Missed the sarcasm in the post haha. I'm saying it's silly to get on Coples for his lack of coverage skills because very few OLB are asked to do that. You won't find one that's a top level pass rusher, run stuffer and coverage guy.
Besides playing through being hurt last year, Coples was doing pretty well on the pass rush. He didn't get 20 sacks, but he hit the QBs a lot and made his presence felt a lot on passing plays rushing the opponents' QBs.
I expect 10-12 sacks this year from Coples from his OLB position. Basically, picking up where he left off at the end of last season. He's a rising star.
It's a very good question. There is talent there, a lot of it. When asked who the best defensive player he ever faced was Teddy Bridgewater said it is Coples. He looks to me like the kind of player the Jets will allow to walk after his contract expires. But a guy other teams will be very interested in. He's good but not great.
Coples has shown us a lot. Expect a big year from him this year where lots of those pressures equate to sacks.
You have a point. I guess I would say this: it is possible to make a guess HOW motivated a person is by using body language but not WHAT their motivation is. For example, if I ask my kid to do his chores and he roles his eyes, slumps his shoulders, and grunts then that's a pretty firm sign that he isn't motivated, right? OTOH, if he snaps to attention and enthusiastically rushes off to complete the tasks I've asked then one can conclude that he is motivated. You're correct that these conclusions might be wrong and body language can be misleading, but I don't think it is as far out as you're implying. I think the main problem is how little we know about these players as actual people and how small a frame of reference we have that isn't edited for one reason or another.
