Re-Signing Of Will Gholston Says More About Logan Hall
April 16th, 2024
Will Gholston’s return and a struggling teammate.
Long-time veteran Will Gholston, the second-longest tenured Bucs player, is a strong glue guy.
What’s a glue guy? Well, former Bucs coach Dirk Koetter once explained how Gholston was a glue guy.
Koetter explained a glue guy is an important player, a key cog in a team. He may not be an All-Pro, he may not even be a Pro Bowler. But he’s a guy who can be counted on week in and week out to be available, dependable and reliable. A good solid, if not unremarkable player.
Koetter said all good teams need good glue guys like Gholston.
Yesterday, Gholston signed a one-year deal to return to the Bucs. This will be Gholston’s 12th NFL season, all with the Bucs.
Now last year Gholston also signed a one-year deal with Tampa Bay. He signed right before training camp began. To Joe, that late signing seemed to suggest that maybe fellow defensive lineman Logan Hall wasn’t developing as quickly as the team hoped.
Yeah, maybe Gholston was an insurance policy.
Well, this year Gholston signs on the first day of OTAs. What does that tell you?
This is a big year for Hall, his third year. Thus far, the only impact Hall has made on the Bucs is killing the career of Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen.
Last year Hall was painfully invisible. Hall started 13 games in 2023, played in 18 games (including starting both playoff games) and after Week 2 he never sniffed the quarterback. Hall had a half-sack on Justin Fields in a win over the Bears and that might be the last time Hall scared a quarterback.
Hall did have two passes defended, which is cool, and two fumble recoveries. Hall averaged less than one solo tackle a game in 2023 (he had 13 total).
So basically Hall made 18 plays last season in 18 games, one play a game. For a starting defensive lineman, that is flat out embarrassing.
While Gholston isn’t as good as he once was, he’s still better than Hall ever was. Feel free to cue up Toby Keith.
April 16th, 2024 at 7:07 am
It appears that both JTS and Hall are bust. I doubt either one of them get resigned in the future. Licht must have learned a little bit more about edge and inside rushers as he might have picked two gems with Kancy and Diaby’s draft picks. Let’s hope he continues to find gems in this year’s draft.
April 16th, 2024 at 7:13 am
Another bust in JL’s long list of draft busts.
April 16th, 2024 at 7:30 am
I’m not as bearish on Logan Hall as most. He’s a 3-4 defensive end. Sometimes his impact may not be measured by stats, but he does make plays.
April 16th, 2024 at 7:35 am
That’s a stretch…
It’s simply having a known quantity going into and out of summer training camp, still has to make the final 53
April 16th, 2024 at 7:38 am
I think Todd Bowles is building on the defensive strengths, interior d-line, to make up for his defensive end situation. I dont think it has anything to do with Logan Hall
April 16th, 2024 at 7:42 am
I remember when that pick was made I was thinking.. who? So much potential but very disappointing so far.
April 16th, 2024 at 7:53 am
Could also be about quality depth, knowing the schemes, and locker room?
Not everything needs a negative spin. I’m happy to have both.
April 16th, 2024 at 7:53 am
One out of three (is bad)……we hit on Kancey….but missed on Hall & JTS…..
April 16th, 2024 at 7:59 am
GM’s do not get em all right.
April 16th, 2024 at 8:05 am
His job is to be a big body on the DE spot and take up spots. I am not too worried about Hall stats, but his ability to clog up space and let the LBs get the tackles.
April 16th, 2024 at 8:15 am
Hall is a bust! He was drafted to be a 3-tech and can’t rush the passer and gets washed in the run game too often. He has one swim move that works once a game and is always half a step behind a play!
Great athlete but again not a football player. I don’t see the light coming on for this one. Find a replacement!
April 16th, 2024 at 8:29 am
Not surprised that Hall sucks! I knew it when they drafted him. I was yelling at the TV not too take him even though it appeared they were going to. He was a desperation pick because he fit what they were looking for. They had been saying all draft season they wanted an interior guy who was a pass rusher and reached for him instead of going best player. Hope they learned a leason. Your top need is not always going to be your top player taken if the talent available does not fit.
April 16th, 2024 at 8:32 am
That draft in general looks pretty bad now looking back. Like tons of R2/R3 guys that I have never heard of that appear to be busts or depth players now, outside of the RB’s (Breece Hall R2/ James Cook R2 / Kenneth Walker R2/ Rashaad White R3) plus Goedeke OT / George Pickens WR.
BOye Mafe had 9 sacks for hte Seahawks last year and went at pick 40 but that’s like the only front 7 player I can see from that draft in R2/R3 that’s had a solid year.
April 16th, 2024 at 8:34 am
I don’t get the hate on Hall. He might not get sacks or tackles for loss, but I’m sure Hall is a good CB or safety just like JTS….
April 16th, 2024 at 8:39 am
The narrative that Hall ended Jensen’s career is unfair. Football is a contact sport, injuries happy. Just because you need a simplified explanation (scapegoat) to what was a mysterious injury and protracted “recovery,” does not justify the burden on Hall. I actually think if you need to assign blame, look no further than the organization and Jensen himself for his role in that Dallas playoff beatdiwn. Jensen had no right to be on the field for that game
April 16th, 2024 at 8:41 am
Who doesn’t enjoy some sarcasm on this fine, sunny Tuesday morning? 🙂
April 16th, 2024 at 8:45 am
Another good reason to trade down from the first round and pick up more draft picks. There are just no guarantees in the NFL draft world.
April 16th, 2024 at 9:04 am
Clearly the Bucs Front Office can see Hall and JTS are not even close to playing to their draft status. Why the h3ll did we not trade for Riddick?!
April 16th, 2024 at 9:14 am
I haven’t been able to comment in months what gives?!
April 16th, 2024 at 9:25 am
I was a good signing period. At least we have a few inside that are versatile.
Now let’s get some no name who can play DE
some nobody with nasty, strength and can bend like rice..at a discount of course LOL
April 16th, 2024 at 9:40 am
I think we can all agree Logan Who is a one and done contract guy. If he wants to improve I would recommend he get a different barber than Jill Tryon.
April 16th, 2024 at 10:53 am
Hall and JTS are just bodies.
Wandering around the field. Looking up ate the clouds. Looking for clovers.
If they weren’t an embarrassment- as two wasted top picks- they would have already been cut.
But that is the ONLY reason they are only the field.
Gholsten will be better than those two, when hes 80.
Welcome back Will. Sorry you gotta carry those two clueless lolligaggers.
April 16th, 2024 at 11:03 am
Glad to see Big Will back with the Bucs!
April 16th, 2024 at 11:08 am
1. Can Hall play Edge? He was a tweener in college.
2. Will Hall ever be more than JAG?
April 16th, 2024 at 11:22 am
This is a reach.
Gholston had a roster spot last season that still needed to be filled, getting that addressed before the draft gives us one less position to worry about (in a relatively weak draft for defensive lineman).
Don’t overthink it
April 16th, 2024 at 11:29 am
Still the best run stopper outside of Vita Vea on the line. The D-line needs some veterans to mentor young guys. Big Will is one of my favorite Bucs ever.
April 16th, 2024 at 11:41 am
For those of you pining that Hall is NOT that bad just look up TFL.
You may not get sacks and that’s ok, as we all know but you better be STOUT in the run game. I mentioned earlier that Teair Tart could be had for a ham sandwich and compare those 2 in TFL. I get he punched someone in Practice, but Logan Hall could use some of that dog.
Maybe he needed a year to get used to his added weight, and he is a year behind JTS, so there is still hope.
The signings of Gregory and Gholston spell smokescreen IMO.
April 16th, 2024 at 11:43 am
Hyperbole. Gholston offers veteran consistency and a great mentor to the young ‘uns.
Heck, I remember Gholston’s first few years. Because he was not flashy and a sack machine, casuals called him a bust. But here we are…
Do I wish Hall was a future HoF? Of course. But he seems solid enough for clogging up the middle, doing grunt work. Every team needs guys like Hall in the trenches.
April 16th, 2024 at 12:09 pm
Wow, 12th year a Buc. That’s ROH stuff.
April 16th, 2024 at 1:17 pm
I would not rule out JTS and Hall just yet.
Will Gholston returning is because he is family. He will likely retire as a Buc at some point.
April 16th, 2024 at 1:19 pm
Cobraboy Says
“Heck, I remember Gholston’s first few years. Because he was not flashy and a sack machine, casuals called him a bust. But here we are…”
I wasn’t a casual…but I didn’t think he was good enough to start. I still don’t, but I respect his effort and contributions. He’s not a splash player…he’s just a steady player.
And really…it’s nice to see the team being loyal to a player who is not top shelf. Rewarding hard work.
April 16th, 2024 at 1:26 pm
A Bucs Fan Says
“Hall is a bust!”
We don’t really know that until his third year is in the books.
April 16th, 2024 at 1:30 pm
JTS has had enough years to establish that he is depth at best.
Hainsey and Trask came from that same draft…the rest have certainly not worked out. Hainsey is a passable center…as a backup. Would probably do better at guard.
And I won’t rehash the Trask stuff here.
Hall, from a different draft class, has one more year to prove himself.
April 16th, 2024 at 1:55 pm
Comparing Gholston with Hall and JTS, don’t forget that Gholston was only a 4th round pick. Expectations were lower.
April 16th, 2024 at 2:20 pm
hall is meh at best, to this point…or barely jag…hate to say it, but it is what it is…
hopefully things click for him this season because he’s not doing all that much to make us a better team…
we are simply treading water with him at this point
April 16th, 2024 at 2:27 pm
and gholston has been solid for a long long time, but blends in to much and get lost in the shuffle when it comes to things like roh, and stuff like that…even after 12 years of service…
the only way i see him ever getting into the roh is if he pulls off one big mega play going forward while still a buc – like scotty miller in green bay, or ronde’s int to shut down the vet and put us in the superbowl…
he literally need a big playoff solo sack and score, per say, where he sacks the qb, then jumps up and scoops the ball and rambles 80 yards down the field for a game deciding touchdown to put us in the superbowl – or something like that…
at this point imho he’s been too quietly effective to get that roh consideration…he one of the quietly getting it done guys…or in short……………………a glue guy
April 16th, 2024 at 2:54 pm
Doesn’t Gholston rank high in batted passes and pressures each year, especially as a part-time DL?
April 16th, 2024 at 3:25 pm
Solid player. Great person and teammate. Glad he’s back.
April 16th, 2024 at 4:33 pm
Hall…the Milli to JTS’ Vanilli. Oof.
Trading down was a bit of a “too cute” move…could have had Wyatt or Karlaftis…who may ( or may not ) been better on the Bucs but are contributors currently.
His legacy so far is taking out the Bucs All-Pro Center and heartbeat of the team. Bucs now desperately need a center with a little more Crisco/fat in the can.
Wrecked his knee in “non-contact” drill(s). No bueno.
April 16th, 2024 at 4:47 pm
The lack of progress from Hall ia concerning. I think he was a bit of a project to begin with but perhaps he can carve out a role like Gholston did when he was younger. I still think an extra body was needed regardless, I dont think the signing says much at all about Hall. They would need to draft another DT anyways or fill that need in FA. This is just about depth.
April 16th, 2024 at 8:14 pm
The more I think about our team, the more I’m convinced edge rusher is our top priority. I always do back and watch all thecseasons as I can. In Todd Bowles defense when we had a very good healthy JPP and Shaq Barret in his prime the defense wasn’t very good it was dominating esoelpially in the playoffs. Go back and watch, you won’t even recognize the crap we have had to endure recently. We get no rush ftom the edge at all its almost comical seeing the difference. I say we trade up if Latu falls enough. If we get 4 seasons of him healthy it’s worth it.
April 16th, 2024 at 8:17 pm
Because of injuries last year was basically his rookie year. I’m not ready to call him a bust yet. They need him to have 6-8 sacks and be a dominant run stuffer like Golston always was.
He needs to prove it this year.
I’m kind of shocked JTS is still around, he is definitely a bust at this point, but I guess he’s cheap and knows the scheme to throw into the rotation sometimes.
April 16th, 2024 at 9:54 pm
Hall has been a starter on two pretty decent defenses. He is young and still filling his frame. Gholston is reliable, cheap, and a fan favorite. Good depth!
April 17th, 2024 at 3:27 am
hall has no future in NFL. a wasted rooster spot
April 17th, 2024 at 9:10 am
JTS and Hall will not be long timers, unless Hall is re-signed as a backup. They are both 1 draft pick away from being unnecessary. Licht and crewe are doing all they can pre-draft: watching tons of film, player interviews, combine evals, discussions with college coaches…. sometimes good college players just can’t transition to the NFL. It’s a DIFFERENT game at a much higher level and faster speed.
April 17th, 2024 at 11:52 am
JTS and Hall were bad picks, obviously. Can’t sniff the QB or stop the run.