Rivera: We Would Have Drafted Coples To Play Dt If Kuechly Wasn't There

[Cary Kollins]

I don't think it's that much of a head scratcher. Coples was pretty much a full-time DT in 2010 and had 10 sacks and 15.5 TFL. His production actually dipped as a DE last year. A lot of people believe he played safe last year not to get injured and lambaste him for it, but you have to remember he personally witnessed two guys negatively affected by injuries. Bruce Carter was a projected first round pick who tore his ACL late in 2010 and fell to the 2nd round and S Deunta Williams broke his leg in a freak accident in the 4th quarter of the Music City Bowl which ultimately was a career-ending injury.

Wow. Playing safe not to get injured goes against pretty much every instinct a defensive football player should have. Thank baby jesus we didn't draft this guy.

[SOJA]

There is no evidence of that. I honestly don't think we would have drafted Kalil.. he doesn't fit an immediate need. Yea, Gross is getting old, but he still has a couple years left. Otah will be given every chance to come back from injury because we have seen how dominant he can be when healthy. The Kalil pick makes little sense compared to other needs on our defense.

I guess you missed the whole "we're going to take the best player available in the first"

Blackmon may have been the pick had he been there as well

[x djdrew x]

I don't think it's that much of a head scratcher. Coples was pretty much a full-time DT in 2010 and had 10 sacks and 15.5 TFL. His production actually dipped as a DE last year. A lot of people believe he played safe last year not to get injured and lambaste him for it, but you have to remember he personally witnessed two guys negatively affected by injuries. Bruce Carter was a projected first round pick who tore his ACL late in 2010 and fell to the 2nd round and S Deunta Williams broke his leg in a freak accident in the 4th quarter of the Music City Bowl which ultimately was a career-ending injury.

if this was actually the case with coples, I'm soooooooooo glad we stayed far away from him. Sure, it's a very violent, unforgiving game, but playing just not to get injured? That's a terrible mindset for any defensive player to have.

Glad we got the Keech.

[UNCrules2187]

Meh. Easy for anyone to say "lol playing not to get injured," but when millions of dollars are personally at stake, I don't blame him. I'm sure I'll be labeled as a UNC homer, but I don't really care. Maybe he washes out of the league, maybe he's an impact player. He certainly has the talent to be a force. I think he went to a team that has the coaching staff that will help him achieve his potential.

edit: not to mention his teammate Donte Paige-Moss tore his ACL in the bowl game last December and subsequently went undrafted and, as far as I know, hasn't even been picked up as an UDFA. Though DPM is a headcase, so it's not that surprising.

[RockyTopVol]

I found it interesting that he mentioned Worthy as his top rated DT, yet we didn't pick Worthy at pick #40. Guess they were just that high on Silotolu.

[MadHatter]

I found it interesting that he mentioned Worthy as his top rated DT, yet we didn't pick Worthy at pick #40. Guess they were just that high on Silotolu.

His comments make ZERO sense to me. If Worthy was their top rated DT, why would we take Coples at #9 to play DT.

I think they are talking out of their asses a little.

[Cary Kollins]

Meh. Easy for anyone to say "lol playing not to get injured," but when millions of dollars are personally at stake, I don't blame him. I'm sure I'll be labeled as a UNC homer, but I don't really care. Maybe he washes out of the league, maybe he's an impact player. He certainly has the talent to be a force. I think he went to a team that has the coaching staff that will help him achieve his potential.

edit: not to mention his teammate Donte Paige-Moss tore his ACL in the bowl game last December and subsequently went undrafted and, as far as I know, hasn't even been picked up as an UDFA. Though DPM is a headcase, so it's not that surprising.

Dude, your name is "UNCrules". Of course you are a UNC homer with baby blue tinted sunglasses on.

[CheeseCP]

You see a homer but I see someone that probably watched more UNC football and thus has a better understanding of Coples' play than 95% of the board. I mean really... who would watch them play football if they weren't a fan?

[KillerKat]

Another thing you can tell from these interviews are that they feel really sour towards Sherrod Martin and possibly not as comfortable as they are saying about our DT situation. Wouldn't surprise me if we pick someone up at both of these positions in free agency to start right away.

[Cary Kollins]

^^That's really not the issue. "UNCrules" brought up the possibility of Coples playing soft to avoid injury. That is all I was addressing, not who watched more UNC games or not.

And I watched plenty of UNC games, and I am not a fan of theirs.

[pOpCoRnPoPpEr]

My harping on the Panthers to take a TD doesn't seem so outlandish now considering this info.

[This is where someone brings up my favorite team again]

[UNCrules2187]

Dude, your name is "UNCrules". Of course you are a UNC homer with baby blue tinted sunglasses on.

Just because I'm a UNC fan doesn't mean I'm oblivious. There are tons of factors that probably contributed to Coples play declining last year. As I said earlier, he played mostly DT in 2010 while he was moved to DE for 2011. Second, everyone knows about the turmoil the program went through these past two years (Davis being fired a week before training camp - one of the more idiotic moves in the history of college football, but that's a post for another time). There are rumors abound that the outgoing staff trashed many of the players to NFL GMs (Withers was particularly salty at not getting the HC gig even though he didn't deserve it and wasn't a good coach). IMO, Coples is no more likely to breakout or bust than any other player in the draft. That's the beauty of it - it's always a crapshoot. Aaron Curry was highly regarded as the safest bet in the 2009 (2008? Not quite sure) draft and a high-character guy with great work ethic, but he turned out to be a marginal NFL player.

Another thing you can tell from these interviews are that they feel really sour towards Sherrod Martin and possibly not as comfortable as they are saying about our DT situation. Wouldn't surprise me if we pick someone up at both of these positions in free agency to start right away.

I'd bet good money that Reggie Smith will be the starting FS Week 1. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if Martin is cut after TC if he doesn't impress.

[Lout]

I guess you missed the whole "we're going to take the best player available in the first"

Blackmon may have been the pick had he been there as well

It's BPA based on need. Are you saying if Andrew Luck were there, that we would have taken him #9 overall because he was BPA? It's not logical. I don't think OT or WR would be logical that high either. I don't feel like they were greater needs than LB/S/CB. When the talent is similar, then you don't draft the highest reated player, you draft the highest rated player based on need (if they are rated similarly).

For instance if we have Kalil rated 87, and Kuechly rated 86. Guess which player we are taking?

[KillerKat]

Just because I'm a UNC fan doesn't mean I'm oblivious. There are tons of factors that probably contributed to Coples play declining last year. As I said earlier, he played mostly DT in 2010 while he was moved to DE for 2011. Second, everyone knows about the turmoil the program went through these past two years (Davis being fired a week before training camp - one of the more idiotic moves in the history of college football, but that's a post for another time). There are rumors abound that the outgoing staff trashed many of the players to NFL GMs (Withers was particularly salty at not getting the HC gig even though he didn't deserve it and wasn't a good coach). IMO, Coples is no more likely to breakout or bust than any other player in the draft. That's the beauty of it - it's always a crapshoot. Aaron Curry was highly regarded as the safest bet in the 2009 (2008? Not quite sure) draft and a high-character guy with great work ethic, but he turned out to be a marginal NFL player.

I'd bet good money that Reggie Smith will be the starting FS Week 1. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if Martin is cut after TC if he doesn't impress.

Yea if they keep the current safeties, Smith is starting. But they wanted to draft Barron, which makes me believe they still aren't comfortable with our safeties.