You know except that 11-5 season in 2010 where he out coached Peyton in INDY and Bill B in NE. Or you know this year where out coached Payton and Bill at Metlife. He hasn't been overmatched since 2009, but I mean there are other issues you can pick on if you can hit on them
Coples was a very good pick when he was brought in to start at DE. Richardson was a great pick when he was brough in to start at DE leaving Coples looking for a spot to latch on as a starter. So far Coples is not blowing anyone away as an OLB. He has a lot of talent but would not be surprised if we traded him to a team than needed as starting DE.
McElroy weak arm but accurate and decent decision maker. Simms strong arm but scatter shot down the field and not a particularly good decision maker. I don't think the analogy comparing them in terms of overall talent is that far off. I do think that McElroy was a better field general than Simms is likely to be but Simms can make throws that McElroy couldn't get close too.
Coples is a DT. He's a classic 3T. He's not a 5T DE. He's not an OLB. Rex is going to use him all over the place but the place he's going to have the biggest impact is lined up over a guard making the guys life miserable all game long. He's also amazing depth for the Jets at one of the most important positions on the field. Maybe the Jets should move David Harris outside to ROLB to set the edge for them and let Coples and Davis play inside. They could have Coples be the guy taking on the guards so Davis can make the tackles. Then when they moved Coples up into the gap to blitz it would be absolutely terrifying for the opposing QB. Two real pass rushers side by side and the "ILB" blitzing in the gap between them can't possibly be picked up by a protecting back.
1. Sheldon Richardson was probably on top of the Jets board on the 13. By a wide margin if you believe that he was #4 on their board. Taking anybody but him in that situation would have been an enormous waste of value. 2. Coples didn't establish himself at 5T DE last season. The Jets may well have wanted Richardson in light of that fact. Coples is an odd fit in this defense. He has no natural role in a 3-4 and he's not a great fit as 4-3 DE either. I think it's pretty easy to conclude that the Jets view Coples as the depth but viewed him differently when they drafted him last year.
I agree with much of what you say here, except that he definitely feels pressure to improve, regardless of job entitlement. No man trains his entire life at a craft and wants to get embarrassed doing a bad job in front of millions of people. Especially when you can get a multi-million dollar pay raise in a few years.
