Rookie linebacker Vernon Gholston nearly had the first sack of his career Sunday but couldn't quite get to Jay Cutler. When asked if Gholston might help a sagging pass rush, coach Eric Mangini did not give a glowing review of the first-round pick. MORE: Gang Green Needs Fix To Right Wrongs JETS REPORT CARD "He had a significant shot [Sunday]," Mangini said tersely. "You know, there were plays to be made. You know, his opportunities were based on his ability to make those plays." Mangini was asked how Gholston did with his shot. "I think he needs to continue to improve," he said. Gholston's season has to be labeled a disappointment at this point. The No. 6 pick in April's draft, he has 12 tackles, with most of those coming on special teams, and no sacks. His playing time has increased over the last two weeks, and he nearly had Cutler near the end of the third quarter. He chased the quarterback on a rollout, but Cutler got the ball away to tight end Tony Scheffler for a 24-yard gain. "In moments [impatience] has set in," Gholston said. "You look at the sack total and for yourself you wish you had some. But like the other day there's a lot where I've been close. The thing about sacks is once you get that first one, they keep on rolling after that. I try not to worry about it too much." *
I'm going to go against the grain here and say I haven't given up hope on VG. On that play I actually thought he did a good job of maintaining containment on Cutler rather than whiffing and letting him scramble. I think the completion was a great play by Cutler and lucky too. However, obviously VG is not getting more playing time because the coaches are not seeing production in practice, so he's clearly not impressing the staff so far. But look at Mario Williams in Houston. There's still a chance the light bulb will go on at some point and he'll start to live up to the potential he showed in college. Also, I don't fault the staff for picking him. Without benefit of hindsight, it was the right pick. I'm sure the Pats would have picked him had we not. Who should we have taken instead? If at this point next year he's still a non-factor, that will be a major disappointment though.
If he goes back to DE it's not going to be in this system. When he's effective, he's only 265lbs. and he's not going to be able to effectively 2-gap like we need him to at that weight. If he remains with the Jets he remains as a LB. He looks like he's slowed down a bit and picked up some excess weight. The guy ran a 4.6 40 and you have to think that he is capapble of catching Jay Cutler, elusive and speedy QB that he is. He doesn't look like what showed up to play at Ohio State or what worked out at the combine. I think his general frustration with the defense has gotten to him and I don't expect to see much more out of him this season. I'm still not giving up on the guy, though. I thought he would be a project if we drafted him and now I think we give him the benefit of at least a full offseason under his belt before we judge how he can perform in the regular season. Mario Williams struggled to make plays when he was a rookie and he didn't even have to switch positions. Gholston is in the first year in a new defense, at a new position, in a new league. He's thus far been a dissappointment but it's not time to right him off yet. If we're still having this conversation a year from now, then it would be time to let the "Bust" alarms go off. Until then, criticise his in-game performance but don't lable him as a wash.
Gholston obviously has been frustratingly disappointing heretofore, but I don't think he can just be written off for the season. I firmly believe that, at some point, the Jets will need Gholston to produce. It could be in a game where the pass-rush is stagnant and they need him to put some life in it, or it could be in a game where one of the LBs goes out for a quarter or so with a minor injury. The fact of the matter is, when you draft a guy 6th overall and he's not a QB you're expecting at least SOME production out of him his rookie year. It's too early for the bust label to be applied, but if his next season looks like this one then I think that label becomes appropriate.
The Ghost will be the next Johnny Vilma. He'll excel, just not in this system and probably not in the 3/4. Oh well, another high round DP going nowhere fast. Whatta surprise..
I wouldn't say bust yet but I had this feeling when we drafted the guy. It seemed to me at the time that he wasn't the guy we wanted but was the guy who was left after the top 5 were taken. It seems that, at the time, the talent level really dropped off after the first 5 picks and he was what was left to fill a position need. It was a pick mainly based on upside I think. Athleticism.
Actually I do not think JV is making a very great impact in the league in the 4-3 that everybody who supported him thought he would be doing
Are you responding to me with that? I don't know who JV is. If you're talking about Vilma, I don't see where you're getting him from in my post.
he is referring to other person saying how Vilma is excelling in new orleans, its not true- for whatever reason Vilma has not built in 3 very promising first years- this guy looked like 10yrd stud written all over him and he has not been nearly that player for 2 + years now.
I was really high on Gholston during the draft and he has shown me nothing since. I think if we saw him just getting close and giving it his all we would give him the benefit of the doubt. I will not say he is a bust until maybe the end of next season but he has to start showing us something. It is only his first year sometimes these things take awhile to come around.
I posted this in another thread, but it works here... I just watched the play where he pressured Cutler again. Cutler is rolling out but briefly stops with a stutter-step. Gholston completely falls for this and looks like he is getting ready to play a cut-back by Cutler. He did look slow, as is the consensus here. What I found most disturbing was that he never put his arms up. If you can't reach the QB on a naked boot like that you at least should get your arms up to obscure his field of vision. Gholston, as a pass-rushing specialist, should at least know that. Very disappointing play all around.
Well if we move him to DE he wont be on this team, because we have no spot for a pass rushing DE. We run the 3-4, remember?
