Former first-round draft pick hasn't live up to expectations Aaron Wilson
INDIANAPOLIS -- With his sculpted physique and speed, Vernon Gholston is the ultimate workout warrior.
What he hasn't been, though, is the ultimate football player.
That failing has positioned the underachieving former sixth overall pick on thin ice with the New York Jets.
Two years removed from impressing NFL scouts at the scouting combine, his career is at a standstill.
If he doesn't resurrect his stock during his third NFL season, Gholston is in trouble.
Jets coach Rex Ryan agreed with the characterization that this is a make-or-break year for the former Ohio State star.
"That's an accurate statement," Ryan said today. "Generally, by the third year, you've got to see a guy really making strides. I expect Vernon to really make strides this year."
Ryan had labeled Gholston as his pet project last season, predicting he could groom him as he did Terrell Suggs.
Suggs is a former Pro Bowl pass rusher and an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Gholston had six tackles as a rookie with no sacks.
In three starts last season, he registered only 14 tackles and no sacks.
What's going on with Gholston?
"That's still a work in progress," Ryan said. "But I will say this: When we're going back and looking at [film], this young man deserves a better chance than we're giving him. We need to give him more playing time. ... We've got to get him in a rotation, playing more in our nickel packages and things like that."
Ryan preached having a bit more patience with the enigmatic former blue-chip prospect today.
"You're waiting to see him come around," Ryan said. "I have Aubrayo Franklin ... I've had players that take a little time. You know he's got it in him. You've got to be patient. He is entering his third year right now, so I think it's more incomplete right now.
"I can't say that I was right about thinking that he'd make an impact because the impact wasn't there last year. But I think it's a matter of time before we start seeing this young man do some things for us."
Privately, team officials are basically resigned that Gholston isn't going to come around.
Publicly, they're maintaining that they haven't given up on Gholston and are still hoping to make the best out of a bad situation.
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At least he doesn't commit stupid penalties like Mark Gastineau... oh wait, that's because he's almost never on the field. Hope he gets it together in Year 3, because he has zero trade value.
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Feb 27, 2010
09:46 PM
people just don't know how hard it is to teach DE to play 3-4 OLB that why the steelers are so good at developing there guys so well because they