Eagles HC praises former No. 5 overall pick following release

On Tuesday, the Philadelphia Eagles made the surprising decision to release linebacker Devin White , the No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Just one day later, head coach Nick Sirianni praised the former Pro Bowler.

"That's not an easy situation," Sirianni said , via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "I can't say enough good things about Devin and how he handled a really hard situation."

If Sirianni felt so good about White, the Eagles would have never cut him, but their actions say otherwise.

White never played in a game this season after signing a one-year deal with Philadelphia in the offseason.

Sirianni noted that had more to do with the talent the Eagles already had at the position and less to do with the lack thereof with White.

"It goes back to Nakobe (Dean) and Zack (Baun) getting that spot, winning that spot," Sirianni added. "And just in this particular case, this is where we were and just how it played out."

Still, it wouldn't hurt Philadelphia to keep a player of White's caliber as quality depth. The sixth-year linebacker has registered 566 tackles, 36 sacks, six forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries, three interceptions and 21 passes defensed in his NFL career.

The Eagles clearly felt differently, though, and now the 26-year-old will look for an opportunity elsewhere.

Sirianni wishes White the best as his focus shifts towards the players Philadelphia still has ahead of its Week 6 matchup against the Cleveland Browns (1-4).

"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 finished. "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."