HEADLINES

Quinton Coples

AFC East Notes: Bills, Coples, Dolphins, Jets

November 25th, 2015 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

It’ll be a big weekend in the AFC East, with the Bills in Kansas City fighting for Wild Card positioning, as the Jets and the Dolphins square off, looking to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Patriots, of course, will be in Denver as they try to run their undefeated record to 11-0.

As we look forward to what should be an entertaining slate of games, let’s round up the latest out of the division….

  • The Bills were the only team besides the Dolphins to put in a waiver claim for Quinton Coples when he was cut by the Jets, and head coach Rex Ryan admitted today that he was upset not to land the edge defender (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com). “I wanted him,” Ryan said.
  • Meanwhile, in Miami, head coach Dan Campbell said today that the Dolphins feel like Coples’ best football is ahead of him (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post). The former Jets linebacker will play defensive end in Miami’s 4-3 system.
  • With Ryan Tannehill struggling, a Dolphins official “privately questioned” whether offensive coordinator Bill Lazor‘s system is suited for the quarterback, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The club has already replaced its head coach and defensive coordinator this season, so an OC change at season’s end wouldn’t surprise anyone, as Jackson notes.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap examines the Jets‘ present and future, suggesting that the team should look to trade Muhammad Wilkerson next year and needs to prioritize the offensive line in the offseason.

Bills Put In Claim For Quinton Coples

November 25th, 2015 at 8:21am CST by Luke Adams

After edge defender Quinton Coples was cut by one AFC East team – the Jets – earlier this week, another AFC team – the Dolphins – plucked him off waivers, while a third AFC East team was the only other club to submit a waiver claim for him. According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Bills also placed a claim on Coples, but had a lower waiver priority than the division-rival Dolphins due to their slightly better record.

The news doesn’t come as a real surprise. I noted when the Jets released Coples and when the Dolphins claimed him that the Bills would’ve been a logical suitor, given the connection to head coach Rex Ryan, who had the 25-year-old on his defense in New York from 2012 to 2014. However, the Dolphins had a Coples connection of their own — executive VP of football operations Mike Tannenbaum was in New York’s front office when the Jets drafted the North Carolina product in 2012.

When Coples was waived by the Jets, I questioned whether any team would be willing to absorb his contract, which includes a $7.751MM salary for 2016, since New York exercised his fifth-year option. That figure is guaranteed for injury only, so the Dolphins won’t have to pay it unless the edge defender suffers a significant injury and can’t pass a physical in March, and it seems as if Miami wasn’t the only team open to taking that risk.

By claiming Coples, the Dolphins will also take on the remaining $535K on his 2015 salary, which is fully guaranteed, so the Jets are off the hook for that amount.

Dolphins Claim Quinton Coples Off Waivers

November 24th, 2015 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

A day after being cut by the Jets, edge defender Quinton Coples will join another AFC East team, but perhaps not the one that many were expecting. According to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter), the Dolphins have claimed Coples off waivers.

Many NFL observers, myself included, believed that the Bills were a candidate to grab Coples, given the connection to former Jets head coach Rex Ryan. However, the Dolphins also have a Coples connection — executive VP of football operations Mike Tannenbaum was in New York’s front office when the Jets drafted the North Carolina product in 2012. It’s not clear if the Bills put in a claim, since the Dolphins had a higher waiver priority.

Coples, selected 16th overall in the 2012 draft, had his best year as a pro in 2014, but even that amounted to just 35 tackles and 6.5 sacks, modest totals for a first-round pass rusher. Since Todd Bowles took over as the Jets’ head coach, Coples had become increasingly marginalized.

As Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News observed yesterday (via Twitter), the 25-year-old played just five snaps in Sunday’s loss to the Texans, and clearly wasn’t a fit in the current defensive scheme. In Miami, he may be used as a 4-3 defensive end, rather than as a linebacker, which could be a better fit for his style of play.

By claiming Coples, the Dolphins will take on the remaining $535K on his 2015 salary, which is fully guaranteed, so the Jets will be off the hook for that amount. Coples’ deal also includes a $7.751MM salary for 2016, since New York exercised his fifth-year option. That figure is guaranteed for injury only, so the Dolphins won’t have to pay it unless the defender suffers a significant injury and can’t pass a physical in March.

AFC Notes: Osweiler, Manning, Dennard, Hoyer

November 23rd, 2015 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

After picking up a victory in his first career start on Sunday, Brock Osweiler will face a tougher test in Week 12. As first reported by Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link) and since confirmed by head coach Gary Kubiak, Osweiler will make another start for the Broncos next Sunday against the undefeated Patriots.

While Osweiler prepares to start a second consecutive game, Peyton Manning is in Charlotte, getting a second opinion on his foot injury, tweets Mike Klis of 9News. Multiple reports on Sunday suggested that the future Hall-of-Famer is considering playing one more season, assuming he can get healthy, but Kubiak denied those rumors, suggesting today that Manning is focused solely on his recovery, rather than on 2016 (Twitter link via Troy Renck of the Denver Post).

Let’s check in on some other items from across the AFC….

  • The Bengals‘ fears on cornerback Darqueze Dennard were confirmed by an MRI today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who tweets that Dennard requires shoulder surgery and will be out for the rest of the season. Cincinnati should be able to overcome losing the 2014 first-rounder, since he was only serving as the club’s No. 4 corner in recent weeks.
  • Schefter also passes along the latest on the Texans‘ quarterback situation, with head coach Bill O’Brien announcing on ESPN’s NFL Insiders that Brian Hoyer will return to action in Week 12 (Twitter link). That may spell the end of Brandon Weeden‘s time in Houston, unless the team moves forward with three quarterbacks on its roster.
  • In the wake of Quinton Coples‘ release, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets that it was “well known around the league” that the Jets had the linebacker on the trade block for most of 2015. Obviously, there were no takers prior to the deadline, which doesn’t bode particularly well for Coples’ odds of being claimed on waivers. Meanwhile, head coach Todd Bowles hinted today that he has a player – possibly a kick returner – in mind for Coples’ old roster spot (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com).
  • It wasn’t that long ago that it seemed like Colts head coach Chuck Pagano could be fired any day. While he’s still no lock to keep his job beyond the 2015 season, Pagano has his team believing in him, as Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star details.

NFL Mailbags: Panthers, Coples, Titans

October 31st, 2015 at 8:48am CST by Ben Levine

Every Saturday, several ESPN.com NFL writers answer questions from their readers. We’ve compiled some of the more notable answers below, with a cameo from Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com…

  • There are a variety of reasons why the Panthers won’t pursue a receiver via trade, writes ESPN.com’s David Newton. While acquiring a player like Steve Smith or Calvin Johnson would help this season, the writer believes the players would be too expensive and would only provide a temporary fix. Furthermore, he notes the Seahawks’ recent success without a top wideout, and he believes the Panthers’ hot start is an indication that they could follow the same route.
  • Considering the linebacker’s lack of playing time, it wouldn’t shock ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini if the Jets listened to trade offers for Quinton Coples. The Jets probably won’t keep the former first-rounder and his $7.75MM salary next season, but it’s uncertain if any team would be willing to take on that contract.
  • The lack of a fifth receiver on the Titans depth chart is because the squad values their tight ends, writes Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. While the team could reasonably replace any of their five tight ends with a wideout, the writer believes backups Craig Stevens, Phillip Supernaw, and Chase Coffman are all safe.

Jets Pick Up Quinton Coples’ 2016 Option

April 23rd, 2015 at 4:34pm CST by Ben Levine

APRIL 23: The Jets have officially announced that they’ve exercised Coples’ option, according to a team release.

APRIL 11: The Jets have exercised their fifth-year option for outside linebacker Quinton Coples, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The option will keep the 24-year-old under contract with the team through the 2016 season.

As part of the NFL’s CBA, teams are allowed to lock up their former first-round picks for an extra year. According to Mehta, the value of the contract is worth $7.8MM, or the average salary of the 25 highest-paid linebackers (excluding the two highest-paid at the position). Following Coples’ up-and-down start to his career, there was speculation that the Jets would allow the linebacker to play out his contract. However, the team decided to secure his services earlier, and as Mehta points out, the contract is only guaranteed for injury, meaning the organization basically took no financial risk.

The former 16th-overall pick tied or set career-highs in 2014 in games played (16), solo tackles (25) and sacks (6.5). However, Coples compiled 708 snaps this past season, a significant decrease from his 2013 total (834). Furthermore, he didn’t receive a positive ranking via Pro Football Focus (subscription required), ranking 40th among 46 3-4 outside linebacker candidates.

AFC East Notes: Albert, Jets, Pats

April 12th, 2015 at 8:50am CST by Rory Parks

Branden Albert played in just nine games last year, his first in a Dolphins uniform after signing a five-year, $47MM free-agent contract with the club last March. He tore his ACL in a November matchup against the Lions, but as Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald notes, Albert is already in “two-a-day mode” as he fights to return from his injury.

Beasley writes, “Most days, [Albert] wakes up early and either rehabs with the Dolphins’ medical staff or lifts with personal trainer Manning Sumner at Legacy Fit in Miami.” After that, Albert heads into the boxing ring for intense training sessions with Matt Baiamonte, a Wynwood-based boxing trainer. When Albert suffered the ACL tear, the original prognosis was that he would be sidelined for nine to 12 months. But although he will not join the team for on-field activities this spring, he has not had any complications in his recovery thus far, and he plans to suit up for Miami in Week 1.

Albert believes he was at the top of his game before his injury, and if he can get back to that level, the Dolphins, who have a real shot at being playoff contenders in 2015, will have a much-needed anchor on an offensive line that figures to include young guards Dallas Thomas and Billy Turner.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the AFC East:

  • Confirming what we have heard over the past few days, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets that Kevin White, Bryce Petty, and Dante Fowler, Jr. will be visiting with the Jets on Monday and Tuesday.
  • Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com believes Jets GM Mike Maccagnan has done a nice job of infusing the team with new talent, but he also thinks that Maccagnan has spent too much time shopping in the Older/Injured Players aisle. As Cimini writes, eight of the team’s 16 new players will be at least 30 when the season opens, and six of the sixteen ended 2014 on IR.
  • In the same piece, Cimini examines the motivation behind the Jets‘ recent decision to exercise the fifth-year option for Quinton Coples.
  • Despite the presence of Tom Brady under center, the Patriots have drafted more quarterbacks–eight–than all but four teams since Bill Belichick took over prior to the 2000 season. Christopher Price of WEEI.com looks at the reasons behind New England’s decision to consistently add signal-callers despite their enviable quarterback situation.

Jets Notes: Secondary, Smith, Coples

August 17th, 2014 at 9:35am CST by Rory Parks

After the terrible performance put on by the Jets’ secondary in last night’s preseason game against the Bengals, the Internet has seen a veritable explosion from the team’s beat writers as they attempt to describe Saturday’s debacle. Let’s have a look at some of those articles and a couple of other Jets’ links:

  • Bob Glauber of Newsday describes the struggles of Antonio Allen and Kyle Wilson on Saturday and wonders if GM John Idzik will try to sign or trade for a corner. Glauber notes that Idzik prefers to promote from within, but given that Ras-I Dowling suffered a groin injury against the Bengals–thereby joining Dimitri Patterson, Dee Milliner, and Dexter McDougle on the club’s rapidly expanding list of injured corners–he might not have a choice.
  • Despite head coach Rex Ryan‘s attempts to publicly brush aside his secondary’s performance with characteristic humor and machismo, Steve Serby of the New York Post writes that the Jets are facing disaster if they do not make a roster move.
  • Gary Myers of the New York Daily News goes into more detail regarding the play of Antonio Allen, a safety who lined up at corner against A.J. Green on Saturday, a highly daunting task. Allen predictably struggled, but Myers believes he has the potential to be a solid corner and that the Jets may have to be patient with his transition, as the market for free agent corners is pretty bare.
  • Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com describes how the Jets’ young and out-of-position unit made Andy Dalton look like a superstar and notes that the team’s failure to adequately address the secondary in the offseason has evolved from a troublesome issue to a glaring one. Cimini adds that, when Ryan was asked if the team would try to acquire a veteran corner, Ryan replied, “I don’t think [73-year-old Hall of Fame corner] Willie Brown is out there.”
  • Cimini has been pretty busy last night and this morning. In a separate piece, he writes that Geno Smith was not great against the Bengals, but he was at least adequate, and it is now just a matter of time before Ryan officially declares him the starting quarterback.
  • Cimini wonders (via Twitter) if the team is trying to send a message to Quinton Coples. Coples played only 15 snaps last night, while Jason Babin played 31 snaps.

AFC East Notes: Smith, Coples, Kouandijo

July 26th, 2014 at 8:24am CST by Matt Feminis

Jets second-year quarterback Geno Smith has received 74 percent of the snaps through two days of camp, per Brian Costello of the New York Post. However, GM John Idzik claims the “competition” isn’t tilted: “There will be a little bit of fluctuation in reps. Going into camp, we feel like we’re going to give the lion’s share to Geno and we’ll see how he responds.”

Here’s some more AFC East reading:

  • Jets 2012 first-round defensive lineman Quinton Coples hasn’t lived up to expectations, but he dedicated himself in the offseason, writes Costello in the New York Post. Coples reported to camp at 270 pounds (20 pounds lighter) and approximately nine percent body fat.
  • Sammy Watkins has “stolen the show” early in Bills camp, according to ESPN’s Mike Rodak, who provides an update on the team’s rookies. As for second-rounder Cyrus Kouandijo, “He’s the heir apparent at right tackle but that transition might not take place until next season,” says Rodak.
  • Kamaal McIlwain has impressed early in Bills camp, according to WGR 590’s Joe Buscaglia, who says, McIlwain could be in the mix for the final cornerback spot. Buscaglia also noted the team is making an effort to train linebackers to learn each of the three positions. Accordingly, Keith Rivers, Nigel Bradham, Preston Brown and Stevenson Sylvester have rotated with the first team, flanking Brandon Spikes in the middle.
  • The Patriots have ongoing competitions for the center and right guard jobs, according to Boston.com’s Ben Volin. Additionally, “There’s been a lot of talk about the competition between WRs Kenbrell Thompkins and Josh Boyce for a roster spot,” says Volin, “and if that is indeed the case, Thompkins appears to be ahead by a sizable margin right now.”
  • Not surprisingly, the new-look Dolphins offensive line is enduring early growing pains as the new starters work to develop chemistry, but Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel says the remodeled blocking unit should still be held to a high standard: “For those creating built-in excuses for the Dolphins’ offensive line, concerned that they’ll hold Miami’s offense back, keep in mind that this present unit collectively has 287 regular-season NFL starts heading into September.” Kelly cites the Bears, whose offensive line was atrocious in 2012 before they turned over four starters and improved drastically last season.