Link: Gholston as Defensive End?
We’ve all wanted to know when and where Vernon Gholston will fit into this defense. After watching the tape from last weekend’s game. Matt Sohn from Pro Football Weekly saw Gholston working in a new spot last weekend … in rotational work behind Shaun Ellis.
In Rex Ryan’s “organized chaos” defense, it can be difficult to label an individual player with one specific position. So, the fact that Vernon Gholston, who’s listed as an outside linebacker, took the majority of his reps as a backup defensive end to Shaun Ellis in Week Two needs to be kept in perspective. But it is somewhat telling that he spent far more time with his hand on the ground as a lineman than standing up on the second level. Some of the rationale for the switch can be attributed to the fact that the Jets played mostly nickel defense vs. the Patriots, but they predominantly keep just three down linemen in the sub-package and subsequently don’t need to stack an additional defender on the line. Basically, Gholston’s not fooling anybody at linebacker, so the Jets are starting to turn him loose to do what he does best: rush the quarterback.
It’s an interesting observation, and one that we should pay attention to in the coming weeks. Using Gholston in a three point stance as an end is something that we expected to see quite a bit with Calvin Pace out of the rotation. It will be interesting to see how this plays out going forward this week and next, and then once Pace comes back.
25 Responses to Link: Gholston as Defensive End?
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nyckage says:
Mangini could have at least done this last year to give Gholston some game time experience but he’s not a genius like Rex
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CA Jets Fan says:
Thank god!
That is where he played at OSU. That is why he was the number 6.
It did take Pace 4 years to become an effective OLB though. I think as the number 6, and a good DE in college, bring him in as a DE on sack situations.
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supercooljetfan says:
about time…im so disappointed in him im not gonna annoint him the next bruce smith or john abraham but at least now he can make some sought of impact…you can tell from interviews with coaches and players that they are on their last nerve with him and he makes no effort to get better at olb so just make him ellis’s backup until ellis retires maybe by then he’ll be a steady de
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igs says:
He’s nothing if not a DE. Problem is he’s a 4-3 defensive end. 4-3. Good job Mike Tanning-Bum.
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Dave says:
How you line up means nothing, it’s how the team uses you in that position and there’s really no difference in what he’s doing whether he’s standing up or in a three point stance. Not a big deal.
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I’ll also mention that this isn’t really nothing new, whether it’s how Gholston’s been used by Rex before this or how Rex has utilized other OLBs or how he utilized Terrell Suggs. Like I said before, it’s how you’re utilized in that alignment that’s important and not the alignment itself.
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yeah true he is a 4-3 de but maybe he can get a couple sacks and we can trade him for something…cause right now in a trade he’s worth a towel boy and mrs field’s cookie vendor to be named later
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If anyone’s interested, I can’t make the game tomorrow, email me JetsNYCTix@gmail.com if someone wants to take my tickets off my hands.
J! E! T! S! JETS JETS JETS JETS!
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I think eventually that is where Gholston needs to play to ever amount to anything. He is so stiff that Im not sure he will ever be a good LB, but maybe he has enough physical talent (we know he has the strength) to play a situational pass rushing DE.
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It dosent really matter where they put him… He will need to learn how ro get off off a block and beat a tackle with something other than bullsrush. He beats college OL with his power and spped. Things he cannot do at this level
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Harvlis says:
In Rex we trust
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Brett Justin says:
this is a great move i really think he could do well in this role more so then a LB…well see
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huh?? says:
its funny how even “doing wha he does best” he still sucks
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TOON2388 says:
will be interesting to see how much VG plays tomorrow….my gut tells me Rex is going to show some 4-3 looks
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Gregory Rasputin says:
Who was the genius that declared that Mr. Gholston should be a linebacker anyway?
Coach Mangini? …a specialist in finding ways to maximize that talent of a few like Leon Washington, and also a specialist in finding ways to minimize it like with Kerry Rhodes,DeWayne Robertson, Vernon Gholston, or the defnsive unit as a whole.
We drafted Mr. Gholston as a star defensive end, and all of the ‘expert’ advice on why he couldn’t physically be a defensive end in the NFL is worthless…because that is what he is. You can’t make a professional oboist a professional flautist just because you want to.
If we didn’t think that Mr. Gholston could play defensive end…we shouldn’t have drafted him. A successful club is a conglomeration of players in the right position for their skills… NOT a museum for athletic wonders miscast.
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leon's legs says:
supposed to be a wet one boys… this should b interesting, especially how it affects chris johnson
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Bent says: I have a slightly different take to most of you.
The first thing I must mention is that the Jets were not the only people who considered Gholston as a 3-4 OLB. In fact, virtually every draft expert felt he was going to be that and didn’t expect him to fare well as a conventional 4-3 DE. That’s largely because he wasn’t very productive against the run and also because the main reason he went so high (other than the weak draft) was his athleticism and measurables. I had my doubts about him as an OLB because I wasn’t comfortable with his agility or coverage, but scouts were overwhelmingly saying he was athletic enough to learn.
Now – from what I saw in the Jets game, they are not turning Gholston into a conventional DE. In fact they are using him in two main ways. Just like in preseason, he is on the line when they have a three man front in the Nickel package. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, as he did pretty well at that. Also, when the Jets go to a 46, which they can do with 5 DBs because one of them can operate as a MLB, Gholston can get on the line or come off the edge. This often looks like a 3 man front because there will be three guys on the line, then a gap, then a fourth guy on the line at the edge.
In the Ryan defense, he is likely to be groomed for the Suggs rush linebacker role, but at the moment, he is a logical back-up for Ellis against a passing team. (See last week and next week). This week (and in week one) he will mainly rotate in as an outside linebacker in running situations, although often with his hand down, so he will appear to be a DE in a four man front (Douglas can effectively rotate over to DT). His main job this week against a running team is to set the edge, get upfield if he can and maintain contatin. He did well at that in week one.
Finally, as Jets fans, we have two things to be VERY thankful for.
1. We now have a scheme where Gholston (a classic tweener) doesn’t have to be pigeonholed as a 4-3 end or a 3-4 OLB. He can play a bit of both, depending on the situation and also on the line with his hand down in the 46. Here we have a scheme that makes the best of his (and everyone else’s strengths) instead of one where you have to have a perfectly shaped peg for each hole, otherwise teams can pick on your weakness (ie dump offs over the middle over and over because Barton/Bowens can’t cover etc).
2. They’re using him as a situational pass rusher. That’s tried and tested as the best way to get production out of a young pass rusher as he develops and Mangini only did it in week one of last year.
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Brad says:
as usual, great info./analysis bent- thanks
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Bent, great analysis of the packages.
I would say there are 2 things to consider. 1, in terms of the draft, many teams may have considered Gholston a OLB prospect but only one team spent their #6 overall pick on him. Also, even if 32 teams saw him as an OLB prospect, then 32 teams were copletely dilusional. Completely. There was nothing about his college game that said coverage, instinct, or or LB smarts.2, Gholston doesn’t seem to have any of the intensity that Suggs had coming out of college, which is to say, it won’t be as easy to make him a productive, loose, player a la Suggs or Bart Scott even.
I do believe if anybody can turn it around for him it’s Rex. I still call, as said before, bad pick.
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Dirty Sanchez says:
Ive been mentioning this for how long? Hes got the tools, speed, strength… but no brains.
In this 4-6,(without Pace) Harris,Scott &Thomas should be LB’s. Ellis,Jenkins, Douglas and Gholston should play DL.
If he cant cut it forget the “4-3″ 4-6 and revert to the “3-4″ and drop Gholston and put in Westerman or Murrell -
Bent says:
Thanks. I didn’t like the pick either, but haven’t yet ruled out the possibility of him living up to it, or at least being a productive, if overpaid, player (Bryan Thomas-like?) Of course, I am expecting this more next year than this year.
With reference to your two points, I agree but would add that nothing about his college game said gap control, edge setting or discipline in contain either. He was drafted that high mainly because of his athletic potential, which could become an asset in either field. Right now, his run defense is actually better than I expected, but he should develop as a pass rusher too, given time.
Also, all Gholston’s old coaches say that he apparently lacked that competitive fire or intensity, but was still be able to become successful because he has a drive to get better and lots of personal pride. He’s just kind of shy and reserved on the field, so hopefully some of this “swagger” will rub off on him and have a positive impact.
Good luck to Rex. I’d agree it was a bad pick, but now that he’s here, nobody on the team (and few players in the league, arguably) has the untapped potential of Gholston.
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Green Lantern says:
I love the Bart Scott pickup 120% but I really think if we got Ray Lewis he could of said something to Ghost that will fire him up.
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Nick says:
Time to move on with VG, just make him inactive and move on.
What makes him an exceptional bust, Is the fact that he’s on a good team and perfectly healthy. Most truely epic busts have injury problems or are on horrendus teams.The only time we should talk about this guy is when we are talking about the salery cap, and how he’s killing us there.
No more Gholsten posts until we actuall notice his play. There are much better players that we should talk about on this team.
hopefully having his hand back in the dirt will bolster his playing