Thomas’ second season started off on the wrong foot. He struggled with a slump in training camp, a problem that carried over into the regular season, and seemed frustrated with his place in Coen’s offense. But when the Jaguars went to work and Thomas was fit enough to join in on the fun, the worries about his struggles seemed to fade away. After all, winning can cure most problems.
That didn’t stop the rumor mill from spinning during the holidays. With concerns that Thomas would fit into Coen’s system and concern that his greater potential might not materialize in Jacksonville, chatbots began tossing out hypothetical trade options involving the former first-round pick.
Gladstone firmly dismissed those theories on Thursday.
“It can certainly be very strange,” he said. “I’m more concerned about the weight it might put on Brian himself when it’s something that’s completely out of his control and unnecessary. So, I think that’s where my mind would go, if anything. But when there are fraudulent allegations, you only have your mind on what you can focus on and you can really manage and try to do what’s best for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“In the end it’s not the hardest thing to do and it’s the role and where you can try to compartmentalize things. If anything, hopefully there’s not a weight attached to the player who would ever be involved in that.”
The offseason is filled with speculation as we’re all teetering between the Super Bowl and the next important point of the NFL offseason. It’s common for a player with Thomas’ skills and potential to be sought after in such pursuits. But as Gladstone said on Thursday, until negotiations begin, such chatter is simply that: wishful thinking. Or as he said, betrayal.