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New York Jets News 2015: First-Round Draft Pick Quinton Coples Waived by Team, Claimed by the Dolphins

The New York Jets could no longer wait for a first round draft pick to prove his worth. On Monday, outside linebacker Quinton Coples was waived by the team after starting two games for them but proved to be inconsistent on the field.

But the release at this point of the season comes in as quite surprising for many observers, believing that Coples is a type of player who still has a lot of potential. As the 16th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the outside linebacker produced 16.5 sacks in his first three years as a pro. He also averaged 6.5 in 2014, which actually was his best so far in his young career.

The problem is that the 25-year-old does not have a sack this season, which may very well be the reason why he lost his starting job. In those struggling times, he was replaced by either Leger Douzable or Calvin Pace.

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Coples played college football at the University of North Carolina, where he assumed the position of both defensive end and outside linebacker. He played DE during college but was transitioned to outside linebacker during his stint with the Jets.

In the end, the decision to waive Coples was a rational choice for a team ran by Todd Bowles and defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers, who realized that he wasn't really an ideal fit. In a game against the Houston Texans, Bowles started and used Pace and Douzable as outside linebacker, while Lorenzo Mauldin, a rookie out of Louisville, is quickly gaining the confidence of the coaching staff as a pass rusher.

On the other hand, the Miami Dolphins, which by the way run a 4-3 defensive concept, claimed Coples off waivers. After losing Cameron Wake due to a torn Achilles, Miami eventually thought they needed someone like Coples to fill the space. And it's not really a bad move considering that Coples is still young and will have several years to prove himself out in the field.

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