The Eagles added a pair of defensive prospects from the International Pathway Program. This isn’t a whim or a public relations move. The Eagles think these highly athletic prospects can develop into legitimate NFL players.
DT Uar Bernard was drafted in the seventh round and ED Josh Weru was signed as a UDFA. Here is the man who oversaw them joining the IPP program and becoming NFL prospects. He has a lot of good background information on them. You’ll want to watch this.
That should get you pretty fired up about Bernard and Weru. These guys are special athletes. They have unique potential. There is a lot of work in converting them from athletes to football players, but Weru’s rugby background will help him and Bernard’s basketball background can help him. Their transition will be easier than Jordan Mailata’s. He had to learn how to play OT and then how to work with the rest of the OL. Bernard and Weru will be DL. They are more individualistic. See ball, get ball. Kill the QB. That’s less complicated. I’m excited to see what they can do. Eagles players are also excited,
Jonathan Greenard can’t wait to get to work… especially with Uar Bernard, the Eagles’ 7th-round pick who’s never played organized football before pic.twitter.com/fTM9HCaS2h
— Green Light with Chris Long (@greenlight) April 30, 2026
That’s pretty cool.
I mentioned recently that the Eagles would have roster exemptions for both. I thought Howie Roseman had said that. Apparently I was wrong. There will only be one exemption available. That will be important in early September when the Eagles have to figure out what to do with them.
It is possible that one of them will show enough that the team decides to keep him on the roster. Neither guy is going to play this year. They have too much to learn. But if one shows substantial progress, he could make the team and simply be inactive for the whole season. If they struggle, one gets the exemption and the other likely goes to the practice squad. These decisions are down the road. We need to see what these guys look like over the summer.
The Eagles did a lot of work on these guys before the draft. They wanted to see if the guys were worth investing time and resources in. Obviously they felt this was a gamble worth taking. If you hit on just one of them, that’s huge. You have to appreciate how creative and aggressive the Eagles are in trying to find players.
*****
UPDATE – The Eagles announced their UDFA signings. King wasn’t listed. That means he’s likely just invited to rookie camp. He could earn a spot with a good showing.
I somehow missed a UDFA signing. The Eagles added LB Isiah King from Idaho. He’s 6-3, 224 and runs 4.61. I was impressed by his cover skills. He’s good at playing the passing lanes. Good tackler. Was outstanding at his level. Adjusting to NFL competition will be his biggest challenge. He’s no longer the best athlete on the field. Intriguing guy worth taking a look at. Vic Frangio loves athletic LBs who can cover.
*****
The Eagles are already busy signing their picks.
Eagles now have signed four 2026 draft picks:
First-round pick Makai Lemon. Fifth-round pick Cole Payton. Seventh-round pick Cole Wisniewski, per Nick Linta of @jlsports3. Seventh-round pick Keyshawn James-Newby, per agents Mark Henness and Ross Jones of Leverage…
I have been reading a lot of draft reviews. Source after source keeps going on about what a bad draft class this was. I think there is some exaggeration in that. There are players to be found every year. It is up to the team to find them.
I’m especially impressed with what the Eagles got late in the draft. I thought OG Micah Morris and S Cole Wisniewski were great value picks. I think both can absolutely be good depth pieces. I think they both have starting potential. They’re big, talented and athletic. I like them more than what the Eagles did late last year.
Keyshawn James-Newby wasn’t someone I had studied, but since the draft I’ve been very impressed with his potential. He played at New Mexico so the level of competition is going to be a massive jump for him. That said, when he did play UCLA or Michigan, KJN showed up and showed out. He didn’t seem the least bit bothered by bigger schools.
New Mexico ED Keyshawn James-Newby (6-2, 240) went from zero-star to 3rd-most QB pressures in CFB
Bain-83 Bailey-81 Newby-74 Mesidor-67
Montana Tech➡️Idaho➡️NM=35+ starts
1st Team All-Frontier, Big Sky, & Mountain West Explosive first step, attacks interior gaps… pic.twitter.com/q4ivqg1565
Most importantly, he feels like a good fit for what Vic Fangio wants in an edge rusher. Talent is important, but scheme fit can have a major impact on whether a player succeeds or not. I’m excited to see him this summer.
In 1995 the Eagles hired 14-year old Jon Gruden to be their new offensive coordinator. Okay, he was actually 31, but he looked so young you wondered if he was really old enough to be running an NFL offense. Gruden brought the West Coast Offense with him, something that was going to modernize the Eagles and help them get back to being a Super Bowl contender.
Gruden inherited Randall Cunningham, a dynamic talent at QB. He had Charlie Garner and newly-signed Ricky Watters as his backfield. There was Fred Barnett, the field stretcher, and Calvin Williams, the chains mover, at at receiver. Gruden had some good pieces in place and was excited about the potential of his new offense.
His first order of business was teaching the WCO to Cunningham. Gruden needed him to understand how it worked and why it worked. The WCO had big play potential, but initially focused on getting the ball out quickly. First downs would lead to touchdowns. You needed to stay on schedule to keep the chains moving. That meant completing passes and avoiding sacks. Gruden put together a tape of all the sacks from the previous season and talked to Cunningham about the need to make quicker decisions and get the ball out. Gruden needed the veteran QB to buy into that philosophy for the offense to work.
Like most veteran QBs, Cunningham was stubborn. He didn’t buy in. The Eagles started 1-3 that year, with the only win coming in a game where Cunningham was benched and replaced by Rodney Peete. Peete took over as the starter in Week 5 and the Eagles went 9-3. They won a wild card game, beating the Lions 58-37. The season proved to be a success in spite of Cunningham, not because of him. That shocked me and the rest of Eagles nation.
Sean Mannion, age 34, is coming to Philly with his version of the McVay/Shanahan offense. Mannion inherits plenty of offensive talent and a good veteran QB. There is a big difference this situation and 1995. Jalen Hurts is more coachable than Cunningham was. That can make all the difference in the world.
Hurts went to Alabama to start his college career. He was a dynamic runner and leader, but only a mediocre passer. That cost him his job. He stayed for a year and then transferred to Oklahoma for his final season. He went from the pro system at Bama to Lincoln Riley’s version of the Air Raid. Riley was able to push the right buttons and got high level passing out of his new QB. Hurts completed 69.7 percent of his passes, threw for 3,851 yards and 32 TDs. He also ran for 1,298 yards and 20 TDs. He thrived in the new system. That showing got him drafted in the second round by the Eagles.
Hurts has a stubborn streak to be sure, but he’s shown the ability to deal with new coaches and offensive tweaks during his NFL career. He’s had a bunch of different coaches and been successful under all of them. More than anything, Hurts wants to win. He is the son of a high school football coach. Hurts has thick skin. He will do what is necessary to succeed. I think he will buy into Mannion’s ideas. Hurts has heard his critics and would love to shut them up.
Mannion won’t come to Philly to “fix” Hurts. He knows he is inheriting a guy with a Super Bowl ring and five straight trips to the playoffs. Hurts is a good QB. He can be great at times. He can also stink at times. Mannion will try to make him a bit more consistent. He will figure out what Hurts does best and then structure the offense around that. Hurts will have to make some adjustments to his game in order for the new scheme to be at it’s best. Every scheme is shaped by the QB who runs it. The McVay offense was different with Jared Goff and Matt Stafford. The WCO offense was different with Joe Montana and Brett Favre.
So what might Mannion do?
The Mannion, Lemon, and Stowers additions to the Eagles have me fascinated about what’s going to unfold this year (and beyond) with the Eagles.
And while at first I was squinting to see how this all fits with Jalen Hurts, I’m starting to see cleaner fits with Lemon & Stowers’… pic.twitter.com/IgPwujJuim
Going to build off of some of @Nate_Tice‘s points here about how the Eagles’ new pass-catchers can be effectively deployed in this new offense, even if Jalen Hurts hasn’t been a voluminous over-the-middle thrower.
Mannion’s offense will aim to spread the ball around. Howie Roseman re-shaped the receiver room so this can now work. DeVonta Smith will be WR1. Dontayvion Wicks will play the other outside spot. Rookie Makai Lemon will focus on the slot. Hollywood Brown can play inside or outside and brings great speed. There are a bunch of guys who will battle for the final couple of spots. The days of forcing the ball to AJ or DeVonta are over. The goal is to get the ball to the open receiver, whoever that is.
Hurts will also have talented TEs to use. Dallas Goedert is back and rookie Eli Stowers has special ability as a pass catcher. UDFA Dae’Quon Wright has more than enough talent to earn a roster spot.
The Eagles aren’t throwing Hurts to the wolves. They are giving him a new scheme, but making sure he’s got the right weapons to make it work. Mannion wants more yards after the catch. That’s a specialty of both Lemon and Stowers.
Going to build off of some of @Nate_Tice‘s points here about how the Eagles’ new pass-catchers can be effectively deployed in this new offense, even if Jalen Hurts hasn’t been a voluminous over-the-middle thrower.
All three guys will work the middle of the field. All three will catch the ball in traffic. All of them can break tackles and fight for yards. That’s what the Mannion offense needs. DeVonta Smith has good RAC ability as well. The Eagles just haven’t consistently taken advantage of it.
Hurts job will be to get them the ball so they can make plays for him. Let your guys work for you.
We haven’t even talked about Saquon Barkley. He’ll be looking for a bounce-back year and I’m sure will be hungrier than ever. He was actually fine in 2025. The blocking was the big issue. Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens are much healthier now than a year ago. We’ll see if they can stay healthy and return to form. The Eagles should have better depth this year. Drew Kendall is in his second season. Willie Lampkin has been with the team for a full offseason. Rookie Micah Morris has more potential than most sixth rounders. Check out this nugget from Jeremy Fowler.
Georgia guard Micah Morris in the sixth round shouldn’t be overlooked. Multiple veteran scouts believed Morris had some Day 1 features, but questions persisted about his work ethic in Athens. Luckily for Morris, the Eagles’ SEC culture — six Alabama players and five Georgia on the roster — should help with accountability. “Once money’s involved and you can be fined for showing up late, maybe he’ll turn the corner,” an NFC exec said. “But he’s light on his feet, he’s got bend, power, legit SEC starting guard.”
He’s not just some late round slappy. The talent is there. He’ll have really good mentors in Dickerson, Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson. He can also lean on any number of former Georgia players on the team. If his head is right, Morris has a bright future.
If Mannion and Hurts can get on the same page and buy into each other, the offense could be very good this season. The potential is there, in terms of talent and scheme fit. It will be interesting to see how this goes. There are plenty of things that could go wrong as well. We don’t want to put on rose colored glasses and assume everything will work out perfectly. I just think the people involved want this to go well and will do everything they can to make that happen. Mannion is trying to establish himself as a coordinator. Hurts is trying to show he’s a better QB than his critics think.
*****
Someone asked if I think the Eagles will sign or trade for a veteran safety.
It certainly is possible, but the fit and cost would have to be right. Howie Roseman is always looking to upgrade. But he doesn’t have a bunch of extra 2027 picks to deal and that draft looks stacked. You want to be careful with those resources. If the right veteran is cut, sure, go get him.
I do think they like Marcus Epps more than most realize. Some people think of him as purely a backup. Epps has 49 career starts. He’s been part of two Top 10 defenses. He is better than some realize.
And rookie Cole Wisniewski is mature physically and mentally. He’s already 24 years old. He was in college for six years. He’s got plenty of experience and took a professional approach to football while in school. He focused on nutrition, rest, and heavy film preparation to make sure he was ready for every week. That’s not your average college player. It is possible he handles the adjustment to pro football better than most rookies.
There is also Michael Carter. We’ve heard he might challenge at safety. Vic Fangio likes him and that’s important.
The Eagles don’t need a body. If they can find an upgrade, that’s worth pursuing. I just don’t see Howie giving up much.