Carroll responds to Sherman, Bennett criticism with some of his own

Pete Carroll responded to criticism from Richard Sherman and Michael Bennett with a dose of his own for the two ex-Seattle Seahawks stars.

Sherman and Bennett, both jettisoned from Seattle this offseason, previously took a dig at their former coach for growing stale by recycling the same motivational stories.

"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 told Gregg Bell of The News Tribune. "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."

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Core members of the Seahawks' vaunted defense for the majority of this decade, Sherman and Bennett were both sent packing from Seattle in early March. Sherman - a four-time Pro Bowl cornerback - was released, while Bennett - a three-time Pro Bowl defensive end - was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Bennett recently claimed he brought a book to read during some of Carroll's speeches, but Carroll denied that ever happened.