Is this why there are rumors he may be traded? The Jets began the off-season workout program yesterday and among those players in attendance was wide receiver Laveranues Coles, who has been vocal in his displeasure with how hard coach Eric Mangini has worked the team. It was believed Coles might skip the voluntary workouts and try to force a trade. Unlike other NFL teams, the Jets' off-season workouts under Mangini are extremely demanding. Coles has expressed concern that the physical strain on his body could shorten his career. http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1174973203319130.xml&coll=1
He was in attendance as voluntary workouts began. He has been critical in the past, before last season and shortly after this season ended, of what he considers to be a very tough training regimen. Matching the two facts together would suggest to me that he has decided (voluntarily because there are no potential contractual repercussions from not attending these workouts) to stay with Mangini's offseason program. How anybody could construe from any of the above that Coles ever threatened not to attend these (I can find no link that suggests this is the case) or that the Jets are or were at any point seriously considering trading him is beyond me. I mean yeah if he hadn't showed you could make the case but why on earth are you trying to after he showed?
I'm sick of Coles and his attitude already. You gotta believe in the system coach is implementing, if he isn't down with it get out.
ive been down on coles attitude as much as anyone...but if hes at a voluntary workout i suppose thats a good sign
Laveranues Coles has never had an offseason for any team (including Florida State before he was canned) in which he didn't verbalize some discontentment with the system and requirements. He has never had an inseason in which he was not one of the strongest performers on the field and integral to whatever success his team was managing at the moment. You take one with the other and you come out ahead of the game. You allow the lip to over-ride your feelings about the talent and you're behind the 8-ball. I was a manager of tech support at one point. I had a few primadonnas that worked for me and they drove me nuts. But they also did more work and more quality work than anybody else I had so I just lived with the egos and the lips involved. That's how you compete in a world in which modesty and self-restraint mean nothing if the talent and effort aren't there also. Somebody's gotta catch the damn ball on 3rd down to keep the chains moving and right now Coles is the best the Jets have at doing that.
I just posted the link where it says it was believed he wouldn't show up. So what are you asking? Whether that is a public threat or private, what's the difference?
I saw the link. Where did it say that Coles had threatened not to show up or to force a trade? I don't care what the writer believed, he offered no support for his case. Essentially he was speculating that Coles was not going to show up or was going to try to force a trade. That speculation obviously is groundless because a) Coles showed up and b) none of us has heard a plausible Coles trade rumor this offseason.
Great post. Coles might be annoying sometimes, but he has yet to ever be a real distraction for the Jets, and he fits everything that Mangini is looking for on the field. Believed by who? That article was the first thing all offseason that said anything about Coles possibly skipping the workouts. Maybe that writer thought there was a chance that Coles might miss them, but there's no evidence that anybody who matters did.
I remember that some of the quotes of his displeasure came right after the end of the season. He was quoted as saying that he didn't want to go through training camp again. This quote came at the end of a long season that culminated with a tough playoff game with a division rival. I give him a pass on those comments. There was a good post above showing that sometimes you just have to deal with the comments. Thankfully his attitude doesn't seem to affect the other players on the team. They way I think about Coles is that, as long he doesn't affect other members of the team he can say whatever he wants. For all you people saying that we should replace him remember that he is one of the fiercest competitors on the field and is willing to do anything to get yards after the catch. If would be extremely difficult to find a player as tough, consistent, and good as Coles.
great post... coles is a huge part of this team and he knows it and coach knows it....no way is he getting traded or asking for a trade....
His body is much older. He could theoretically play 5 more years, but it would be shocking if he's producing anywhere close to what he is now. He's such a physical player, if he plays more than 3 years I'd be surprised.
Didn't we get this 'Coles is a malcontent' nonsense last offseason, only to have him put forth a very productive season at the receiving end of a weak cannon? Coles doesn't know when to shut up when there's a microphone in his face. But Br4dw4y5ux is right, the guy has never had a season where he didn't pour his heart out all over the field. Sometimes you just have to deal with the lip.
Mangini loves Coles and praises him almost every time he gets infront of a mic. Coles was pissed off after our loss to NE when he made those comments. He is the heart and soul of this team, he isn't going anywhere.
Is Coles upset? Hmmm well is it a day that ends in "Y" Yep he's upset. Coles has uni-polar disorder. He's stuck on the "upset" side.
