Bears Blitz

Published by Ronnie Hampston on August 29, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

Former First Round Draft Pick Vernon Gholston was released today by the Chicago Bears. The Bears and Jets join the “We fired Gholston” club.

This was a surprise to me only because it gave Gholston a chance to play his natural position as a Defensive End. With Julius Peppers on the opposite side Gholston’s job was about as easy as it gets. Chicago Bears Defensive Coordinator Rod Marinelli has a great track record of coaching D-Lineman in his Tampa 2 defense.

Another team will take a chance on Gholston only because he is young and he is a physical specimen. Gholston was a good player at THE Ohio State University, but at times appeared to be overrated. Being a die hard Buckeye fan watching Gholston was a mystery.

He would show his pure domination on some plays; just ask Michigan and Jake Long. There were other times where he was invisible like in the National Championship games against Florida and LSU. Gholston was more of a workout warrior than a football player. At the scouting combine Gholston tested high numbers in all statistical categories. Combining Gholston’s performance both on the field and his workout numbers, he looked like a sure thing coming out of college.

In recent news Gholston criticized Rex Ryan for not giving him a fair shot as a New York Jet. Rex Ryan did his best in giving Gholston a shot, but the results never translated to field. It is a shame to see that Gholston cannot live up to his full potential. If the rookie wage scale was in effect when Gholston entered the league maybe the story would have a different headline.

Gholston earned over $30 million dollars including several roster bonuses for someone who never recorded a sack. Gholston needs to regain the hunger that made him a top flight pick coming out of college. If he fails to bring the hunger he will be uploading his resume on careerbuilder.com.

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