{"id":14947,"date":"2017-03-07T15:00:37","date_gmt":"2017-03-07T20:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=14947"},"modified":"2017-03-07T15:00:37","modified_gmt":"2017-03-07T20:00:37","slug":"william-gholston","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2017\/03\/07\/william-gholston\/","title":{"rendered":"William Gholston to Re-Sign with Tampa Bay"},"content":{"rendered":"

Defensive end William Gholston<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0signed a five-year, $36.5\u00a0million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/strong>. His new contract carries with it $13.5 million in guarantees and keeps him with the team until 2022. Gholston\u00a0spent the first four\u00a0seasons of his career with the Buccaneers.<\/p>\n

William Gholston to Re-Sign with Tampa Bay<\/h2>\n

William Gholston was drafted in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, serving largely as a depth linemen until the 2016 season. Over his first three seasons as a rotational player, he complied 89 total tackles, seven sacks, and a surprising eight\u00a0defended passes.<\/p>\n

Gholston became a full-time starter this past season\u00a0where he asserted\u00a0himself as a capable run-stuffer, serving to anchor the right side of an underrated Tampa line. Although his total tackle numbers fell from a\u00a02015 high of 47 to a decent 37 in 2016, his presence – or lack thereof – on the field was clearly felt. Tampa’s defensive scheme typically allowed Gholston to cover the mistakes of his more-renowned peers like\u00a0Gerald McCoy<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Robert Ayers<\/a><\/strong>, and\u00a0Noah Spence<\/a><\/strong>. More importantly, his absence in the final two-and-a-half games of the season was noticeable on the right side of the line. While never a strength, the right side became a liability after Gholston’s injury. Tampa was no longer able to generate consistent pressure from the entire line and the larger defense suffered.<\/p>\n

Individually, Gholston has struggled with inconsistency at times but it’s equally arguable that his career trajectory is aimed upwards. Despite serving up a better overall stat-line in 2015, Gholston was a better player in 2016.\u00a0He’s well-regarded by both his fellow linemen and the coaching staff, suggesting that his role is vital to the organization.<\/p>\n

His play\u00a0did<\/em> become a little more one-dimensional in Mike Smith<\/a><\/strong>‘s defense, where he was better against the run. But it would be unfair to label him as a poor<\/em> pass-defender, as he still notched a modest three sacks and his play in previous seasons shows a more well-rounded style.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, William Gholston is a good, young lineman with the potential to be an above-average defensive end. He would be an excellent fit as a starter on a developing team\u00a0or as a solid backup on a team simply seeking depth.<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n