not that this thread is still on topic, but... there were several articles early on after the draft/statements by the coaching staff about how gholston had 0 chance of being opening day starter(transition to new position/mangini doesn't want to start a rookie/decent veteran already at position/etc)...and that unless BT sucks it up or gets injured gholston likely won't start all season so no one other than the overly excited fan expects him to start week 1
isnt sarcasm that little skin between your ahole and balls? i checked webMD but couldn't find it. any-hoo.....mangini figures that if vg only plays 5 or 6 downs per game, it will be harder for vg to take plays off. or if he does take plays off, he will be on the sideline anyway so no biggie.
exactly. I read that the CS said they have no timetable for Gholston, that he will ease himself into the rotation when he is ready. We have OLBs who know the system. Gholston will play on the blitzing downs. Let him go and he'll pressure the QB every time.
Yeah that's what most players drafted at Gholston's position end up doing their first year. A perfect example of this is Shawn Merriman (someone we all hope gholston emulates). His first year he had a BIG impact with the chargers and was used in exactly this way: He came in on virtually every 3rd down and was let loose on the quarterback from his OLB/DE position. This works perfectly in the 3-4 because the OLB/DE/"rush"LB has the option of standing up or lining up in a 3 point stance (like a traditional 4-3 DE) at the line of scrimmage for the snap. This can cause major confusion among the offensive line with regards to blocking schemes and assignments. This is the major advantage of a 3-4 over a 4-3 in a passing situation - it allows you to disguise where the fourth pass rusher is coming from. You can line your "rush" linbacker (gholston, Merriman, LT) anywhere you want and however you want (in a 3 point stance or standing up) and either send him to rush the QB or drop him back in zone coverage or man coverage. (or even let him spy the QB in zone)
He was never going to start Day 1, he's going to be a situational pass rusher this year as he transitions to a new position and new league. Maybe by the end of the year he can become a starter(unless we have injuries) but I wouldn't expect it until year 2 at the earliest.
jerod mayo isnt even in the starting lineup and his transition should be much easier being he stood up his whole college career. there other options at ILB are literally hoping Seau comes back, and Bellichecks retarded experiment of trying to turn oversized Safety Tank Williams to a LB which is turning out to be a failure. i dont see the oh no the patriots drafted a top 10 player who isnt starting yet talk? only when the jets draft a player making a complete position change is that player expected to garner pro bowl status in camp. speaking of busts, how come nobody bashes the patriots for trading up to take Chad Jackson at 36? the guy did nothing his rookie year (13 catches 152 yds 3 tds). tore his knee in the AFC championship against the colts. only to be placed on the PUP list, activated Nov 8th of next season and went on to do literally nothing. i guess with their depth at WR its a moot point. just letting people know our ass kissed enemies arent infallable
Boland did state that VG had two "sacks" against the right side of our new and improved O-line yesterday. Not sure if that excites me or scares me????
LOL, I could have sworen 75% of the board had Gholston taking BT's spot from day 1 around draft time.......... I guess it's good to see people more tempered in there bost about this guy.
One thing I don't understand about our defense is, they got rid of guys who didn't fit the 3-4 and brought in more guys used to playing the 4-3. Same with Jenkins, the first thing he said is how he has to adjust to the 3-4. I thought the whole idea of bringing in new guys was to bring in guys who play the defense we're playing.
There are not a lot of NFL teams that run the 3-4 let alone NCAA programs. Its not looking for players that know the system, but finding athletes who have the right combination of skills to thrive in the roles they will fill. Jenkins is the prototype for a 3-4 NT. Massive, good quickness off the ball, and able to comand double teams. The man was born to play the position even if he has not yet. Gholston did do some dropping back or standing up at Ohio state but not as much as he will be here. Most 3-4 OLBs are undersized DE's in school who are quick and fluid enough to take on a coverage assignment. 3-4 DE's tend to be DT's befor they are drafted. People may seem out of place or learning a new thing at first but if scouted and drafted correctly the 3-4 gives the "tweeners" a true home to use thier skills. Gholston by all accounts should be the prototype 3-4 OLB. Time will tell ,but as far as this fronts offices drafting record goes, I think he'll be fine in the long run.
That makes sense. I'm not trying to be negative, but after getting rid of the old guys I'm kind of surprised to hear the new guys say they have to adjust to this system too. Then again, Mangini doesn't play them set, he's often got guys standing up and moving around, so like you said, if the athletes can fill the roles it should work out ok. I hope.
Oh no! I guess it must've been luck that Tangini went and got Pace then. They couldn't have seen this coming...
