Eagles coach Nick Sirianni explains decision to release Devin White - NBC Sports Philadelphia

Nick Sirianni didn't have any 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.

“This is not an easy situation. I can't say enough good things about Devin and his handling of this really difficult situation. Sometimes guys have roles on special teams, etc. And in this particular case, we were here and experienced exactly that.”

The Eagles released White on Tuesday, seven months after they signed him with the intention of making him a starting inside linebacker.

But despite receiving most 1^stWhile deputizing for several team representatives throughout training camp, White lost the starting spot to 3rd seed Dean^approx-Year 3^approx-Round pick from Georgia. Because he doesn't play on special teams, White was inactive for the first three weeks of the season. Then he was ruled out before the Bucs game for what the Eagles described as a “personal” matter.

White has never played a snap for the Eagles and is currently an unrestricted free agent eligible to sign with any other team.

Yes, again, we go through our process down to the way we practice and gain a lot from the way you practice. That's why I'm confident in our assessment of the players, the way we go about our business, practice preseason games, etc. Just with every player in general.

When he was benched, White said he would stay ready and take on whatever role he was given. That only took three weeks.

“Ultimately it’s not my decision,” he said on Sept. 13. “I'm just going to do what's asked of me and just stay ready. “Whether I go out in the last two minutes of the game or on the first play, I just have to be ready and be able to do anything for this team give what I have.

“Because that’s what I came here for. …I don't cry, don't mope. I just come to work and am a professional at everything.”

Sirianni said rookie 5^ThRound pick Jeremiah Trotter Jr. will be the backup MIKE linebacker. Trotter has played just three defensive snaps in the first four games of the season, all against Tampa.

Other backup linebackers on the roster include veteran Oren Burks, the longtime Packer, and Ben VanSumeren, a sophomore^nd-year unoccupied professional. Neither Burks nor VanSumeren has played a defensive snap this year (though VanSumeren has played one on offense).

Sirianni said White's release was partly a result of the defensive coaches' attitudes toward Trotter, Burks and VanSumeren.

“I think it just gives you a perspective of what we think about the rest of this room and the guys we have in this room and how they did, how they played and how they look forward with those Guys to continue to grow,” he said.

“I’m really excited about the guys in the room and the way they’re progressing. I think (Bobby) King, our linebackers coach, is a great fundamentals teacher. I just see them continually improving their fundamentals in various aspects of block destruction and blitzing.

“And I’m just excited about the space we have and the depth we have there. … I’m excited about the development and growth opportunities we have in this space.”

As for White, he joins the likes of 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 Eagles, as it were – but never having played a snap in an Eagles uniform.

“Since Devin got 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 has started a lot of games in this league and been successful in this league, and I can't say enough good things about Devin as a person and how he handled what was a disappointing situation for him.”