Because a rookie head coach may have wanted to see these types of things for himself? Seems a silly thing to lose respect over.
OB: Dj, I want you to go out on the coverage team, hit anyone with the ball.
Dj: Nah, dude... Swagg don't play special teams.
OB: Uh... ok. Go ahead & take all the snaps you want on defense though... whatever makes you happy.
I don't have a problem if OB wanted to see it for himself. But if Dj was telling OB that he wasn't going to play special teams, then I'd expect OB to tell Dj he wasn't going to play.
And as far as facts go...
2013 snap counts:
Defense - 730
Special Teams - 193
Whether or not DJ wanted to play on ST the year before OB arrived, he most certainly did play.
Which brings us back to if.
If Dj was telling him he wouldn't do it, & OB allowed him to still participate, then I've got an issue. If he's being released now, because Dj decided he was going to stop playing special teams, then I have new found respect for O'Brien.
My whole point is that I doubt this not wanting to play special teams thing is true, because I doubt OB would have let him play as much as he had... unless this is a new thing, with Dj deciding he no longer wants to play ST... I'm not buying it.