Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone, 36, has pushed back against the notion that the team embraces a "F them picks" mentality, despite a flurry of trades aimed at bolstering their Super Bowl contention.
"I know the idea of ‘F them picks’ has kind of taken a hold and it’s a headline, but it’s really not the approach or the process," Gladstone told reporters. The Jaguars, currently 6-2 and leading the AFC South, acquired defensive tackle Jordan Davis from the Eagles for a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick. They also added Pro Bowl safety Jessie Bates from the Falcons for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick, and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux from the Saints for a conditional sixth-round pick.
The phrase "F them picks" originated with Rams general manager Les Snead, who used it during Los Angeles's Super Bowl LVI championship run. Gladstone previously worked under Snead from 2017 to 2024.
Gladstone explained that his time in Los Angeles provided ample draft selections, yet the "F them picks" narrative persisted. He stressed that the value of picks is paramount and highlighted the Jaguars' strategy, which he described as symbiotic and layered. "Not signing external free agents is an important piece when you have internal free agents signing elsewhere that can earn you a compensatory pick, thus supplementing the loss of any draft selection that you may choose to use outside the three days that exist in April to make a selection," he said.
Gladstone asserted that the team does value draft picks and that their acquisition strategy extends beyond the traditional three days of the NFL Draft in April. The Jaguars are currently the AFC's third seed. Last season, in their first year under coach Liam Coen, the Jaguars won the AFC South before losing in the wild-card round.