How Does Quinton Coples Fit in the Miami Dolphins Defense?

It's not every day that a former first-round draft pick gets sent into the open market. 

So, when the New York Jets sent Quinton Coples packing, the Miami Dolphins were quick to pounce on the opportunity to not only add a talented player to their defensive line, but to fill a need that had opened up with the injury to Cameron Wake.

It's pretty obvious, too, that Coples' connection to Mike Tannenbaum played a role in Coples finding a home in Miami. Tannenbaum, the Dolphins vice president of football operations, was the Jets general manager when they drafted Coples in the first round. The problem is, there was never really a clear vision of how to use Coples in the Jets defense.

Coples was miscast in the Jets' 3-4 alignment; he played the 5-technique defensive end alignment as a rookie and then was moved to outside linebacker to provide a boost to the pass rush. He had some flashes and finished his Jets career with 16.5 sacks, but he didn't have any sacks this season under Todd Bowles.

At 6'6" and 290 pounds, it's easy to see why Coples wasn't exactly a fit in that role. With the Dolphins, Coples will likely spend most of his time at defensive end playing opposite veteran defensive end Olivier Vernon, likely on the left side, where Wake spent almost all of his time. 

It's possible, too, that Coples could be a rotational player to move around to multiple spots. Bowles saw him that way but simply couldn't find a spot for him in a loaded defensive front:

"

Well, I think he was a better inside player than he was an outside player, but we have a slew of guys inside, including drafting Leonard (Williams) in the first round. As an outside player, I thought he was okay, but we need a little more speed on the field for the things we are trying to do, and he just got caught up in that 'tweener' status for us. That doesn't mean he still can't play. That just means he wasn't a fit for us because of the depth we have inside.

"

Coples has played 214 snaps this year, but just 21 in the past three games, according to Pro Football Focus. 

Aside from his positional fit in the NFL, there were also some questions about Coples' motor coming out of college, though those questions have mostly died since he entered the NFL. Dolphins interim head coach Dan Campbell isn't likely to tolerate less than 100 percent from anyone, much less from a former first-round pick who has already been cut once. 

That being said, the Dolphins must proceed with caution. The Jets exercised the fifth-year option on Coples' contract, meaning that his $7.75 million salary is guaranteed against injury. So, if Coples is injured, the Dolphins are on the hook for that money.

The Dolphins should not expect an immediate return on Coples; it's going to take some time for him to learn their defensive scheme and terminology.

The best they can hope for right now is for Coples to come in and give them something off the bench in certain situations. If they narrow his focus enough that he can contribute where they need him most, rushing the passer off the edge, he could pay off immediately. 

But $7.75 million is a lot of money for someone with Coples' levels of production, so the Dolphins are going to have to see signs that he is a better fit in their defense than he was in New York. Maybe a fresh start is exactly what he needs.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained via team news release.