Ryan Says He Gave Gholston a Chance

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The underachieving former Jets lineman Vernon Gholston, now with the Chicago Bears, told reporters after Monday’s preseason game against the Giants that Rex Ryan did not give him a “fair chance” to succeed. Not surprisingly, Ryan felt differently.

Ryan, the Jets’ coach, said he was “confused” why Gholston, released in March after three sackless seasons, would blame him for his stalled career.

“I don’t agree with him on that,” Ryan said after Tuesday morning’s walk-through. “My job’s not just to make one player better and to feature one player. When I came here, I thought my job was to build the best defense we could possibly build. And I think when you look at statistically whether we were successful or not, I think it’s hard to argue that we weren’t successful.”

Ryan inherited Gholston, the sixth overall pick in 2008, after taking over for Eric Mangini. Ryan reiterated Tuesday what he has said several times before, that he did not think as highly of Gholston coming out of Ohio State as others in the organization; in his book, “Play Like You Mean It,” Ryan called Gholston’s workout at the scouting combine “phony.”

Gholston told reporters that he thought Ryan had already formed an opinion of him, which Ryan did not deny. “That could be accurate that I prejudged him,” Ryan said, “But trust me, when I came here, I was his coach, he was one of us, and I became a Jet.”

Ryan used to rave about Gholston, twice predicting a breakout season that never happened. The Jets moved him last spring from linebacker to defensive end, his natural position, but the switch did not help. He did not suit up for any of their three playoff games.

“I would have liked to have had Vernon back because I thought he was getting better, I really did,” Ryan said. “I thought he was getting better. Do I ever think he’s going to be Deacon Jones? No.”

Asked directly whether he felt he gave Gholston a fair shake, Ryan was unequivocal.

“I think I’m fair, I think I’m more than fair, I think I give plenty of opportunities,” he said. “If I wasn’t viewed that way, then that’s it.”