Raider Nation
Devil's Advocate
I haven't heard a peep about this guy all season. Does he even get on the field???
And to think, I wanted the Raiders to take him.
And to think, I wanted the Raiders to take him.
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AMBER alert: Vernon Gholston (1 Viewer)
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JMJ
Footballguy
The Jets are primarily a 3-4 defense. In the beginning of the season we played a lot of hybrid 4-3 to get him snaps at DE. He got a few pressures and near sacks but nevery actually got one. He did block a punt however and came damn close to blocking a second one.Now he hardly gets on the field. We rarely ever swtich out of the 3-4 and Calvin Pace and Bryan Thomas are both having big years so Gholston is pretty much relegated to special teams. The strange thing is though, whenever they do get him on the field in the 3-4, they rarely ever rush him and usually always drop him back into coverage. All (the few) of the QB pressures and near sacks he has have come out of the handful of 4-3 snaps we played with him at DE in the first 2-3 games. I watch him closely on most plays he is in and can't recall us ever really blitzing him when he actually was lined up in the 3-4.HTH.
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MCguidance
Footballguy
He just has not shown enough this year to warrant any playing time. Even in obvious passing situations, he has not gotten a sniff. I think that it would take an injury to two guys to get into the lineup. He has played on some special teams, but it hasn't been that impressive, either. I still think he will be a decent play, but he really needs to get moving on his development.
Reaper
Footballguy
Meh.He was a project all along and the Jets have depth at OLB....I think the Jets looked at what the Giants were able to do with having a lot of bodies that can rush the passer and give them depth and took VG knowing he wouldn't contribute much this year unless there were an injury.....He's working at it though and he even went out on his own and hooked up with Lawrence Taylor who has reported taken a liking to him and will work with him....I don't think you can really judge him on this year and it would be foolish at this point to start making changes and really Calvin Pace is a perfect player to learn from who went through the learning curve to become what seems like now a dominant OLB.....Personally, At draft time I had reservations about Gholston but, once that pick was made, and it was pretty much the concensus Expert pick at that spot, I dropped all expectations for this year knowing he would be making a huge leap. He missed time at the start to finish school and had good players in front of him....At this point I think it's just good knowing he Wants to learn and work at it - IMO that's a good percentage of the battle and most people I would label as Busts at this point just don't get what it takes to play in the NFL and just don't have it in them....
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Reaper
Footballguy
IMO, they do that on purpose to get him the experience in those situations knowing he can rush the passer when he needs to fall back on his natural talent...At this point it's mostly in his head and learning to be an all around OLB.
They did this in preseason as well, they put him in the situations that would test him the most.
Reaper
Footballguy
Working with Taylor
Glazer: Gholston looks to LT for helpby Jay Glazer
Updated: November 2, 2008, 5:16 PM EST
Jets' first-round pick Vernon Gholston has hardly contributed this year the way team brass was hoping when they tagged him with the sixth pick in April's NFL Draft. Boasting a build from a Gladiator movie and showing off athleticism and a size/speed ratio rarely seen, Gholston's upside was too enticing to pass up.
But after seven games Gholston has struggled terribly, amassing a mere six tackles and zero sacks.
Rather than sit idly by as his rookie season was littered with labels of "bust" and "disappointment" the former Ohio State Buckeye this week made what could be the smartest contact he'll ever make.
If you're going to pick a mentor, a Hall of Famer like Lawrence Taylor's a good choice.
Gholston met with the greatest tutor a 3-4 linebacker could ever hope to have — Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor.
Taylor told FOX Sports that Gholston reached out to him through his marketing agent Mark Lepselter and actually met with Gholston on Monday — the first step in what Taylor thinks will be a long-term relationship.
"He reached out to me and I've never really had the time to do anything like this but after I met him, I really like the kid," Taylor said Sunday morning from, of course, a golf course in Florida. "He's a good kid and he wants to bust his butt and really understand this defense. After I met him I decided I'd help him."
Great and mature move by Gholston, a move that other youngsters should consider doing more in their early struggles. If there's one guy who knows the nuances of pass rushing in the 3-4 scheme, is there any better teacher than Taylor? Taylor revolutionized the outside backer rush position and is pretty much credited with the reason the sack became an official statistic after Taylor's rookie season.
Gholston will now have the luxury of learning from a 10-time Pro Bowl selection, three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year and 1986 NFL MVP. Not a bad guy for Gholston to spend his Monday with.
The two spent about an hour and a half talking football, philosophies, pass rushing and defense and his tutoring won't stop there.
"I really need to watch him on film to see what he's doing out there and I plan to do that," said Taylor, who also plans to go as far as physically working with his new protege in Florida after the season. "You can see he has all the physical tools, that's obvious. There are other things I'll help him out with."
This is the first time since Taylor retired has agreed to get so involved in the career of a young pass rusher. He was lukewarm on the idea at best, that is until he met Gholston. Once the two starting talking shop, Taylor decided to give the tutoring biz a shot this one time.
As far as how their initial lesson progressed, Taylor drove home several points but two in particular stood out.
"One of the things I told him is If you are going to mess up, mess up going full speed 100 percent," said the living legend. "We all mess up but just making sure when you do you are going all out."
Lesson No. 2?
"I told him in that scheme you need to know what everyone else around you is doing as well or even better than what you have to do," he said. "That's one thing I really tried to emphasize. When I played I knew exactly where Harry (Carson) and Carl (Banks), the linemen, the DB's — I knew what everyone was doing. When you get that down and you know where everyone around you is going to be on each play that puts you in a better position.
"If you know exactly what everyone is doing, it takes a lot of the thinking out of it and you can use your physical tools a lot better."
With Taylor now helping Jets fans can probably rest assured that their first-round pick is in good hands.
"It was interesting to see because Lawrence doesn't do this," said Lepselter, who was also present at the meeting. "Lawrence came in, sized him up and took an immediate liking to the kid. And Lawrence, you know him, he was classic. At one point Gholston asked LT how long it took him to really pick up the 3-4 his rookie year. In classic LT fashion he said, 'about two or three hours.'
Glazer: Gholston looks to LT for helpby Jay Glazer
Updated: November 2, 2008, 5:16 PM EST
Jets' first-round pick Vernon Gholston has hardly contributed this year the way team brass was hoping when they tagged him with the sixth pick in April's NFL Draft. Boasting a build from a Gladiator movie and showing off athleticism and a size/speed ratio rarely seen, Gholston's upside was too enticing to pass up.
But after seven games Gholston has struggled terribly, amassing a mere six tackles and zero sacks.
Rather than sit idly by as his rookie season was littered with labels of "bust" and "disappointment" the former Ohio State Buckeye this week made what could be the smartest contact he'll ever make.
If you're going to pick a mentor, a Hall of Famer like Lawrence Taylor's a good choice.
Gholston met with the greatest tutor a 3-4 linebacker could ever hope to have — Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor.
Taylor told FOX Sports that Gholston reached out to him through his marketing agent Mark Lepselter and actually met with Gholston on Monday — the first step in what Taylor thinks will be a long-term relationship.
"He reached out to me and I've never really had the time to do anything like this but after I met him, I really like the kid," Taylor said Sunday morning from, of course, a golf course in Florida. "He's a good kid and he wants to bust his butt and really understand this defense. After I met him I decided I'd help him."
Great and mature move by Gholston, a move that other youngsters should consider doing more in their early struggles. If there's one guy who knows the nuances of pass rushing in the 3-4 scheme, is there any better teacher than Taylor? Taylor revolutionized the outside backer rush position and is pretty much credited with the reason the sack became an official statistic after Taylor's rookie season.
Gholston will now have the luxury of learning from a 10-time Pro Bowl selection, three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year and 1986 NFL MVP. Not a bad guy for Gholston to spend his Monday with.
The two spent about an hour and a half talking football, philosophies, pass rushing and defense and his tutoring won't stop there.
"I really need to watch him on film to see what he's doing out there and I plan to do that," said Taylor, who also plans to go as far as physically working with his new protege in Florida after the season. "You can see he has all the physical tools, that's obvious. There are other things I'll help him out with."
This is the first time since Taylor retired has agreed to get so involved in the career of a young pass rusher. He was lukewarm on the idea at best, that is until he met Gholston. Once the two starting talking shop, Taylor decided to give the tutoring biz a shot this one time.
As far as how their initial lesson progressed, Taylor drove home several points but two in particular stood out.
"One of the things I told him is If you are going to mess up, mess up going full speed 100 percent," said the living legend. "We all mess up but just making sure when you do you are going all out."
Lesson No. 2?
"I told him in that scheme you need to know what everyone else around you is doing as well or even better than what you have to do," he said. "That's one thing I really tried to emphasize. When I played I knew exactly where Harry (Carson) and Carl (Banks), the linemen, the DB's — I knew what everyone was doing. When you get that down and you know where everyone around you is going to be on each play that puts you in a better position.
"If you know exactly what everyone is doing, it takes a lot of the thinking out of it and you can use your physical tools a lot better."
With Taylor now helping Jets fans can probably rest assured that their first-round pick is in good hands.
"It was interesting to see because Lawrence doesn't do this," said Lepselter, who was also present at the meeting. "Lawrence came in, sized him up and took an immediate liking to the kid. And Lawrence, you know him, he was classic. At one point Gholston asked LT how long it took him to really pick up the 3-4 his rookie year. In classic LT fashion he said, 'about two or three hours.'
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Reaper
Footballguy
For the record, I believe the Jets would have taken Mcfadden instead.
We've got a long way to go though and At this point I'm sure people were still laughing at Mario Williams who I wanted for the Jets in the worst way and still haven't changed my avatar.
Phlash
Footballguy
The difference is that Mario Williams was laughed at during the draft and Gholston was lauded as a great pick during the draft. Both went in opposite directions. Mario Williams was great from day 1, Gholston has been awful from day 1. I really wanted Gholston on the Patriots as well - thank God we have BB and Pioli, and they knew to pick Jerod Mayo.
MCguidance
Footballguy
He was?He had 4.5 sacks his first year and went weeks 10-17 without one. IMO, these are not numbers that indicate he was great from day one.
http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=212
This is the definition of being great from day one:
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Reaper
Footballguy
1) You don't know if the Great BB and Pioli pick Mayo over Gholston2) Mario was NOT good right awayPhlash said:
3) Mario didn't have to make the change to OLB, I'm surprised more people here didn't expect a transition... Again, given the transition AND players in front of him who are playing Great football right now, I really didn't expect him to play that much.
But, given, as you say, how much Gholston was lauded at the draft, I personly won't kill the Jets FO if he turns out to be not that great... I don't fault Front offices for moves like that - What I fault them for is the Bradway Dewayne Robertson type drafts where you trade TWO 1st round picks for a Combine Stud few people had in their top 10 a few months before the draft.....
Overall, I think the Jets drafts have been real good with this Front office... I haven't agreed with all the picks but, they at least make sense... I wasn't in favor of D'brickashaw Ferguson either but, I saw the logic in the pick and it wasn't some stupid radical move teams tend to make.
Kiddnets
Footballguy
This is what is wrong with the NFL Draft - I am fine with giving him a year to develop but he has something like a $60M contract! No room for development when your the 3rd highest paid player on the freking team! This has to be issue #1 in the new contract - bring in the NBA system - works MUCH better.
scrumptrulescent
Footballguy
Hmmmm....
AJ Hawk - Average
B Carpentar - Overrated
V Gholston - Overrated
2009 Draft - James Laurinaitis?
Just hope your team doesn't waste a 1st rounder on someone from "The" Overrated State University.
AJ Hawk - Average
B Carpentar - Overrated
V Gholston - Overrated
2009 Draft - James Laurinaitis?
Just hope your team doesn't waste a 1st rounder on someone from "The" Overrated State University.
Great point. The system for rookie contracts, specifically the early pics, is entirely broke. Thats why a lot of teams shun away from the #1 overall. The money they command is absurd. Take Jamarcus as an example. I wouldn't say he's going to be a total bust, but as of right now, he is an iffy prospect at best. He certainly is no Matt Ryan. Yet he got an absurd amount of money. Now the NFL teams aren't broke by any means, but in terms of the salary cap, taking these chances can really cripple a franchise. Why would anyone in their right mind go for a Jamarcus when they can grab a fairly proven qb via free agency for far less money. I understand the potential for a franchise qb is very tempting, but the risk/reward ratio is beyond what any sane individual would gamble on. Yet the system is such that these things happen. I think there will be significant changes to the rook cap come next collective bargaining...Now as far as gholston goes, being a jets fan I am highly disappointed. The shelf life of the average football player is not that long, so how can you take a chance on a 'project' at the #4 overall?!? With that kind of money?!? You do 'projects' in the later rounds. Even in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, you need to get players that are ready to contribute in a fairly quick manner. That is the nature of the league. If you look at teams that are consistently good in this league, one thing will stand out. They cut their ties with high paid players, because they always draft guys that can come in and fit into their system and contribute right away, while their cost is still fairly minimal. Fit into their system is a big part of it. Someone should have realized that he might not fit into the 3-4. There were other players at that slot that could have fit needs for the jets, not like it was him and then a huge fall off behind him...THe past few years haven't been too good in the first round for us. DBrick is all but a bust at this point. Mangold and Revis are OK, too early to gauge Keller...
Kiddnets
Footballguy
You had me and then you lost me - VG aside (too early to say) I am very pleased with the Jet drafts under theis regime. Brick started slow but has developed into a very good OT - he is a stud pass blocker and his run blocking has developed. Considering they could have had Bush, V Young and Leinart instead I am happy with the pick. Mangold has been an excellent center- maybe not all pro yet but is an above avg starter at a tough position to fill.Revis is OK? Are you serious? Her is a STUD lockdown corner right now - possible Pro Bowl year in progress. GREAT pick Keller is early but has shown enough to tel me he is no Johnny Mitchell - he should be a weapon down the stretch and a solid pick as well. There have been some busts - that Schlegal pick was awful - but overall this team has drafted well the past few years IMO
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MCguidance
Footballguy
D'Brick is not a bust, just not the top flight player everyone thought. I say everyone because he was the consensus best tackle coming out, hands down. You're also likely wrong on Revis who is turning into a top corner in only his second year. I think he and Rhodes are actually pro-bowl bound (and not Justin Miller KR pro-bowl, either).
Agreed on the Brick, based on what his expetations were coming in, he hasn't lived up. That was kind of the point of my entire tirade, which is early in the 1st round, you have to lock in locks, especially for the money you are dishing out. I am a fan of mangold and revis, and they didn't come in with the expectations that dbrick did either. Thinking back, we have had a decent first round over the past few years, I am going to flip flop on my initial assessment! Thanks for shedding light on it. Still highly disappointed with gholston though...
MCguidance
Footballguy
That's part of the problem - coming in with all these expectations. If Brick wasn't drafted that high people wouldn't care that he isn't a shut down tackle. Can't get away from that, so I think you're right, in a sense, that you have to lock in the locks. But, I think as a Jets fan, we will take some solid picks and not have HUGE disappointments like in years past. I really like the last few drafts with Brick, Mangold, Revis, Kerry Rhodes (4th rounder in 2005), Leon Washington (5th round, 2006). I think the pick I was most angry about was in 2002, when we took Bryan Thomas in the first round, and no one had heard of him - which was funny because even the boo birds at MSG didn't get angry or get excited, haha. But it took him 4 years, and now he is a solid contributor, though not spectacular. Gholston could very well be a bust, I just think it's hard to evaluate draft classes before a 3 year time period has passed. Good dialogue, reminding me why I like this place.
TLEF316
Footballguy
Ferguson isn't gonna be Jon Ogden, so many may consider him a bust. However, i think he's played well this year. He's got less reponsability playing next to Faneca and he has held up better against the bull rush (a MAJOR weakness last year). He's even gotten out on some running plays and been very effective due to his good footwork and agility. He's not an all pro, but he's gonna be this team's starter for a decade.
Mangold hasn't gotten as good as many expected since his outstanding rookie year, but again, he's a 10 year starter on the online.
Revis is a stud, as is David Harris. (when healthy). That was an OUSTANDING draft. The FO targetted system guys that they really wanted and they paid the necessary price to get them. I was laughing my ### off at the people on the jets boards who were crying over giving up mid-round picks to move up. Morons.
The 3rd round has actually been our worst round. The draft where they took Schlegal was a joke. The guy was obviously slow and stiff and had no upside. I'm not a huge Eric Smith fan either. But considering the home runs they hit with Rhodes, cotchery, Leon and possible Dwight Lowry, the jets have to be considered one of the top mid-round drafting teams in the league.
As for Gholston, its WAY too early to tell. He's switching positions and was fairly raw to begin with. I'm not writing him off yet. I will say that i am a tad disapointed in his special teams play. I figured he'd be a monster wedge breaker this year. (after all, it's just running forward and hitting someone) but that hasnt worked out. a few weeks ago, he got broken down badly and missed an open field tackle. He was playing way too high. At this point, i'm hoping he can develop into a 3rd down player by next year and then hopefuly a servicable starter by year 3 (When Bryan Thomas should be winding down a bit)
Mangold hasn't gotten as good as many expected since his outstanding rookie year, but again, he's a 10 year starter on the online.
Revis is a stud, as is David Harris. (when healthy). That was an OUSTANDING draft. The FO targetted system guys that they really wanted and they paid the necessary price to get them. I was laughing my ### off at the people on the jets boards who were crying over giving up mid-round picks to move up. Morons.
The 3rd round has actually been our worst round. The draft where they took Schlegal was a joke. The guy was obviously slow and stiff and had no upside. I'm not a huge Eric Smith fan either. But considering the home runs they hit with Rhodes, cotchery, Leon and possible Dwight Lowry, the jets have to be considered one of the top mid-round drafting teams in the league.
As for Gholston, its WAY too early to tell. He's switching positions and was fairly raw to begin with. I'm not writing him off yet. I will say that i am a tad disapointed in his special teams play. I figured he'd be a monster wedge breaker this year. (after all, it's just running forward and hitting someone) but that hasnt worked out. a few weeks ago, he got broken down badly and missed an open field tackle. He was playing way too high. At this point, i'm hoping he can develop into a 3rd down player by next year and then hopefuly a servicable starter by year 3 (When Bryan Thomas should be winding down a bit)
PizzaDeliveryGuy
extra sausage
Hope you didn't work too hard on that dynamite analysis.Hmmmm....AJ Hawk - AverageB Carpentar - OverratedV Gholston - Overrated2009 Draft - James Laurinaitis?Just hope your team doesn't waste a 1st rounder on someone from "The" Overrated State University.
Cookiemonster
Footballguy
Don't bash on D'Brick 'till you've had duh'Gallery.
Kiddnets
Footballguy
good stuff and that is probably a realistic time table for Gholston - but that is not acceptable when he has something like a 5 year 60M contract - If they thought he was this much of a project shame on them. You can't pick projects in the top 10 - shouldhave traded down for anything and grabbed someone else
Kiddnets
Footballguy
I think the Jets were thinking keep him from the Pats as well - when the Jets finally stop worrying about what the Pats think and do they will be on their way to turning this franchise around - tonight could be a big step.
NoFBinLA
Moderator
I did a lot of analysis on these guys and was never sold on Gholston but he's had a ton of things to alter in his game and position. The fact that he went to OG LT says a lot about what he wants to be. He has the athleticism (you can't teach it) and just needs to learn the game.He may crap out - I wouldn't be surprised, I have had my doubts watching him on tape from college but I don't think you can make the call he was a bad pick.
But as Reaper has said, you shouldn't have had high hopes for him this year anyway with the 3-4 and vet acquisitions.
And as was said, Williams struggled for parts of his rookie year and it wasn't until year 2 that folks really felt the Texans made the right choice.
ninerfanatic492000
Footballguy
and the most important thing LT can teach Vernon, which he relayed to the kids in "The Waterboy" is DON'T DO CRACK
Raiders should probably find Walker, DMac and Russell before they starting looking for other teams players.
@ Amber Alert
NoFBinLA
Moderator
Yeah that definitely deserves a@ Amber Alert
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mr. furley
Footballguy
sure LT was a freak during his prime and had a HoF career
but i dunno if reaching out to a serious drug addict and all that goes along with that personality is a good idea.. and i don't think it's gonna be that productive
but i dunno if reaching out to a serious drug addict and all that goes along with that personality is a good idea.. and i don't think it's gonna be that productive
Reaper
Footballguy
I see what you're saying but, imo THE most important thing here is if the player "Want's It" or not..... Especially for a player changing roles like this and I think the fact that he's thinking outside the box and spending his own time and going out on his own to seek help is a MAJOR plus and tends to make you believe he's doing all the other work he needs to as well.Real easy for a player like this to take the money and run...I do think the Jets do a lot of due dilligence with the draft and must have gone over it 1000 times if they thought VG had the fortitute to work at it and do all he could to make the transition.It's not like they drafted Demetrius Underwood here - It's a guy with a ton of talent seemingly willing to do the hard work.Barring injury - I didn't and still won't expect much until after this Season / offseason and a full training camp.
beer 30
Footballguy
How them sour grapes tasting? Enjoy watching the bowl games this yearHmmmm....AJ Hawk - AverageB Carpentar - OverratedV Gholston - Overrated2009 Draft - James Laurinaitis?Just hope your team doesn't waste a 1st rounder on someone from "The" Overrated State University.
duaneok66
Footballguy
agreed . . . was looking for a thread because I was wondering what happened . . .perfect thread title!!!Yeah that definitely deserves a@ Amber Alert
Buddy Ball 2K3
Footballguy
I think this guy will thrive in his new role. All he will be asked to do is use his athleticism to get the QB and that he can do.
Raider Nation
Devil's Advocate
It officially looks like this guy is a total washout.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/rumors/post/Ne...?urn=nfl,201700
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/rumors/post/Ne...?urn=nfl,201700
From here on in, any time a scout says a player "Looks like Tarzan but plays like Jane" ... Vernon will be the one pictured.
Reaper
Footballguy
Yeah, I'm completely off the Bandwagon of Any Hope....
That said I stand by what I said earlier in this thread:
Mostly: I DID NOT WANT TO DRAFT HIM....
Once he was drafted I gave him the benefit of the doubt given the position change and all but, that's all used up...
The Guy just has No motor - No Will, No Fire.....
I still don't absolutely kill the FO of the Jets though because overall that group drafted well and this guy was a top 1st round pick for much of that year Pre-Draft and mocks everywhere had this guy going to the Jets - He wasn't the Combine Workout warrior people pretend he was - He wasn't Dewayne Robertson who came out of no where and the FO traded up TWO 1st round draft picks for...
Looking back, I think that was a tough Draft - In retrospect QB was the way to go.
But, Some drafts are loaded and fall in your lap and other you have to work for - Again, Who knows if the Pats grab VG if he's there....
He's simply... A BUST.
And that happens.
Raider Nation
Devil's Advocate
Does Vernon get to travel with the team on road trips or does he have to arrange his own transportation?
Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
Aundray BruceSteve EntmanQuentin CoryattJohn CopelandTrev AlbertsJust off the top of my head...
Deranged Hermit
Not cool & Pissed
LOL. I bet he thought that 9mil would be in his bank account no later than two games in to the season.
azgroover
Footballguy
"Bigger" busts, not "other" busts, or is draft position (higher than Gholston), the main criteria?Aundray BruceSteve EntmanQuentin CoryattJohn CopelandTrev AlbertsJust off the top of my head...
Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
Um....yes. No. Maybe?All kidding aside, I think you have to consider Gholston the biggest defensive bust in probably the last 15-20 years."Bigger" busts, not "other" busts, or is draft position (higher than Gholston), the main criteria?Aundray BruceSteve Entman
Quentin Coryatt
John Copeland
Trev Alberts
Just off the top of my head...
azgroover
Footballguy
I've got to admit I got nothing on the Trev Alberts nomination. I could make (small) arguments that injuries and circumstance derailed some of those other guys. Had no idea A. Bruce had an 11 year career. Emtman was ferocious when healthy.Um....yes. No. Maybe?All kidding aside, I think you have to consider Gholston the biggest defensive bust in probably the last 15-20 years."Bigger" busts, not "other" busts, or is draft position (higher than Gholston), the main criteria?Aundray BruceSteve Entman
Quentin Coryatt
John Copeland
Trev Alberts
Just off the top of my head...
Reaper
Footballguy
As a fan I can't be that upset.....Um....yes. No. Maybe?All kidding aside, I think you have to consider Gholston the biggest defensive bust in probably the last 15-20 years."Bigger" busts, not "other" busts, or is draft position (higher than Gholston), the main criteria?Aundray BruceSteve Entman
Quentin Coryatt
John Copeland
Trev Alberts
Just off the top of my head...
Even though I personally didn't want Gholston. You have to look at that draft and what people were saying Pre-draft.....
I'm having search issues with the new format but, I saw one quote from Andy talking about what a Beast this guy would be in a 3-4 defense.....
It happens... It's easy for everyone to jump in now and the jokes are a riot - But, THIS is exactly why I love the Mocks Andy does and all the discussion BEFORE the fact.... People say why even bother mocking and trying to predict the draft - WHY? to get the opinions in writing now so when we look back we can see how outrageous a pick was or how ridiculous a team was....
With Gholston, he was pretty much a concensus top 10 pick BEFORE the Combine - he wasn't the combine Climber people pretend now.
To me, the opposite of this is Lamar Woodley - I remember that whole college season, jets fans were salivating over this guy as a 1st round pick.. it was 1st round all the way.. then the draft comes and Woodley drops? Why? I don't know. I screamed for this guy as he fell...
Jets got Revis / Harris that year so, I can't complain....
But, to me, I only go crazy about my team's bad draft if they go off the board and blow it. The drafts were you're like "WHOOO?" Some guy every site had 3 rounds later who turns out to be a turd.... Mike Mayock had VG at 5.. The majority had him rated high...
The other weird thing in all this is Gholston failed because he was not a FOOTBALL PLAYER - he didn't have the heart - The Jets at the time, with Mangini were all about getting guys 100% dedicated to FOOTBALL.... I'd love to hear Mangini's side to all this - the guy who drafted Anthony Schlegel 4 rounds early cuz he supposedly was an eat and breathe FOOTBALL guy.
