For those of you who don't have access to scout.com, here's a summary of their comparison of Long and Gholston for your reading enjoyment: Long: Gholston: Scout.com conclusion: Me personally, there's something I don't trust about Gholston, so I'd go with Long. Of course that's only if Glenn Dorsey decides he doesn't want to play football anymore.
Yeah, tough for me to come up with a close comparison on either player actually. They're both fairly unique.
In the few highlights I've seen of Long he just doesn't look explosive to me. I watched him at the combine and he looked pretty athletic. He was very smooth in and out of cuts and ran well. But when I see him in pads and in space he just doesn't look fast, or at least fast enough to be a dominant OLB in the NFL. I think because he doesn't have elite athletic ability that is why you don't see him labeled as a Calvin Johnson-type, can't miss prospect. His intangles, work ethic, character, leadership, etc are all great. That will probably ensure that he will be at least a good pro at whatever position you put him at. But I think the reason Gholston is even in the discussion is because he displays more athletic ability and explosiveness. And when you are talking about getting after the QB those are the things you can't teach. The problem though is that people think Gholston lacks those great intangibles that Long has, which are things that are if not difficult, are almost impossible to teach. So I think the thing we have to decide is whether or not we can teach Gholston to lead, read and react, and hustle better or more effectively than we can teach Long to work around his lack of elite athletic ability (assuming I am not missing something in my assessment of his athletic ability).
I said this before, potential only gets you a roll of the dice, or a flip of the coin. The intangibles will get you to the next level, and it's not like Long is severely lacking in athletic ability. Other than the 40, Long compared pretty well in shorts at Indy. I bet you go look up JT in his draft he's probably middle of the road in all measurables, yet he's one of the best pass rushers because of his intangibles.
i like gholston but there is something i dont trust about him for some reason i dont know why i just dont i am just probably weary of workout warriors at the combine
I have a hard time believing Long could drop back in coverage as an OLB...I know its a short area to cover but still.
The thing we must consider is that, if we draft Long, we're going to make him lose weight. Right now he's keeping himself in the middle around 270, and will go up or down depending on who drafts him. You look at Ware and Merriman, both of those guys have dropped 10 or so pounds since they were drafted. And IIRC (and I might be mistaken), I remember hearing that Long was playing at 284 during the season. If if true, it might not have been accurate. But it might be a factor is why he looked better than expected at the Combine. Maybe not. Regardless, it's plausible to believe that he can be quicker/faster at a lower weight. Additionally,
Intangibles are what set the elite apart from the rest - you can't teach leadership and work ethic. I think this is why Gholston has a knack of disappearing in games on occasion. I bet Zach's and JT's measurables weren't elite status, and we all know how that worked out. I'd take CL, if for no other reason than I know he will train hard, study hard, and play hard every play.
Heres kind of a recap on what scouts think of the two players for those interested: PFW;s take on Chris Long -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upside: Outstanding hand use- is clearly well coached and uses his hands and feet together in unison to set uo moves extremely well. Excellent motor, instincts and energy. Has a very quick first step. Comes of the edge like a bull and can power his way into the backfield. Athletic enough to drop into coverage. Can bring heat off the edge when turned loose and not playing in the crouched anchor position that he often uses. Strong, physical tackler. Good balance, coordination, leverage and body strenght to anchor vs. the run. Plays with power and can control blockers. Very physically and mentally tough. Outstanding intangibles. Downside: Showed he could be contained vs. top competition. Got knocked around by Pitts. Jeff Otah and can be outmatched by top size. Does not have elite explosive power and is not an elite athlete. The way we see it: Arguably the safest pick in the draft. Teams can feel comfortable knowing what they'll get from him. Emerged from the shadow of his hall of fame dad. As a senior showed he could be a dominating presence. The big question teams must answer is if his production is due to top-shelf effort or innate athletic ability, and they must determine how much better he'll get. PFW's take on Vernon Gholston -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upside: Is sculpted out of Adonis and looks like he is chiseled out of granite. Shows explosive power off the edge when he puts his hand in the dirt and turns it loose. Very good athlete. Very strong and plays with leverage. Has excellent straight line speed and can easily turn the corner. Can power through and beat the double-team. Changes direction, redirects and is adept in coverage. Has shown the ability to dominate. Good sack production Downside: Unrefined talent. Is still raw and inconsistent from game to game. Shows some tightness in his hips. Has laxed football temperament and does not always play hard. Could play with more violence in his hands and do a better job of controlling blockers. Motor does not always run hot. Does not have great football intelligence and takes some time to process what he sees. The way we see it: A rare physical specimen who has shown the ability to dominate. Gholston is smart, hardworking, and loaded with upside. A power pass rusher who could fit as a prototype rush linebacker in the pros. May be at his best when responsibilities get simple and he is unleashed to attack the QB. Is not as physical or as nasty as Shawn Merriman but shows natural explosion coming off the edge and shows he can be a game changer. Does not know how good he can be and may have more upside than any other player in the draft.
Between the two I want Chris, he has the leadership mentality end work ethic I want on the core of this new team (essentially new anyway). But Gholston sure looked awfully good on the video I have watched of him, so taking him would NOT upset me. all that being said . . . draft Jake!
If we stick with the #1 overall pick I most definitely want Chis Long, if we trade down into the top 8 I'd be perfectly fine with Gholston, Dorsey, or even Jake Long. (IMO Chris won't make it past the top 3)
i would be happy with either chris or jake i think each one brings something the fins definitly need jake would be an anchor with satele for a very long time chris long will bruise qbs be a team leader and help anchor the defense for a long time
Do any of you think that Gholston is a hit or bust type of player? I dont really know how to say it lol.
