Gearing Up To Cash In
April 7th, 2016
Will Gholston
The inevitable Buccaneers rookie defensive end might do a double take when he sees Will Gholston for the first time next month.
At 6-6 and a lean 280 pounds (yes, there is such a thing), Gholston could make any newbie squirm. And he likely is the guy from whom the Bucs expect the rookie to take snaps.
But Gholston is not going to step aside quietly. In fact, Gholston is in a contract year and gearing up for a massive potential payday.
Anyone see what young, established defensive ends are paid these days?
Gholston turns 25 in July and likely is the biggest DE in the NFL ,plus he may be the best against the run. Go watch film and study tight ends and tackles trying to block him in the running game. He was a huge reason the Bucs’ run defense was so stout last season, very consistent except for two late-season games.
If Gholston breaks through as a solid pass rusher (he had three sacks in 11 starts last year), then he will earn a ton of money in free agency. There have been signs, but not enough.
Keeping tabs on Gholston via social media, Joe sees Gholston has trained 1-on-1 this offseason with former standout Falcons defensive end Chuck Smith, who had three double-digit-sacks seasons. Gholston looks exceptionally fit in a recent photo with his yoga instructor.
Along with Akeem Spence, Gholston was a Bucs fourth-round pick in 2012. He’s earned peanuts by NFL standards, and he must know there’s a mountain of gold out there for him, if he can stay healthy, improve and breathe on a lot of quarterbacks in 2016. That should be massive motivation.
Keep in mind Gholston dealt with unclear but horrific injury issues last season.
Mike Smith might actually have a lot of tough decisions.
April 7th, 2016 at 12:06 pm
William Gholston (2013)
Shilique Calhoun (2016) ???
Would make for one solid rotation, of young developmental talent.
April 7th, 2016 at 12:20 pm
Let’s hope he keeps the personal fouls down next year….
April 7th, 2016 at 12:24 pm
The first time I saw Gholston in person without pads on I almost wet myself! The guy is looks like a 6’8 shredded freak.If he’s in even better shape next year that would be incredible (if that’s even possible). I’m rooting for him to do well this year.
April 7th, 2016 at 12:38 pm
Bucs screwed around and wasted time with Gholston trying to get him in at DT, his college position. I have always thought he was too skinny for an NFL DT. I think we would have one decent DE if he had not been so poorly managed by bucs mgmt.
BOSA is a not a for-sure…..He is too stiff…no hips. He was trained well but the standard moves wont get you double digit sacks in NFL. I say no at #9.
April 7th, 2016 at 12:46 pm
He saw what Olivier Vernon got, so if he has a break out year, look for the transition tag
April 7th, 2016 at 12:55 pm
Time for Gholston to show up in the backfield if he wants to get paid real $. Its a big contract year for Jack Smith as well. One of these 2 guys is likely to have a breakout year – We Hope.
April 7th, 2016 at 1:10 pm
Would love to see Gholston have a breakthrough season this year and get a big contract extension! He’s got all the physical tools you could ever ask for…he just needs to develop that killer attitude and plant opposing QB’s in the DIRT!!!
Come on Will….show us the sacks, and we’ll show you the money!!!!!!!
April 7th, 2016 at 1:21 pm
Could be really good if we indeed run a more hybrid style defense this year.
April 7th, 2016 at 1:31 pm
Jeagan1999…I 2nd that.
The trenches ladies and gents…the trenches.
Fix our DEFENSIVE LINE Jason Licht and Mike Smith.
Go Bucs!
April 7th, 2016 at 1:55 pm
8 sacks and he can probably get himself prepared for offers exceeding 10 million in annual value.
April 7th, 2016 at 2:01 pm
Big year for Gholston he will be a stud on the line.
April 7th, 2016 at 2:13 pm
An uplifting article about Gholston for sure. Here’s hoping he has a great year for the Bucs and their fans. Go Gholston!
April 7th, 2016 at 2:43 pm
Man, I am sick of “contract years”! How about this for a change: play well consistently and you will EARN a big pay-day.
I don’t have anything against Gholston but I’m tired of guys all of a sudden showing up in a contract year. If you play consistently, you don’t need to “show out”!
OK, rant over! I hope he plays well.
April 7th, 2016 at 2:43 pm
If big Will Gholston has a decent season look for 3-4 teams to lining up to sign him. He looks like a 3-4 de
April 7th, 2016 at 2:57 pm
With Hayes coaching the position now, at least we’ll know with certainty this year what we really have on the D-line and what we’re lacking. Same is true for the DBs, probably even moreso.
April 7th, 2016 at 2:58 pm
This is why I don’t think we draft a DE at #9…. Never mind the fact that we have drafted plenty of them that “haven’t worked” the last few years… It all boils down to poor coaching and horrible systems not compatible with pop warner let alone the NFL…
After this year, this team will know exactly what they need to do to make the D better…. Truth be told the talent as is should be capable of doing anything…
This is why I am glad we brought Bowers back as well… Sure he has been a disappointment but can anyone honestly say he lacks talent??? NO you can’t…
Heck half of you had LVD becoming a bum the rest of his career because his performance was suffering under the system…. I am will to bet those guys did exactly what they had been asked to do but the results suffered because they did it handcuffed to a system that would get you benched for not doing!!!!!!!!
Trade #9 for Mo Wilkerson and a 2nd Round Pick…. Give the MG just to make sure they take the deal….
AND WE…..
Dominate on 3……..
3…
2…
1…
April 7th, 2016 at 3:22 pm
Jab…the Bucs won’t pay big Mo…. big Mo money.
April 7th, 2016 at 3:37 pm
always been a fan of big will…hopefully with coach hayes he will become dominate and provide some MUCH NEEDED help for gmc…GO BUCS!!!
April 7th, 2016 at 4:26 pm
Coaches who build their system around the skills the players bring to the table instead of trying to fit square pegs into round holes … what a concept. This will be the year that several defensive players like Will Gholston and LVD really break out. Mike Smith will be that much of a difference-maker,
April 7th, 2016 at 4:41 pm
I always hate it when it takes a “contract year” for a player to step up his game.
That’s why I have my doubts about Doug Martin. I wanted him resigned…but I find his motivations questionable.
April 7th, 2016 at 4:43 pm
@Defense Rules
When it comes down to it…ALL coaches force their players into a system. Otherwise, the inmates would run the asylum. The good coaches understand the strengths of their players, and try to make allowances to included them IN THE SYSTEM.
You think Mike Smith doesn’t have a system? Watch and see.
April 7th, 2016 at 4:45 pm
I’m of the opinion that the best approach to getting pressure on a quarterback isn’t necessarily to have an amazing pass-rusher on your defense (although an amazing pass-rusher is always great to have), but rather to have several very good pass-rushers, each a legitimate threat that the offense is forced to find a way to account for.
We’ve seen with McCoy how offenses are able to account for the pocket-collapsing, run-stuffing, havoc-wreaking threat he presents, even though he’s probably the best interior defensive lineman in the game today, simply because he’s only one man, and one man can be accounted for with the right game plan and good enough personnel to execute it.
I’m pretty certain that any offensive coordinator would rather game-plan for McCoy and one blue-chip pass-rusher than McCoy and two or three really good pass-rushers, simply because he only has 11 guys at his disposal.
That being said, with an effective pass-rush being such a necessary component to any valid defensive scheme, I think we should grab the flat-out best pass-rusher available and let Hayes coach up the guys still on the roster that’ve shown a bit of potential as rushers (like Jacquies Smith and Will Gholston) and see if they can give OCs some game-planning fits as a group.
April 7th, 2016 at 4:59 pm
I hope to see a highly motivated Wil gholston this season………highly motivated!$!$!$!$$
April 7th, 2016 at 5:09 pm
I’ve always been perplexed why this dude never developed. Coaching and scheme makes a difference but I would think he’s so freakishly athletic how does he not have the moves to get in the backfield. Every coach he’s had raves about him but little production in pass rush stifles me.
April 7th, 2016 at 5:15 pm
Even if he produces…I wouldn’t want to keep him. It’s clear he would only be playing for a contract. Players like that usually only have one good year.
April 7th, 2016 at 6:05 pm
I am perplexed by the negativity as to coaching.
The lbs’ and d-line’s have had respected coaches for years, with Millard and Cullen being highly touted still. Remember, Cullen was kept on even after Lovie was fired.
We MAY see better line play if the secondary forces qbs to hold onto the ball longer. Mike Smith may be much better than Lovie/Frazier. But the position coaching, especially on the d-line, has been good since the Morris years.
Coaching needs talent to blossom, and a line has to crumble when the back line is unable to handle a slant pass.
April 7th, 2016 at 6:23 pm
Gholston must show us he can play intelligent ball. Meaning..stop taking a step forward and 3 steps back. Until then? He get no credit in my book. This season is do or die for him.I’m so sick and tired of hearing the word..POTENTIAL with our Buc vets. How long we gonna let Potential ride? 10 years!!? If he does not come up to snuff? Give him a nice pen set and a..fishing rod. NEXT!!!
April 7th, 2016 at 7:20 pm
Where in the article does it say Will G. has potential? Or for that matter has played poorly or only decent? It states that he has played extremely well against the run and would be outstanding if he continued that and got a lot of pressure on the Qbs. So if he puts it all together and stays healthy he will be paid a contract hes worth, why begrudge the guy? I wonder if you’ll actually read the article before commenting sometimes.
April 7th, 2016 at 8:48 pm
It’s rather ambitious to believe a one year wonder, a contract one at that, to cash in on the megabucks with a paper thin resume.
Oh yeah, after last year’s FA, DE cash orgy anything is possible.
Can’t dislike the guy, he’s gotten better every year.
April 7th, 2016 at 9:51 pm
Gholston and Ayers for starters especially run downs, move Gholston to tackle and put in jack smith at DE for passing downs, actually cover a WR instead of giving free slants, this defense could turn around really quick…besides anyone who honestly thinks any rookie DE comes out blazing right from the start is going to be very disappointed, unless it’s a generation talent like Peppers or Watt, rookie lineman take time…5 sacks would be impressive for a rookie, bosa, ruckner, Ogbah, Dodd, Lawson, Spence are not generation talents, they might turn into pro bowlers but half will not, and those are just the 1st round talents
April 7th, 2016 at 9:59 pm
Hey guys let’s hope we have a horrible [problem this time next year.
Let’s hope Gholston and Jack Smith both have a dozen sacks each, we go far into the playoffs and we have to figure a way to sign them both without blowing up the cap!!!
April 7th, 2016 at 11:19 pm
Been saying the guys a monster for a while. This year it’ll be proven
April 8th, 2016 at 3:39 am
William Gholston was a beast or most of the season last year. Maybe, just maybe with Jay Hayes he can learn something I can’t understand for the life of me he has not learned already. How to rush the passer. He has the defending the run down. When it comes to the pass rush he has one move. Bull rush put your hands in the air move. You would think Gholston has some lateral quickness, agility, flexibility, and power. Definitely has power. These attributes combine with necessary techniques, whether it be a swim-move, club move, hump move, counter, spin-move, dip, or any combination of the above, are needed to create an effective rusher. I hope with the new coaches and Robert Ayers here to show him some techniques, he can become that complete DE we all have been waiting for. The more I look at our DE wit Gholston Jacquies Smith and Ayers, the more I realize the priority on the defensive line is to draft a stud to play NT and the rest will come together.
April 8th, 2016 at 12:14 pm
Like Mike Glennon, this guy is actually 6’7. I still struggle to see why heights and weights are so often screwed up when they are done at the Combine and have official numbers that nobody wants to use. Sefarian-Jenkins is also 6’5 and 1/2 inches…. or 6’6.