as the OLB also ghost was in charge of watching slaton out of the backfield. texans used alot of screen passes and dump offs last year.
I have to admit, I was wrong about Gholston. He didn't get a sack yesterday. But he did come close a few times. I can't believe people are sitting here bitching about him. Seriously? Did you watch the game, and if so, did you watch Gholston? And if so, do you know anything about football that Madden didn't teach you? Like abyzmul said, he's not aggressive enough in trying to shed his blocks, but damnit, this guy was commanding double-teams, and when he didn't get doubled, he was collapsing the pocket. What else do you want from him? He is, in fact, a project. In terms of being a #6 talent, he fulfilled what he was when he was drafted as yesterday: a defensive end. When Ghoslton was drafted he had been a DE in college. Mangini's project (now picked up by Rex & Co.) was to turn him into a 3-4 OLB. Maybe it'll work, maybe not, but he played like a first-round defensive end yesterday. Was he phenominal? No. Was he good? Yes.
I don't think this kind of thinking applies in the NFL anymore. Sure starters are named on every team but with the amount of talent the Jets have at linebacker do you really think either of these guys are going to ride the bench all season? Definitely not. When Pace gets back, it's very likely the player who won't see the field anymore is going to be Larry Izzo. Gholston and Westerman both will continue to get good playing time along with the starting group, and they'll be put into situations where Ryan feels they can excel and succeed.
He looked like Victor Hobson yesterday and Hobson was a mediocre outside linebacker. Maybe that's improvement over being a ghost but he's going to have to get much better to stay on the field. Based on what we saw yesterday he comes off as soon as Pace is ready to go and turns back into the ghost.
My guess is that the OP had this thread written five minutes before kick-off, watched the first hour of the Ravens-Chiefs game and then hit "submit." Then the Falcons fan who posted second followed the head lemming.
Pace, and also Bryan Thomas. I was in the forefront of the Gholston-bashing during preseason, but when I saw progress, I admitted it. There are some people that won't admit it. I liked some of the play that I saw from 50 yesterday and I think there's hope for him... but he's not going win a starting job in 2009 unless he becomes a different player overnight. The problems I have with the idea of VG's responsibility to hold a gap is that most times he appears to be holding that gap, it's 3 pass rushers with their hand on the ground and the other 2 guys and getting into the backfield, not holding blocks. That doesn't sound quite right to me. Career-wise, I have a feeling that VG will have a comparable career to Bryan Thomas, someone else that carried the Bust tag for quite a while. He'll be an above-average role-player that does well and maybe even becomes versatile, but more like a Jack Of All Trades and master of none. Not what you really want to spend the 6th overall pick on, but not terrible either. Although there will be people that will never forgive him for it.
Again, we're talking about apples and oranges. Did he play well as a defensive end yesterday? Yes. Did he play well as an OLB yesterday? Not really. When he was drafted (at #6, which is what everyone is always harping on,) he was an end. He's playing like a first round end right now. Therefore, his draft position is justified. The project is to turn him into an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. However, he is not now, and more importantly he was not when he was drafted a 3-4 OLB. That's where the "give it time, babysteps" comes from. Expecting him to magically be an All-Pro at a different position than he played in college, just 17 games later (the vast majority of which he never even sniffed the LB position, though no one ever mentions that,) is a little ridiculous. And when I say a "liitle" I mean a "lot." He's coming along. Will he ever be a great OLB in our 3-4? Who knows? What if he's destined to become a great DE, as I've said before? It's not his fault he was drafted at #6 to play a position he didn't know. It's not like we couldn't use a DE who can take up two blockers. Imagine Pace with room to go around thanks to Gholston's double-team? I'm absolutely certain that he will be a significant part of Rex's defense for years to come. What role that will be in, I don't know, but he will make an impact.
Agreed on the rotation Edge. I do see Izzo sticking as he seems to always be around the ball. Unless Vern takes a serious step back, and I don't think he will, Him and Westerman will see significant playing time. I had originally thought Jamaal and Vern played the same position but that isn't the case. Its hard to tell as guys can line up one place, then attack from another in VonRyan's defense.
