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Eagles waive both international players Uar Bernard, Joshua Weru
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- Eagles waive both international players Uar Bernard, Joshua Weru
Eagles waive both international players Uar Bernard, Joshua Weru originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Eagles on Sunday waived both of their international prospects to get down to the 53-man roster limit.
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Both Uar Bernard from Nigeria and Joshua Weru from Kenya were not on the Eagles' initial 53-man roster as the team trimmed its roster ahead of Sunday's 6 p.m. deadline.
Bernard and Weru — the top two players from the NFL's International Player Pathway program this year — flashed a bit throughout training camp and the preseason. But as newcomers to the sport, they obviously have a long way to go.
"Those are our two exchange dudes," defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said earlier this month. "They're doing fine, but they've got a long way to go."
The Eagles have understandably tried to temper expectations for Bernard and Weru as they learn how to play American football. Many expected the Eagles to keep one or both of these players on the roster, but ultimately they were waived. We'll now wait to see if they end up back on the Eagles' practice squad. The Eagles can use their practice squad international exemption on just one if they clear waivers.
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The Eagles have already invested time and effort to develop Bernard and Weru and they are risking the possibility that another team swoops in and claims them.
The Eagles invested a seventh-round pick in Bernard, who wowed in the pre-draft process as a raw athlete playing defensive tackle. Weru is an edge rusher who was considered the second-best player from the IPP this year. In fact, Weru flashed even more than Bernard this summer and appeared closer to becoming a contributor.
During this training camp, the entire team has embraced Bernard and Weru.
"I think the guys have really enjoyed getting to know these guys, and these guys work hard," head coach Nick Sirianni said earlier this week. "Every day is something new with the guys, like this new stuff to learn, and it could be the smallest thing. I think it's been a joy and there's been a couple times where Uar has broken down the team and guys rally around that. I think that's pretty cool."
