The Philadelphia Eagles waived international prospects Uar Bernard and Joshua Weru on Sunday as the team trimmed its roster to the 53-man limit ahead of the 6 p.m. deadline.
Bernard, who is from Nigeria, and Weru, who is from Kenya, were not included on the Eagles’ initial 53-man roster. The two players were the top prospects from this year’s NFL International Player Pathway program and showed flashes throughout training camp and the preseason.
However, both players are still relatively new to American football and require additional development.
“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.”
Eagles must now wait on waivers
The Eagles have worked to keep expectations reasonable for Bernard and Weru as they learn the sport. Many expected Philadelphia to retain one or both players, but the team ultimately waived them.
The next question is whether either prospect will return to the Eagles’ practice squad. Philadelphia can use its international exemption on only one player if Bernard and Weru clear waivers.
The Eagles have already invested significant time and effort in developing both players, but waiving them creates the risk that another team will claim one of them.
Philadelphia used a seventh-round pick on Bernard, a raw defensive tackle who impressed during the pre-draft process with his athletic ability. Weru is an edge rusher who was regarded as the second-best player in this year’s International Player Pathway class.
Weru may have shown even more than Bernard during the summer and appeared closer to becoming an NFL contributor.
Teammates embraced Bernard and Weru
The Eagles’ entire roster welcomed Bernard and Weru throughout training camp.
“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.”
