Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Some International Flavor

Posted May 1st, 2026 | No Comments »

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,

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.

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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.

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The Eagles are already busy signing their picks.

This is more of a formality these days. Still, always good to see things going smoothly.

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Here is the upcoming schedule for the team.

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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.

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.

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