Report: Mangini Picked Gholston

by John B on Nov 11, 2009 10:33 AM EST Comment 14 comments

Rich Cimini says Eric Mangini was a driving force behind the team selecting Vernon Gholston.

So it has come to this for Gholston, the sixth pick of the 2008 draft: He's extra baggage. But he continues to play because sitting him would be a self-indictment for a team paying him $21million in guarantees. It's a cover-your-backside move, not uncommon in the NFL.

Here's the troubling part: Gholston's lack of progress isn't surprising to some in the organization. Now we're hearing he wasn't a popular choice to begin with. Opinions in the draft room were mixed on Gholston, but the Jets picked him because then-coach Eric Mangini lobbied hard, according to multiple sources.

"That one's on Eric," one source said.

Now they have a potential bust on their hands. Asked if Mangini was the driving force behind the Gholston choice, GM Mike Tannenbaum said, "On all draft decisions, I have the final say. But, organizationally, we felt good about Vernon. Although his rate of improvement isn't where we want it to be, we're still happy he's here and we feel good about his future."

It's not on Mangini. If Tannenbaum has the final say, it's on him. It's ultimately his responsibility to decide which advice to take and which to ignore. There were warning signs on Gholston.

With that said, you can't jump on Tannenbaum too hard. He's been right on too many major moves. Plus the Jets weren't the only team fooled by Gholston. He was a consensus top ten pick for a reason, a ton of scouts thought he was going to be a dominant force.

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by joey d on Nov 11, 2009 10:38 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

the guy had one of the best combines of all time for a defender. hes the total athletic package. but i watch ohio state football often and i was never overly impressed with what he did during games. when i was watching the draft on tv they showed the same exact highlight over and over: his sack against michigan 1 on 1 with jake long. yes this is impressive but he that was 1 play. he didnt have many other moments where he shined and looked like a dominant force. this is a great example why the combine is overrated and on field performance is what truly counts. history has shown me that besides at the quarterback position success in college almost always carries over to the nfl.

by joey d on Nov 11, 2009 10:44 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Definitely On Mike

I bet there was some influence, but at the end of the day, who wouldn’t trust Mangini’s influence at that point. Was he also not pushing to move up to get Revis and Harris?? Everyone had their doubts about Gholston, but you never really know, he had a lot of hype, and I was quite impressed with him at Ohio State. Always had faith that he would turn the corner and show what he can do, but have to admit that faith is dimming right now.

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by David_Wyatt on Nov 11, 2009 11:02 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

now that barton is done for the season

wouldn’t it be awesome if we could trade gholston for shaun rogers?

not gonna happen, but i can dream about it

and the home of the... JETS!!!

by dvdvil on Nov 11, 2009 11:58 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

i bet he would have been at least a little better as a DE in a 4-3 scheme

but i wouldn’t make the transition now that he has been learning to play olb in a 3-4 for two years.

by CardsDefense on Nov 11, 2009 12:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

He’s not stout enough to play 4-3 DE. He’s almost a tweener at 6’3" 264. Let’s admit he’s a complete bust, and see if he’s willing to level with the organization. I suggest he puts on 30 lbs of decent weight and get some reps as a 3-4 NG. Think Jay Ratliff(6’4" 300lbs). He could flash his “freakish” athleticism from the inside.

I know this won’t happen, but I think this is the ideal situation, and next logical progression for Vernon.

by ilovethisgame on Nov 11, 2009 7:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I actually don’t think this is crazy. They’ve been playing him inside on passing downs, and he’s gotten a pretty good push up the middle.

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by John B on Nov 11, 2009 9:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That size is really not that bad at all for a DE

Especially considering the way Elvis Dumervil and Dwight Freeney have been playing this year (and Freeney’s been playing that way his whole career). John Abraham wasn’t much bigger either… I’m not sure but if anything he might have actually been smaller, and when he’s healthy he’s one of the best pass rushers in the league. And Gholston’s definitely stronger than all of those guys.

The problem with Gholston is that all he has is that bull rush and cannot shed a blocker to save his life. Maybe he’s just a really bad student but you have to figure that he’ll start learning some moves at some point, hopefully soon.

by Exystence on Nov 12, 2009 10:19 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

oh and I meant 4-3 DE of course, sorry

by Exystence on Nov 12, 2009 10:19 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Vernon is riding the stationary bike

maybe we will have a ‘injury’ this week which means we don’t feel like we need to pick him to play and we go with Murrell for special teams. Conspiracies, love them

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by David_Wyatt on Nov 11, 2009 12:28 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

It is tiresome hearing about the disappointment in this pick.Let him play and not perform and then say he sucks.He is not a hall of famer I conceed but he completes his assignments.Most first round picks must be a bust by the standards that we hold the kids to

by dreaux on Nov 11, 2009 4:05 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

He gets a good push...

collapses the pocket, and eats up blockers. He produces, just not in the flashy way. I can’t say he’s a bust. He can play in this league. He’s gotta learn to shed blocks. He stays engaged too often. Wish they could figure a way to get him some free runs to the QB. Maybe getting a little taste will make him hungry for more. Maybe build his confidence some.

by Crackback on Nov 11, 2009 9:14 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

kudos to Tannenbaum

for taking the high road. it’s always easy to blame the guy who’s not there anymore. but he’s right, it’s his call ultimately. taking responsibility is how you run a team.

by JetsFan1991 on Nov 12, 2009 7:57 AM EST reply actions 0 recs