DE Vernon Gholston (Official Thread)

[Buckeneye]

The Browns have so many needs right now, that they aren't in any position to take a gamble.!

With how cheap it would have been to sign him, Brownies taking Vern wasn't at all a gamble.


No homerism here. Before his rookie year many believed (knew) 3-4 OLB wasn't his role. He doesn't have the lateral agility and fluid movement. Go back a few years and see how many posters on here saw him for what he is. A 4-3 rush end.

 

[Piney]

I imagine that the Bears saw an opportunity to snag a guy who was previously a first rounder at a very reasonable price. A gamble that, if it pays off, great. If not, they haven't given much up other than a good look in training camp.

Vern is another nice guy. I hope he makes the most of his new opportunity.

THIS!!!

What if I told you the Browns (who lacks 4-3 DEs) can pick a former Top 5 1st rounder who played DE in college, but was turned into an OLB in a 3-4 defense and busted. And he was only a few years removed from that 1st round status?

Now, if the Browns still ran the 3-4, I would pass. But the fact we need 4-3 DEs... BAD. I wouldn't care if he went to Michigan... or Appalachain St. You take a chance that a return to his college position of DE brings out the reason he was a 1st rounder.

 

[sparcboxbuck]

Sporting the number 94 per local radio.

Welcome to Chicago! Give 'em hell Big Vern!

 

[Bestbuck36]

Beautiful. Also helps me decide which D/ST to keep this year since the Bears was one of them.

I really think he's going to explode onto the scene this year. He'll be in the top 3 on his team with little pressure to come in and be super dominant yet be in a position that will allow him to excel with his own gifts physically. I love the move.

 

[Buckskin86]

Bears? Rod Marinelli on recovery mission with Vernon Gholston, Amobi Okoye
BY MARK POTASH [email protected] August 4, 2011

Vernon Gholston (left) was hardly a difference-maker in his four seasons with the Jets, but he might be a better fit in the Bears? system. | Al Bello~Getty


BOURBONNAIS, Ill. ? When Rex Ryan became the New York Jets? head coach in 2009, he promised to take his best shot at making something out of disappointing former first-round draft pick Vernon Gholston.

??If he doesn?t do it for this team, he?s never going to do it,?? Ryan said at his introductory news conference.

Those are ominous words for Bears coach Lovie Smith and defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, especially since the blustery Ryan had Gholston pegged when he entered the 2008 draft after a sudden 14?-sack season at Ohio State and an off-the-charts performance at the NFL combine.

??I didn?t like the kid coming out of college. He?s a good athlete and a smart guy. But I thought he was a phony,?? Ryan, who was with the Baltimore Ravens at the time, wrote in his book, Play It Like You Mean It, which was published in May.

Ryan later regretted using the word ??phony.??

??What I meant by ?phony? was that his [combine] numbers were phony,?? Ryan told reporters. ??His numbers were better than anybody in the history of football, and I was like, ?That?s not how he plays. Nobody plays like that.? But Vernon got better, and he is a tremendous person.??

Cont...

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/6886...mission-with-vernon-gholston-amobi-okoye.html

Okoye, Gholston battling for jobs

Posted: 8/5/2011

At one point during Thursday night’s practice in Bourbonnais, the Bears defensive line featured three players who had been selected by other NFL teams with top 10 picks in the draft.

But while end Julius Peppers is a perennial Pro Bowler, tackle Amobi Okoye and end Vernon Gholston are both looking to make the most of second chances after being released by their original teams.

Okoye, who was chosen by the Texans with the 10th pick in 2007, recorded 138 tackles and 11 sacks in four seasons in Houston. The 6-2, 315-pounder is a prototype three technique in the Bears defense.

“He’s got the movement,” said coach Lovie Smith. “He’s played in what was close to our system in terms of an undertackle. He’s got good rush ability. He understands it. But now he’s just got to go out and execute and that’s what I’m looking for as we go out to practice.”

Gholston, who was selected by the Jets with the sixth pick in 2008, did not record a sack while making only six starts in three seasons in New York. The 6-3, 260-pounder appears to be a better fit in the Bears’ 4-3 defense than he was in the Jets’ 3-4 scheme.

“He’s got great speed and he’s really put together,” said defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. “Sometimes for a guy who has played down a little bit more and then he’s moved back, sometimes your instincts possibly can get taken away a bit. But we’re going to get him down on the ground, put his hand down there and just rep him over and over and over.”

Marinelli is eager to try to get the most out of Okoye and Gholston.

“The fit sometimes can be right,” Marinelli said. “I don’t know if it’s a roll of the dice. I’m anxious. It’s not dice for me. I’m very anxious, very ambitious to work with these men. I believe in them, just like we do that whole group. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

http://www.chicagobears.com/DailyBlogs.asp?DAILY_BLOG_POST_ID=383

 

[3074326]

This will be good. Screw the Jets and Rex Ryan. Their two starting right DEs combined for a total of ONE sack last year. Prolific.

They run a 3-4 scheme, the DEs aren't there to rush the QB. Just space eaters.

I do really hope Gholston succeeds in Chicago.

 

[ethel merman]

They run a 3-4 scheme, the DEs aren't there to rush the QB. Just space eaters.

I do really hope Gholston succeeds in Chicago.

So why the bashing of him by the press and a few Jets homers and the constant reminder that he hasn't had a sack? There's no logic. They're basing their evaluation on a stat that wasn't meant to be good in that system and those coaches. And if you evaluate him as a LB, well the OSU coaches knew that wasn't his best position years ago.

And I'm not saying he's great. I'm just saying no one has a clue to his pro ability (myself included) because he hasn't been in the right situation. Hopefully we find out something this season.

 

[Smooth Olaf]

So why the bashing of him by the press and a few Jets homers and the constant reminder that he hasn't had a sack? There's no logic. They're basing their evaluation on a stat that wasn't meant to be good in that system and those coaches. And if you evaluate him as a LB, well the OSU coaches knew that wasn't his best position years ago.

And I'm not saying he's great. I'm just saying no one has a clue to his pro ability (myself included) because he hasn't been in the right situation. Hopefully we find out something this season.

They're bashing him because he's done nothing. He was what, a top five pick? And he hasn't done a damn thing. He's been nothing but a bust. Hell, I love the Buckeyes, and I love the Browns, but I wanted no part of him. Let him go sit on a bench somewhere else and do nothing. Some people just don't transition well from college to the pros, and so far, Gholston definitely hasn't. Who knows? Maybe he'll be more productive in Chicago. All he has to do is tackle somebody once to do that.

 

[CentralMOBuck]

So why the bashing of him by the press and a few Jets homers and the constant reminder that he hasn't had a sack? There's no logic. They're basing their evaluation on a stat that wasn't meant to be good in that system and those coaches. And if you evaluate him as a LB, well the OSU coaches knew that wasn't his best position years ago.

And I'm not saying he's great. I'm just saying no one has a clue to his pro ability (myself included) because he hasn't been in the right situation. Hopefully we find out something this season.

He didn't play DE for the NYJ right? I thought he played that rush linebacker type roll, kind of like Woodley does with the Steelers.

 

[Crump's brother]

He didn't play DE for the NYJ right? I thought he played that rush linebacker type roll, kind of like Woodley does with the Steelers.

Correct, hence the pissing and moaning over his sack total by the Jets' and their fans.

 

[ethel merman]

He didn't play DE for the NYJ right? I thought he played that rush linebacker type roll, kind of like Woodley does with the Steelers.

He played LB his first couple years. And that's on the coaches for thinking he could play there when the OSU coaches long ago figured out that wasn't his best position. Then he moved to DE, where their system isn't designed for DEs to make a ton of sacks. Add to that he was on the sideline most of the time ? hard to make sacks from there. Again, their two right DEs who started last year combined for one sack.

Like I said, no one knows anything yet about his pro ability yet. And like I said before, I don't know if he'll be good. It's just going to be an interesting year.

 

[Buckskin86]

Second-year defensive end Corey Wootton is listed as No. 2 behind Israel Idonje at left end and shares the No. 2 spot behind Julius Peppers with newcomer Vernon Gholston.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2011/08/williams_ahead_of_knox_on_bear.html

 

[Buckskin86]

A defensive lineman the Bears need to see more from, particularly if Wootton is out for any extended period of time, is Vernon Gholston. He was signed to a $1 million, one-year contract, which included a $250,000 signing bonus.

Gholston hasn?t shown a lot in training camp and didn?t make much noise in the game when he replaced Peppers early in the first quarter. The idea is that by allowing him to focus on playing with his hand in the dirt, he?ll be able to excel where he struggled with the New York Jets in a variety of roles.

?It felt pretty good, new playbook, learning new plays,? Gholston said. ?We went vs. a team I am familiar with. Honestly, with the Jets we did a lot of different things. There was a lot of variation. Here, I have a more focused role playing defensive end as opposed to being all over the place. When you have just a couple things to lock in on, obviously I have my role on teams, you are able to focus on that and be a better player.?

Gholston knows he has to step up if he wants to stick.

?They didn?t guarantee me nothing,? he said before it was pointed out he got $250,000. ?I?ve seen people leave with more than that. Me, it was just coming in and I had a great feel and a chance to be a part of something great.?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...win-20110814,0,4638619.story?page=2&track=rss

 

[Buckskin86]

Wootton's pain could be Gholston's gain
With DE out with knee injury, Bears newcomer has chance to stake claim to
By Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune reporter
August 14, 2011

It's a little early to start playing the 53-man roster game, but it isn't premature to think Vernon Gholston has to flash more potential than he has since arriving as a reclamation project.

Gholston was the first defensive end off the bench Saturday night after Corey Wootton was lost on the opening kickoff with a right knee injury that is expected to sideline him four weeks. Wootton is expected to undergo arthroscopic surgery Tuesday and the timetable for a return could be sped up.

It was a prime opportunity for the former sixth overall draft pick by the Jets. While Gholston didn't look out of place, he also didn't show the kind of freakish athletic ability that made him a hot commodity coming out of Ohio State in 2008.

With Wootton sidelined, Gholston has a chance to stake a claim to a roster spot if he proves he can be at least a situational pass rusher.

"It felt pretty good, new playbook, learning new plays," Gholston said. "I have a more focused role playing defensive end as opposed to being all over the place (with the Jets). When you have just a couple things to lock in on ? you are able to focus on that and be a better player."

The Bears signed Gholston to a one-year contract worth $1 million. The only thing guaranteed was the $250,000 signing bonus.

"I've seen people leave with more than that," he said.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-0815-bears-bits--20110815,0,186176.story

 

[Buckskin86]

Gholston needs to make a move
Posted by Bob LeGere on Wed, 08/17/2011

If there?s one player who needs a big game vs. the Giants next Monday night it?s free agent defensive end Vernon Gholston, the sixth overall pick in the 2008 draft, who failed to record a single sack in three seasons with the Jets.

Gholston signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Bears, one of the few teams that would even take a flier on the Ohio State product. His deal included a $250,000 signing bonus.

And Gholston will certainly get his chances. With Corey Wootton out 3-4 weeks following arthroscopic knee surgery, Gholston should get more opportunities to salvage his NFL career by proving he can be a factor in pass-rush situations and back up starters Julius Peppers and Israel Idonije.

The 6-foot-3, 262-pound Gholston flopped with the Jets, who moved him around from defensive end to outside linebacker with little success.

"The biggest thing (for me) is playing (just) defensive end, having my hand in the dirt, playing outside again, and just trying to contribute to the team," he said. "It's just all about effort, just keep going hard, working my moves and working my hands in pass-rush situations."

Gholston didn?t have any noticeable impact in last Saturday night?s preseason opener.

http://blogs.dailyherald.com/node/6151