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One of the top pass rushers in the draft April 26 is Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston. Today, he is as far out of the Browns' reach as the moon because he is projected as a top-seven pick and the Browns' first pick is 56th overall. But things can change.
The Browns' best commodity to get into Gholston territory is quarterback Derek Anderson. The Falcons have the third pick in the draft and they desperately need a quarterback. Anderson is currently unsigned, but contract talks are continuing. Anderson would be a restricted free agent starting Friday without a new contract.
At 6-foot-3, 266 pounds, Gholston is too light to play end in the Browns' 3-4 defense, but he could be the upgrade at left outside linebacker the Browns need. He was a linebacker at Cass Tech High School in Detroit. He said he had to learn to play defensive end when he got to Ohio State.
Gholston had not been interviewed by the Browns or any other team as of Saturday afternoon. His interviews were scheduled for Saturday night and today.
Some players say how much they would enjoy playing for whatever team the reporter asks about. Gholston did not follow the party line, saying only the higher he is drafted, the better.
"At the end of the day, whichever team takes me I'll be happy to go there and call it my home," he said Saturday.
Gholston registered 14 sacks in 2007. That is exactly half of what the Browns produced as a team. Willie McGinest and Antwan Peek, who shared time at left outside linebacker, combined for seven sacks. Gholston had 8 1/2 sacks as a sophomore in 2006.
"At Ohio State we flip-flopped, so it was either side," Gholston said. "I played down, I played up and I played the middle sometimes.
"At Ohio State we ran a bit of a 3-4 defense with our scheme. I was very comfortable playing (left outside linebacker)."
During an interview session Friday with the media covering the combine, Browns general manager Phil Savage said the right defensive player could elevate right outside linebacker Kamerion Wimbley and inside linebacker D'Qwell Jackson. But finding that pass rusher as a defensive end will be a challenge if the Browns stay at 56.
"There aren't many colleges that run a 3-4 front, so pretty much every player we evaluate has to be projected into those positions on a 3-4," Savage said. "But we're not picking until the second round as it stands right now. Generally speaking (elite) defensive linemen go in the first round. So we tend to put our focus on the next level of defensive linemen. Your guess would be as good as mine as to who it might be."
The Pro Football Weekly 2008 Draft Guide has this to say about Gholston: "A rare physical specimen who has shown the ability to dominate. Gholston is smart, hard-working 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 his responsibilities get simple and he is unleashed to rush the quarterback. Is not as nasty as Chargers OLB Shawn Merriman, but shows natural explosion coming off the edge and has proven he can be a game-changer. May have more upside than any player in the draft."
Gholston decided to leave Ohio State with one year of eligibility left. He said he felt like it was his time to leave.
Winslow talks open
Drew Rosenhaus, the new agent for Kellen Winslow Jr., on Saturday said he has opened talks with Savage and salary cap manager Trip McCracken on a new contract for the Browns' tight end. Three years remain on Winslow's current contract.
Rosenhaus described the talks as "positive and ongoing." Winslow announced he would like a new contract two weeks ago. Savage did not dismiss the idea, but he said the Browns had other priorities at the time, namely extending the contracts of Jamal Lewis and Derek Anderson. Lewis has since signed a new contract, but Anderson hasn't.
Asked if Winslow would be in training camp when it opens, Rosenhaus answered:
"I'm just not going to get into anything further than that. I don't really get too detailed on contract negotiations. If I can help it, I like to keep it between myself and the team."
Almost as a pre-emptive strike in case the Browns tried to make the case Winslow's recent knee surgery makes him damaged goods, Rosenhaus said the surgery was "elective."
"He didn't have to do it," Rosenhaus said. "He just had some scar tissue removed. It will make him a better player. It wasn't necessary. That's why he was able to play in the Pro Bowl. So I don't think Kellen's health is a factor and we hope to get a deal done with the team."
Anderson update
Talks between the Browns and the agents for Anderson are starting to heat up, according to a source. The goal of both sides is to have a three-year deal hammered out before the combine disbands Tuesday.
