The Jets benched first-round pick Quinton Coples for all of team drills in just his second NFL practice Saturday, but they insisted it wasn’t as bad as that sounds — and not bad at all, actually.
The defensive lineman from North Carolina watched all of the 11-on-11 session from the sidelines with his helmet off, then said afterward that he was healthy and that it was a “coach’s decision.”
Coples’ dedication was questioned in college, but Rex Ryan said the move yesterday was precautionary and not at all discipline-related. The 56 players in the camp this weekend include more than 20 tryout players, a fact that would seem to indicate a higher chance of line injuries.
Ryan is so high on Coples, in fact, he officially designated him a starter for the 2012 season yesterday.
“Really, he’s fine,” Ryan said. “There’s no injury, there’s no nothing. It was really just my decision.”
A decision Coples said he was fine with.
“When the coach tells you to sit out, you sit out,” he said.
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Hawaii wideout Royce Pollard, a tryout player, was impressive enough during the first two days of camp to earn a free-agent contract Saturday night.
Ryan also praised current free agent Hayden Smith, the Australian rugby player who had never put on a football helmet before this weekend but made a couple of terrific catches yesterday at tight end.
“He’s one of those [GM] Mike Tannenbaum specials,” Ryan said. “I’m not betting against him.’’
Ryan continued to dispute a report last week the Jets were trying to take West Virginia defensive end Bruce Irvin instead of Coples, with Ryan revealing his team even had Stephen Hill — their eventual second-round pick — rated higher than Irvin.
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Hill, whose pass-catching skills are in question because he played in a Wishbone offense at Georgia Tech, made a couple of difficult receptions during team drills Saturday.
Hill’s most impressive catch came in an 11-on-11 session, when he went deep over the middle and stretched out for a high throw from Matt Simms between two defenders.
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Third-round pick Demario Davis, whose leadership skills Ryan compared recently to Ray Lewis, had a different former NFL star linebacker in mind.
“I want to play with the recklessness and havoc of Lawrence Taylor,” Davis said.
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Asked in the wake of Junior Seau’s suicide if he had any qualms about his son playing football for nearby Summit High School, Ryan said Seth Ryan suffered a major on-field concussion last year.
Even so, Ryan said: “I’m proud that my son plays football.”
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Ryan said the Jets are unlikely to bring back wide receiver Braylon Edwards or newly released defensive back Drew Coleman.