Chicago Bears: Eddie Goldman Brings Great Work Ethic to Team

By Kyle Brutman | May 8, 2015

New Chicago Bears draftee Eddie Goldman is a big man. Standing at 6’4″ and 336 pounds with grabbers that are almost two-and-a-half inches bigger than the average male hand, the former FSU defensive tackle tends to bring a tremendous physical presence to any locker room.

He also brings this sort of presence to the film room.

Drafted in the 2nd round of the 2015 NFL Draft at 38th overall by new Bears GM Ryan Pace–and recently signed to a four-year deal–Goldman was one of the best value picks of the round for any team. He’s a player that has the size and ability to start at DT in either a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme from day one.

He’s also a player that could be the anchor of Vic Fangio’s 3-man defensive line for years to come.

One aspect about his game that is unique to most other players coming out of college is his willingness to watch film consistently in order to become a better athlete than he already is.

Oct 18, 2014; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Everett Golson (5) is sacked by Florida State Seminoles defensive tackle Eddie Goldman (90) during the first half at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

“I think that the amount of film I watch is critical, or was critical to my success. I set aside time all the time to watch film, and I made that a priority. I just got a thrill off of watching film.” Goldman said in an interview with Louis Bien of SB Nation.

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Odell Haggins, Florida State’s associate head coach, thinks that the type of work that Goldman put in the film room was a significant part of his growth as a football player.

“Last year when Eddie got out of class, he came to my office and he started watching film at least an hour a day, four or five days a week, and he started understanding the game,” Haggins said in an interview with Brad Briggs of the Chicago Tribune.

The difference between Goldman’s performance between 2013 and 2014 is astonishing. While he started as a defensive end for the national champion Seminoles in his sophomore year, he made the most impact as a junior last season.

In his only season as a nose tackle, Goldman became a leader in the middle of FSU’s defensive line en route to being named to both Sports Illustrated’s and AP’s All-America First Team.

Goldman led the team in sacks with four and possibly made the ‘Noles most important play of the season when he forced a fumble in a tie game against Clemson–a game which was absent of Jameis Winston because of one-game suspension– with two minutes remaining in his team’s own red-zone. The play eventually helped FSU secure the win.

All of this comes just two years after Haggins saw a very raw Goldman who would “run into people” and “didn’t play with much technique.”

While his work ethic stands out as one of the best in the 2015 draft class, it isn’t the only factor that will help Goldman become an important part of the Bears for years to come.

The film that Goldman would learn from the most were highlights reels of a player that he will now get to practice with and observe every single day.

“My favorite of my generation was Jay Ratliff,” Goldman said to Bien. “and I actually studied him.”

He even wore No. 90 at FSU to pay homage to Ratliff.

Goldman also told Bien that his favorite thing about Ratliff’s game is his versatility–something that the 2014 All-ACC First Team selectee is no stranger to.

As aforementioned, Goldman went from a raw freshman, to a defensive end as a sophomore, to a nose tackle as a senior, so Goldman has experience all over the defensive line.

Now that Goldman and Ratliff will finally be able to meet and feed off each other, the former Seminole will have the chance to improve like never before.

Dec 21, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff (90) against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. The Lions defeated the Bears 20-14. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Pace and the Bears probably knew this before they drafted him on Day 2 of the 2015 NFL Draft, but the team got its hands on probably the most motivated learner in the draft.

The combination of Goldman’s film-watching habits and the accessibility to Ratliff will surely do its justice overtime, with a possible end result of creating one of the most dominant forces in the NFL.

Based on Goldman’s development at FSU, the chances for the same pattern to occur in the NFL are very high.

Just ask Odell Haggins.

“His football ceiling is extremely high. He’s going to be a dominating player.”

Next: Chicago Bears: 2015 NFL Draft Grades

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