The storied quest for an NFL roster spot for both Joshua Weru and Uar Bernard has hit a major bump in the road with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Philly waived the pair of International Pathway Program prospects in formulating their initial 53-man roster.
Beginning on Monday afternoon, any NFL team will be able to claim either one off waivers. If no one claims them, the Eagles could claim them and add them back to their practice squad.
The Eagles did not include Joshua Weru or Uar Bernard to the 53-man roster
For Bernard, the workout warrior from Nigeria who blew scouts away with his incredible physical traits leading up to the draft, the seventh-round price tag ponied up by general manager Howie Roseman wasn't enough to secure a spot on the 53-man roster.
Despite never having played a single snap of football heading into the summer, Bernard showed flashes, mostly in training camp. There were brief moments in preseason game action, including a few ventures into the New England backfield in the second game, as well as a handful of near tackles versus the Bengals where Bernard just couldn't quite put it all together. He's so raw, but the physical gifts are all there for him to potentially develop down the road. And all it takes is one NFL team out there to claim him in order to inherit the passion project to see if he reaches that potential.
Bernard's exit also must sting to a certain extent for defensive line coach Clint Hurtt, who, of course, went to bat for Bernard on draft weekend.
"I'm not putting my stamp on everybody," said Hurtt. "If you don't have a great work ethic, if I don't believe in your character and who you are as a person, I'm not putting my family's well-being in anybody's hands, but when I saw the kid's work ethic and character, he's an unbelievable human being."
Roseman trusted the instincts of Hurtt in drafting Bernard, and now, time will tell if he makes it back through waivers onto the practice squad.
Meanwhile, although he went undrafted, Weru brought just as much elite raw athleticism to the table, and more tangible results this summer. In the team's second preseason game, Weru exploded into the backfield for his first-ever sack, while notching a handful of tackles throughout the preseason.
At 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds, the former rugby player from Kenya showed tremendous burst. A 4.45 40-yard dash time, along with those flashes he showed throughout camp, could make him a highly coveted prospect on the waiver wire.
Read more: 5 winners (and 3 losers) from Eagles' difficult 53-man roster cut-down
As it stands, the two passion projects that Roseman and this coaching staff rolled the dice on are now up for grabs. It will be fascinating to see where they land next - and perhaps it's back to the practice squad in Philadelphia.
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