Pete Carroll isn't going to sit by and let former players take shots at his coaching methods.
The Seattle Seahawks head coach was criticized by ex-defenders Richard Sherman -- who said Carroll's philosophy was "more built for college" -- and Michael Bennett after being shipped out of town.
This week Carroll fired back at that criticism.
"The thing I would tell you about that is that we've been through a lot around here, we've grown tremendously together and all of that, and changes are inevitable," Carroll said, via The News Tribune's Gregg Bell. "Sometimes, guys can't hang with what's expected, for one reason or another -- their growth, their development and all of that.
"And the best thing I can tell you is, that they're not here."
It's unusual to hear the overly enthusiastic Carroll clap back, especially at former players who were key to his success in Seattle.
Carroll also disputed a story from Sports Illustrated's Greg Bishop that Bennett would bring books to meetings because he was so bored with the coach's message.
"Mike never brought a book to a meeting, I'll tell you that," the Seahawks coach said.
The years of winning big masked any underlying current of destruction that eventually helped rip apart the Seahawks as we knew them. As Seattle moved in a different direction, the talkative players who helped define their run didn't hold back. Neither will Carroll in defending his program.
