I think were arguing about the wrong thing. Did VG look good in college? Yes, he looked like a very powerful DE with some speed. The real question is did he look like a future OLB and the honest answer is not a whole lot. If you just want an OLB who mostly pass rushes, like LT did with the Giants he might make it. But VG is not mobile enough to be a complete LB, there is really no point in even debating that particular issue.
Worst of the 30 top players in that draft I read in the News or the Post that according to one scout that VG was one of the worst of the top 30 players in the draft. According to the source he has no football sense and is totally lost on the field.
Jake Long was a high pick and performed well in both the NCAA and his first year this year in the NFL. Gholston beat him a few times in college; that tells me Gholston has the physical tools to succeed because he beat an NFL caliber player. As of now, he looks slow and lost, but that doesn't mean he has no potential to learn and get better. What we don't know, and won't know until a new staff is in, is how much of this is Gholston failing to learn and adjust to the NFL and how much is the lack of development taught by the coaching staff. I think someone started a thread, like last week, skepticizing Mangini and the staff's ability to develop players that really need coaching up. Maybe the new coach and staff (along with LT) can teach Gholston to grasp his new position, as well as the speed of the NFL. There's no arguing that some players just take longer to "get it" than others, no matter what # they're selected in the draft; in fact, that's probably the hardest thing to predict and calculate when evaluating a college player. IMO, he needs some physical training too -- one a full Offseason program can provide. He needs to get faster, quicker (perhaps shed a few pounds?) because he looks very slow right now, which - I don't think - has much to do with the mental aspect of the game. Sure, he's probably over-thinking, but there have been downs where he hasn't had to think at all, just get to the QB and get to the QB only, and even then, he's looked slow. Therefore, it's several factors that are preventing him from reaching his potential, those being both mental and physical.
How quickly alot of you forget I know many on this board were getting on their knees to get Gholston in the draft last yeat. But almost as many (including myself) were extremely wary and knew drafting Gholston at 6 was a HUGE stretch. My personal opinion was trade up for Matt Ryan or Trade Down. Most predraft analysis of Gholston pegged him as a project or an experiment. He has no true or natural playing position that fits the NFL that is not the player that deserves to be picked at that spot , I honestly think Belicheck feigned his interest in this turd to dupe the fuckin idiots Mangina and Tannenbaum to draft this kid. Trying to compare him to Mario W. is absurd , Mario played his rookie season and there was never any doubt what position he would play in the NFL. For those who are willing to wait and see I applaud your patience but I regret to inform you their is no Santa Claus , Easter Bunny , Tooth Fairy or NFL quality football player named Vernon Gholston.
"if gholston had been on an elite defense like the ravens or steelers, would he have gone sackless in his rookie season?" ...and if my grandmother had wheels, would she be a trolly???...what kind of question is this? All I know is if the guy would have played up to his "potential", the Jets would have been closer to an elite defense, whatever the hell an elite defense is.
stupid, you dont need two corners to be a good defense, its all predicated on a pass rush. Mayo was the right pick, like usual NE made the right move on draft day.
They did, but Mayo's risk/reward seemed less at the time; meaning, Gholston's ceiling was/is higher, but he could bust just as easily too. It's still too early to determine that. Sure, this season was extremely disappointing for him, but I'm willing to wait it out to see if he alters physically and mentally.
I said this right after the draft, DRC is going to be the next Deion Sanders and you could have had him if you simply dealt down to New Orleans at 10 like we did and you could have picked up an extra 3rd round pick. Tannie's fear of Gholston dropping to the Pats squashed all of this. Can you imagine if you guys had (DRC and Revis with an extra 3rd round pick). You have to blame Tannie on this, not Eric.
