looks like a totally different player. hes dominating out there and showing that closing speed we were all hearing about im really liking what im seeing out of coples so far this game. its early but hes doing all the right things. hes hitting his gaps when he needs and staying true when its called for, and flying to the ball and making plays good stuff
Honestly I'm not sure what you're seeing. He's an excellent run stuffer at the OLB spot and his first step has developed considerably but he just doesn't have that bend that good edge rushers have. Personally I was far more excited from what I saw from Babin tonight.
i agree about Babin that guy has a motor. Coples looked good at times. then again at times was invisible. Hopefully it clicks
Disagree. Maybe he doesn't bend as well around the edge as Babin..but he has alot of agility on inside moves & great closing ability.At his size & length it makes him extremely disruptive.
Coples was playing like this at the end of last season. He needs to finish on pass plays though. Rooting for Coples. One of my favorite players on the team
The best you can hope for out of Coples is to be a top run stuffer and create disruption at the line which is what he did very well last night. He's not an edge rusher, it's obvious to see. However if he does what he did last night on a consistent basis all season then he's a valuable addition. If he does his disappearing act and only shows up once every few games then he won't be very useful.
This is very unfortunate, Coples seems to excel at disappearing, seems to confirm the lazy work ethic stories
Yep, that's why the draft is so crucial to building a team that can win and win consistently over many seasons. When you invest a first rounder on a project like Coples and he misses it really sets your roster depth back. Meanwhile we could've had Chandler Jones and I saw that he had 2 sacks last night and looks like the Pats got a force on the edge. That's why you can't miss on those high draft picks.
Coples last night was spotty, some good, some 'where is he?' Babin appears able to disengage from blockers more quickly while pass rushing versus Coples who studly as he is in chasing ball carriers, doesn't seem to have that quick a burst off the edge. jmo
Give it time he lost a lot of weight and is playing a different position. He doesn't look like Gholston at least.
He's simply not a speedy edge rusher. He's a different sort of player than that. He brings an element of Length,closing ability & change of direction. I'm not sure why so many hold it against him simply b/c he's not a speed rusher. Typically speed rushers are one trick ponies who are only capable of lining up in one spot. Yes they serve a purpose & can be an X factor..but they aren't the be all end all of a pass rush.It's helpful to have different types of edge players who attack in different ways. Antawn Barnes & Babin are the speed rushers.Coples brings something alittle different. He's tough to ignore in offensive blocking schemes. If you give him too much space or he beats you with his hands he is so long & agile on inside moves that he's almost immediately opening lanes for others & very quickly in the QB's face. When Rex drafted him he talked about his ability to cause production for others..and thats exactly what he does. If folks get caught up in glamorous stats..sure maybe you prefer a Chandler Jones..but w/ considering the other types of athletes the Jets have in the front 7..Coples is a very valuable commodity. Everybody compares him to Chandler Jones. I think now it's fairly obvious that they are completely different style players. Jones can basically only play one position in the Pats defense. Coples can line up all over the place. While Jones has the ability to bend around the edge..he's not really disrupting any blocking schemes. He either beats the LT around the edge or he doesn't. According to Rex Coples leads the team & is top 5 in league at QB hits/pressures. Those are just as valuable as the flashy sack category.Does he need to become more consistent? Absolutely..but I'll take his unique style of play which is extremely complimentary to the other weapons among this front 7.
Hate to defend the Pats but this is just wrong. Jones is just as versatile. They have played him all over the line and in coverage. http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2013...ndler-jones-alignments-vs-jets-in-week-7.html
Chandler jones was playing3-4 Olb strong and weak, 4-3 DE and DT and also covered RB and TE all last night that doesn't sound like one position player
Jones is one hell of a player. I didn't expect him to play so well right off the bat. The two will prob always be compared with Jones being the better player right now. Coples, however in fewer starts and reps has 7 less sacks and 20 less tackles [no excuse, but I could imagine if he started every game as Jones pretty much has the #s would be closer]. A breakout season from Coples could easily bridge the gap. We are hoping that happens this season. If the Jets were primarily a 4-3 team, he would have better #s. Patriots were smart to taylor the line to Jones strengths early on and that allowed him to flourish and expand his game as his career goes on.
The draft is always a calculated risk, and the Jets are far from the only team that drops the ball, but projects like Coples Hill shouldn't be drafted in. The top rounds
Coples was drafted as an interior lineman, up the gut pressure where pressure is the most important. It was the availability of Sheldon Richardson that pushed Coples outside to a LB/Pass Rushing position. While Coples is no Lawrence Taylor/John Abraham in the 'kill the QB' dept, he is far superior to all those guys in shoring up that side of the ball against the run. That's huge....it allows him to stay on the field all three downs where Babin and pass rushers like him come off on non-passing downs. That doesn't excuse his lack of sacks but he did lead the league in QB hurries and he does spend a lot of time in the backfield tossing the runner for a 5 yard loss or at least getting close enough to the QB to force early throws. When we drafted Sheldon there was talk of trading Coples but if his slimmed down physique helps him with the speed he'll need to rack up sacks then that would truly be awesome. Remember...even a 10 sack season is only about one sack every other game so lets see how he's doing mid season.
