2016 NFL Free Agency: Q&A With Jets Writer On DE Quinton Coples

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Rams signed DE Quinton Coples. Coples flamed out after three and a half seasons with the New York Jets; a short stint with the Dolphins last year wasn't enough to get his career turned around. So to get a better sense of Coples' all around game, I linked up with Scott Salmon of Gang Green Nation, the SB Nation community for Jets fans, to see what he and they thought of the 16th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

How would you define his play at the NFL level? What kind of DE is he supposed to be?

Coples was often talked about as an outside guy and was used a lot as an OLB. However, he was at his best when used as a down lineman, particularly from the interior.

Obviously, he just didn't pan out with you guys. What was the central issue? Was it a lack of athleticism? Size/strength? Was it more off-field/professionalism issues like work ethic?

Coples always had more than enough athleticism, but the common saying was, "looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane." While he was capable of big plays, like stuffing Josh Hill on fourth down or nearly decapitating Maurice Jones-Drew, they were infrequent. So he had his moments, but he just couldn't be consistent enough to hack it.

The Jets and Rams both have two of the best defensive fronts in the league, so it's not as if surroundings alone are going to fix Coples' trajectory. Could a switch from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense be enough to reignite Coples NFL career? If you were charting a course to a successful 2016 for Coples, what would it look like?

I think it should help him. If he's allowed to stick his hand in the dirt and just go after the QB, that may be enough to ignite him. However, he'll need more motivation than that to try and make him consistent, but it should help.

Thanks to Scott for the time.