With just two days left to go before they take the field against the Cleveland Browns, the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster sits at 52 players following the release of free agent signee Devin White.
Suddenly, fans have questions about the team’s depth, how they will fill out their roster, and who will play in Week 6 at the MIKE spot should Nakobe Dean be limited or worse, suffer a setback during the game.
Did the Eagles commit an unforced error? Could they watch White shine elsewhere should he land on another team before the end of the season? Asked these questions, among others, during his first media availability session post-bye, Nick Sirianni broke down why now was the right time to show White the door, even though he has respect for him and how he handled the situation.
“Ever since [LB] Devin [White] got here, I just thought he was a really great pro. He handled everything with class. I know that was a hard situation for him to be in, a guy that has started a lot of games in this league and been successful in this league,” Sirianni told reporters.
“And I can’t say enough good things about Devin, the person, and how he handled a disappointing situation for him. I think it just gives you a perspective of what we feel about the rest of that room. And the guys we have in that room, and how they’ve been executing, and how they’ve been playing. Look forward to continuing to grow with those guys that we have.”
Sirianni also complimented the play of Dean and Zack Baun, who made White as a starter expendable.
“It goes back to [LB] Nakobe [Dean] and [LB] Zack [Baun] getting that spot, winning that spot. And, like I said, that’s not an easy situation. I can’t say enough good things about [LB] Devin [White] and how he handled a really hard situation. Sometimes, guys have roles on special teams, et cetera. And just in this particular case, this is where we were and just how it played out.”
With players like Ben VanSumeren, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., and Oren Burks all logging at least 50 special teams snaps through the first four games of the season, having White active to sit on the bench felt like a poor use of resources for the Eagles on gameday. If they feel comfortable enough in “Ax Man Jr.” to play him as Dean’s immediate backup, White truly was just getting in the way.
Nick Sirianni has high hopes for Eagles rookie Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
Turning his attention from the past to the future, Sirianni was asked if he felt confident about Trotter as his backup middle linebacker, of which he said yes. Asked why, Sirianni broke it down, noting that he’s seen enough of Trotter’s work in camp and at practice to make a proper evaluation.
“Again, these aren’t just things we make decisions on with no evidence. We practice every day,” Sirianni noted. “We walk through every day. We meet every day, obviously, and come to those conclusions in that aspect.”
Will Trotter become the next TJ Edwards, another underlooked prospect who became a starter for the Eagles in years past? Maybe yes, maybe no, but considering his pedigree alone, it’s safe to say the pride of Clemson has the entire fanbase cheering him on.
