The Jacksonville Jaguars were linked to defensive tackle Mason Graham for months before the NFL Draft. Then, running back Ashton Jeanty became the favorite to get the nod. But out of nowhere, speculation surged that they could take a big swing and trade up.
That's precisely what ended up happening, as the Jags made a deal with the Cleveland Browns to move up to No. 2. With the pick, they chose two-way star Travis Hunter. And just recently, general manager James Gladstone (jokingly) revealed a crucial detail that helped them pull off the trade.
Gladstone, along with colleagues Ran Carthon and Andrew Berry, made an appearance on the With the First Pick podcast and said that he didn't have a prior relationship with Berry and began working on the parameters for the Travis Hunter trade during the NFL owners meeting.
"I think, Andrew, correct me if I'm wrong along the way here with the finer details, the further we get away from it, the fog here it gets," Gladstone told host Ryan Wilson. "But nonetheless, I think the owner meetings served as a good touch point for many of the general managers, especially for those that are first-time in the scene. That was where Andrew and I were able to make an initial touch point, though brief, and from there, once our internal leadership dynamic began to have deeper dialog about the draft itself."
Gladstone continued, "Reached out to a few teams there in front of us, and Andrew being one who showed some level of openness to have a larger conversation, and that continued to include more details with a few additional touch points as time went on. But nonetheless, I think it was roughly two weeks out from the draft that we really had a strong framework for what ultimately ended up being what we were able to execute once Cleveland was officially on the clock."
Later in the exchange, Gladstone commended Berry for keeping the trade under wraps and jokingly said that it wasn't leaked because nobody has his phone number.
"Also, along the way, Andrew, I think I joked with you about, you know, keeping it quiet, right? That's not always the easiest thing to do. And I was like, Andrew, I think we're kind of in luck, because nobody really, actually has my number," Gladstone said.
At one point of the 2024 season, the Jaguars were on pace to clinch the first overall selection. That routinely made them a potential landing spot for Hunter. However, they won enough games to ultimately end with the No. 5, and chatter about potentially taking the former Colorado standout decreased considerably.
The draft came, and minutes after Cam Ward went first overall to the Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville traded to the No. 2 spot to take Hunter. The rest is history.
The Travis Hunter trade has quickly defined James Gladstone's stint with the Jaguars
Not long after trading up for Travis Hunter, James Gladstone said that he couldn't pass up the chance to take a sport-altering talent. So far, the 2024 Heisman Trophy has been everything the Jacksonville Jaguars anticipated, and then some.
Right off the bat, Hunter has helped the Jags get lots of attention because of everything he does on and off the field. Whether he's catching passes in practice or helping a fellow passenger with her baggage, the West Palm Beach native has become the talk of the town.
Circling back to the trade, Andrew Berry also deserves praise for keeping it under wraps. After all, it takes two to tango, and he could've easily leaked that Jacksonville was planning to trade up to see if other teams made a better offer. He didn't.
It's hard to tell how the trade will look in a couple years, but based on their conversation, James Gladstone and Andrew Berry appear to be pleased with how things played out.
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