work with
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  Speaker 3: my father after he came out of retirement at another school.
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  Speaker 3: Now very lucky in that the same day that I
• 9:33
  Speaker 3: arrived on campus, Less Sneed and Logan Sneed arrived to
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  Speaker 3: sign up for our football program. Now through that, I
• 9:40
  Speaker 3: do remember now that I think back, but didn't know
• 9:43
  Speaker 3: it at the time. Mark's name up on the walls
• 9:47
  Speaker 3: throughout Beyonni High School. So it's flashing back, but it
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  Speaker 3: was never something that I was actually aware of even.
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  Speaker 2: Prior or thinking about.
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  Speaker 3: Yes, yeah, he was leading the process and up interviews, etc.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, must have trained some years, so you know.
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  Speaker 3: I think the ability to create disruption is above all
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  Speaker 3: else most important, and that type of chaos it makes
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  Speaker 3: it hard for an offensive operation.
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  Speaker 2: And so I lean into that more than just about anything.
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  Speaker 3: And I think the combination of urgency and explosiveness is
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  Speaker 3: something that I certainly prefer.
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  Speaker 2: James, considering Patula Jackson situation of Los Angeles.
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  Speaker 4: How will that affects how you will put the Jaguars
• 10:32
  Speaker 4: on the supply.
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  Speaker 3: I won't speak to Jonah exactly because he's not on
• 10:38
  Speaker 3: our roster, but I do think that by addressing the interior.
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  Speaker 3: That setting the dish for a quarterback is something that
• 10:47
  Speaker 3: can be really helpful to their success.
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  Speaker 4: When you think.
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  Speaker 3: About the running back position in the States in the
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  Speaker 3: UFL right now, I would a little whilest like with
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  Speaker 3: being the.
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  Speaker 2: Valued the last year, so we pro serta into do
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: you think that's a trend? That's when you continue or
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: say on and during Henry success that that kind of.
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  Speaker 3: It certainly feels like it's a shift. It's certainly gonna
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  Speaker 3: be something that we prioritize. You can see the success
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  Speaker 3: that Liam had last year in the running game.
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  Speaker 2: It's certainly something we valued.
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  Speaker 3: I think that, you know, the landscape of the NFL
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  Speaker 3: is ever evolving and you're always finding ways to, you know,
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  Speaker 3: maybe exploit some inefficiencies on the opposite side of the football.
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  Speaker 2: And that might be something that is shown itself here
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  Speaker 2: for people. Do you think this is a deep running
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  Speaker 2: back class?
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  Speaker 1: If if you got to watch any of the prospects
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  Speaker 1: as far as Bunny Bucks.
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  Speaker 2: I think it's a very deep running back class.
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  Speaker 1: The deep in LA was pretty dirty, pretty nasty. Is
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  Speaker 1: that something you're gonna look at? And obviously you also
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: have some trends where you drafted a couple of guys
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: from in particular school and you saw how they play together.
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  Speaker 1: Can you talk about that processes that lean into anything
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  Speaker 1: and are there any other are you gonna do that
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  Speaker 1: here in Jackson?
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  Speaker 2: I definitely think there's merit to that.
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  Speaker 3: I think that building on that type of moment minimu
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  Speaker 3: makes life easy.
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  Speaker 2: It makes it so that there's an immediate impact.
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  Speaker 3: You know, anybody that's doing something alone, it's usually a
• 12:08
  Speaker 3: little easier when you're working in combination with somebody that
• 12:10
  Speaker 3: you're aligned with and know you can work off of.
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  Speaker 3: So it'll definitely be something, if the opportunity ever presents itself,
• 12:16
  Speaker 3: that we would love to bring to life in different ways.
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  Speaker 2: And then what was your first part of your question?
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  Speaker 2: I'm sorry, just.
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: Talk about the defense that you had in now leg
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  Speaker 1: but you basically answered everything.
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  Speaker 3: Now we'll be an urgent and explosive bunch on defense.
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  Speaker 3: It'll certainly be a shift from what our fans probably
• 12:33
  Speaker 3: saw last year.
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  Speaker 2: What I'm talking explain.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, really excited about his ascension in year two, and
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  Speaker 3: I think he'll have a part in the offense moving
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  Speaker 3: forward in a way that we haven't seen yet
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  Speaker 2: Thank you all appreciate it,