Remembering Will Gholston On The Edge
August 4th, 2024
Will Gholston
So YaYa Diaby has a significant ankle injury, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka has a shoulder problem, Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett is retired and Randy Gregory never showed up for work.
Oh, and head coach Todd Bowles told the Ira Kaufman Podcast last week that having a monster edge rusher with a big sack total isn’t a necessity and may not help the team overall.
Joe brings this up because all the above factors make it unlikely that the Bucs will panic over the state of their outside linebacker position. As long as Bowles has bodies that can play the run (like Anthony Nelson), he’ll feel comfortable generating a pass rush via his array of blitzes.
That doesn’t mean Joe will feel comfortable, only that Bowles won’t lose sleep.
This has Joe remembering that veteran Will Gholston has played plenty through his career as an edge-setting end in various defenses.
A three-down defensive end/OLB role was never Gholston’s destiny; he was much better as an inside guy, but Joe is confident Bowles wouldn’t flinch to have Gholston get snaps this year as a run-first edge guy in a pinch.
Joe talked to Gholston last week and he came into training camp lighter than in past years. He’s played recently at over 300 pounds but his weight has shifted during his 11 seasons. This year, Gholston reported under 280 pounds.
Just something to keep in mind as the Bucs weigh their options.
Fun fact: Gholston led the Buccaneers with 20 quarterback hits during the 2020 Super Bowl season.
August 4th, 2024 at 7:40 pm
We got this. We will not be denied another division championship.
August 4th, 2024 at 7:52 pm
Well all these injuries have got me on edge even if Bowles isn’t.
August 4th, 2024 at 8:07 pm
He and Godwin are my favorite Bucs.
August 4th, 2024 at 8:24 pm
No position group on the Bucs has more ‘angst’ associated with it right now than the DE/OLB group. And yet in Todd Bowles defense, they’ve never been huge producers (well, except in our 7-9 2019 season) …
o In 2023 that group produced 22 sacks (of our 48 total).
o In 2022 they only produced 12.5 sacks (of our 45 total).
o In 2021 they produced 17.5 sacks (of our 47 total).
o In 2020 they had 18.5 sacks (of our 48 total).
o In 2019 that group produced 34 sacks (of our 47 total).
In only 2 years did we have a double-digit sack-meister from the DE/OLB group … Shaq with 19.5 in 2019 and Shaq in 2021 with 10). And the only year when our DE/OLB group contributed over 50% of the sack total was 2019, when we went 7-9 (and it was Bowles 1st year).
Personally not all that concerned about the DE/OLB group at this point. Todd is great at coming up with very creative solutions to problems like this. Besides, we’ve still got Nelson & Braswell until Ya Ya & JTS heal up, as well as Ramirez & Watts. And oh ya, we’ve got a strong interior DLine that can bring pressure. Along those lines, wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Kancey and/or Hall, besides Gholston, playing outside some. Bowles loves moving guys around & showing many different looks.
August 4th, 2024 at 9:31 pm
It should be NOTED,
Will is an OG of the “culture change” everyone is so gitty about these days. Like LVD in regards to not seeking attention. Go listen to this MAN talk and you will come away with wet under garments.
August 4th, 2024 at 11:03 pm
Bowles said….”a monster edge rusher with a big sack total isn’t a necessity and may not help the team overall.”
Carefully chosen words Coach Bowles…
The 4 letter says; “Haason Reddick’s holdout has provided the Jets with an opportunity to flaunt their depth at defensive end.”
The 4 letter also says: Slot machine? Like every team in training camp, the Jets are trying to install new wrinkles on offense. By the regular season, don’t be surprised if you see Wilson in the slot more than past years.
I still think Chris Godwin will want a big payday next year and I don’t think Jason will give him the big dough for a number of reasons. CG and JTS in a package deal for HR (if we can make the financials work and HR would want to play here) looks like a very good option and one that Bowles wouldn’t scoff at. Perhaps CG would play for a hometown discount and for less than M.E. but Jason wouldn’t know until free agency and then it would be too late because someone else will pay him. Here’s hoping the Jets are willing dance partners.
August 5th, 2024 at 1:23 am
He had Suh, Vita, JPP and Shaq along side, instead of The Oaf.
August 5th, 2024 at 6:44 am
I think Shaq would come back on a to year like Lavonte at a much better 8 mil a year.
August 5th, 2024 at 7:04 am
We can rest YaYa for the opener. That will give him plenty of time to be ready for the rest of the season. Nothing to worry about as long as we don’t lose anyone else.
August 5th, 2024 at 7:10 am
I sence the distant whiff of The Tony Dungy prevent defence off into the future.
August 5th, 2024 at 9:25 am
Gholston is the Pillar of Hercules!
The Spartan!
One of of the greatest Bucs of all time!
August 5th, 2024 at 9:59 am
It’s early. Guys will get healthy, but losing this training time is less than ideal.
August 5th, 2024 at 3:58 pm
From day 1 of this new season, we have not had a good OLB room. Barely 2 solid starters, and depth is not good. God help us if we lose Vea or Kancey for stretches this season. Licht offseason will come back to bite him if we can’t create pressure with (4).
I heard the podcast with Bowles, and he came off a bit overconfident regarding his sack numbers. He had to be giving us some sort of coach-speak, because he knows better, I’m not saying anything that he doesn’t already know or believes in. In order to make the playoffs and/or make a deep run in the playoffs, we will require the ability of his 4-man front to consistently apply pressure to the QB. If we cannot do this and Bowles def has to rely on sending 5-6 guys to generate pressure, we’re toast.
It will be interesting if Coen can get this team out to early leads, and how that impacts Bowles def play calling. That’s something we rarely did last season and when we did, def found success regardless of the 4-man front pressure. I’m hoping for Licht OLB splash trade before week 1.
August 5th, 2024 at 7:13 pm
He’s always been a beast. Will terrorized UM Wolverines I college. Loved watching him play for D’Antonio!
August 5th, 2024 at 8:36 pm
I’m sure that had just a little to do with opposing offenses having to worry about JPP, Shaq, Suh and Vea (for part of the year).
That said, I love Gholston. Sold dive through and through. He’s the forgotten elder statesman of the Bucs compared to Lavonte and Mike Evans.
August 6th, 2024 at 12:31 pm
Wow that is a head scratcher Joe.
They tried messing with his weight before if i am not mistaken. It did not help his performance. 280?
Go Bucs!