Eddie Goldman (76) Days Until Chicago Bears Season Opener
By Andrew Poole
There are still way too many days until the Chicago Bears kickoff the 2015 season at home against the Green Bay Packers, but until then Bear Goggles On will be counting down the days by reviewing each player on the roster. Up next is nose tackle Eddie Goldman.
Drafted by the Bears in the second round in 2015 out of Florida State, Goldman marks the first of the new regime’s draft picks aimed at revamping the defensive roster from a 4-3 to a 3-4 front.
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Goldman had a stellar final two-year stretch at Florida State, where he helped the Seminoles win a national championship in the 2013-2014 season. He was voted as a third-team All-American and first-team all-ACC in his final year, when he started 14 games and racked up four sacks while playing on the interior of FSU’s defensive line.
The scouting report on Goldman from NFL.com indicates he plays the run “like a full-grown man,” but may end up only being a two-down player if his pass rush doesn’t improve. He notched only six sacks in his three seasons at Florida State.
Scouts projected Goldman would be a first or second round pick, and it looks like the Bears lucked out when, after taking expected starting wide receiver Kevin White in the first round, Goldman was still available in the second round.
Jan 1, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks running back
Royce Freeman(21) makes a touchdown against Florida State Seminoles defensive tackle Eddie Goldman (90) in the 2015 Rose Bowl college football game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
What to expect from Eddie Goldman in 2015
Goldman has an excellent chance of starting for the Bears in 2015 as the team shifts to a 3-4 defense.
His only real competition for the starting nose tackle spot is Jeremiah Ratliff, who is the best defensive lineman on the Bears roster and has played nose tackle before. However, due to Ray McDonald’s dismissal, the chances that Ratliff moves to one of the 3-4 end spots increased, leaving Goldman as the only real option for a 3-4 nose.
Ratliff has a shaky injury history, anyway – he played in only 11 games in 2014 and hasn’t played a full 16-game season since 2011 in Dallas – so even if Ratliff begins the season as the starting nose tackle, there’s an excellent chance Goldman will eventually get to start.
Coaches and teammates are already raving about Goldman, gushing over everything from his body type to his feet and hands.
“You can tell he’s been coached well,” Ratliff told the Chicago Tribune’s Rich Campbell. “He came in with great feet for a big man, great speed. And his hands? You don’t have to say anything to him about that. He knows what he’s doing there. I’ve got to say I’m impressed with him.”
If Goldman shines in the preseason, I think the chances are great that he’ll start anyway, though, and allow the Bears to kick Ratliff outside to end.
As for his production, I think Goldman will prove stout against the run, but probably not much of a pass rusher as a rookie. At 6’4”, 336 pounds, Goldman’s got the size to play 3-4 nose and should hold up well in the run game, especially if the Bears are able to limit his snaps as a rookie to primarily run downs.
I don’t think the Bears will leave him out there on obvious passing situations, though. He doesn’t have a great track record as a pass rusher, and the Bears have a bevy of players – Pernell McPhee, Jared Allen, David Bass, Willie Young, Lamarr Houston and others – who are more likely candidates to be in on passing downs at either end or outside linebacker, allowing Ratliff to kick inside to nose tackle.
Still, Goldman marks the first defensive rookie the latest regime drafted in moving the Bears toward an active, aggressive new defense. The Bears were ranked 17th against the run in 2014 and allowed 4.3 yards per carry, bad enough for 22nd in the league, so carrying a run-stuffing specialist who doesn’t contribute a ton in pass rush is still valuable.
Next: Projecting the Chicago Bears Starting 11: Offense