NFL News: Former First Round Pick Vernon Gholston Back to the Unemployment Line

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.