Eagles coach Nick Sirianni explains the decision to release Devin White originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Nick Sirianni didn’t have deep insight into why things didn’t work out with Devin White.
He just wasn’t good enough.
“You know, it goes back to Nakobe (Dean) and Zach (Baun) getting that spot and winning that spot,” he said as the Eagles reconvened after their bye week.
“That is not an easy situation. I can’t say enough good things about Devin and how he handled that very difficult situation. Sometimes guys have roles on special teams, etc. And in this particular case, this is where we were and how it played out.
The Eagles released White on Tuesday, seven months after signing him with the intention of making him a starting inside linebacker.
But despite the fact that he has most of the 1stteam representatives during training camp, White ultimately lost the starting spot to Dean, the 3rd-year 3rdround pick from Georgia. Because he doesn’t play on special teams, White was inactive for the first three weeks of the season. He was then listed as out prior to the Bucs game due to what the Eagles described as a “personal matter.”
White never ended up playing for the Eagles in short order, and he is currently an unrestricted free agent, free to sign with another team.
Yes, again, we go through our process in terms of the way we practice and get a lot out of the way you practice. And so I feel confident in our evaluation of players in terms of how we go about practicing preseason games, etc. Just with each player in general.
While on the bench, White said he would remain ready and fill whatever role was asked of him. That only lasted three weeks.
“Ultimately it’s not my decision,” he said on September 13. “I’ll just do what’s asked of me and just stay ready. Whether I go out there in the last two minutes of the game or the first play of the game, I just have to be ready and be able to give this team everything I have.
“Because that’s what I came here for. … I don’t cry, I don’t grumble. I just come to work and be a professional at everything.
Sirianni said rookie 5e-round pick Jeremiah Trotter Jr. becomes the backup MIKE linebacker. Trotter has played just three defensive snaps through the first four games of the season, all coming against Tampa.
Other backup linebackers on the roster include veteran Oren Burks, the longtime Packer, and Ben VanSumeren, a 2i.e-year undeveloped pro. Neither Burks nor VanSumeren have played a defensive snap this year (although VanSumeren has played one on offense).
Sirianni said White’s release was partly a product of the way the defensive coaches feel about Trotter, Burks and VanSumeren.
“I think it just gives you a perspective of what we feel about the rest of that room and the guys that we have in that room and how they’ve been, how they’ve executed, how they’ve played and how they look moving forward. to continue to grow together with those guys,” he said.
“I’m really excited about the guys in the room and the way they’re progressing. I think (Bobby) King, our linebacker coach, is a great fundamental teacher. I just see them continually improving their fundamentals in different aspects of block destruction and blitzing.
“And so just excited about the space that we have and the depth that we have there. … Excited about the development and growth opportunities we have in that room.”
As for White, he joins guys like Frank Gore, Joe Flacco, Myles Jack, Tim Tebow, Marquise Goodwin, Raheem Mostert, Paul Worrilow, DeVante Parker, Marlin Jackson and Danny Amendola who were Eagles – or kind of Eagles – but never played a piece of cake in an Eagles uniform.
“Since Devin came here, I thought he was a really great professional,” Sirianni said.
“He handled everything with class. I know this was a difficult situation for him. A guy who started a lot of games in this league and was successful in this league, and I can’t say enough good things about Devin, the person and how he handled a disappointing situation. situation for him.”
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