The Eagles may have tucked Uar Bernard onto the practice squad with an international player designation, but that move does not make him untouchable.
Philadelphia used the exemption on Bernard back in May, which gave the team an extra practice squad slot. Under the current NFL rules, that designation lets a team carry 17 practice squad players instead of the normal maximum of 16. What it does not do is shield the player from being signed away.
That means Bernard can still be lost at any point this season if another team decides to add him to its 53-man roster. Any NFL club can pull him from another team’s practice squad and sign him to its active roster, though it cannot sign him to its own practice squad.
Bernard cleared waivers and joined the Eagles’ practice squad along with 14 other players after the waiver deadline. The international exemption simply gave Philadelphia more flexibility in how it built that group. In fact, the Eagles reportedly signed running back Jaydon Blue and offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie to the practice squad, and one of those moves may not have happened without the extra room created by Bernard’s designation.
Philadelphia has 15 practice squad spots filled right now, which leaves two openings to finish the group because of the 17-man allowance tied to Bernard. That’s the real value of the exemption: not protection, but room to develop an international player while still using established players in the rest of the squad.
Weru is also an international player, but he did not get the designation. The NFL only allows one international player designation, and Philadelphia used it on Bernard. So Weru is treated like any other practice squad player, meaning he can be signed to another team’s 53-man roster at any time if a club wants to make that move.
That situation is not new for the Eagles. It’s similar to when Patrick Johnson was on Philadelphia’s practice squad a few years ago and the New York Giants signed him to their active roster during the season before he eventually returned to the Eagles a year later.
Still, a claim or signing of Bernard or Weru would be a surprise. The source material notes that both are still developing in their rookie season and are not in position to help a 53-man roster right now.
This is not the same kind of setup as Jordan Mailata, either. The Eagles did not stash Bernard on the 53-man roster and later move him to injured reserve. It’s a different path entirely.
“I think sometimes we forget Uar has never played organized sports before. It's a different bar,” said Eagles general manager Howir Roseman. “I think if we're just judging everyone through the lens of Jordan Mailata, it's going to be hard to give these guys a fair chance.
“From our perspective, development is real. These guys have tremendous ability to be developed.
They want to be developed. They have tools in their body, they've got great character, but it's new to them.”
In Other News...
Howie Roseman Just Sent A Message To The Eagles CB Room
The Eagles added another name to their practice squad mix this week, bringing in former Ravens cornerback Robert Longerbeam as they keep sorting through options in the secondary. Longerbeam was a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and his path has already included a season lost to a torn patellar tendon, which makes this a low-risk, high-upside look for a team that is never shy about churning the bottom of the roster.
Longerbeam was part of a broader wave of additions, with Philadelphia also signing wide receiver Danny Gray, offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie and running back Jaydon Blue. For the cornerback room, the move reinforces how aggressively the Eagles are continuing to collect bodies and competition, leaving the shape of the group very much in flux as the team keeps evaluating who can stick. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Just Took A Quiet Flier On Former Draft Picks
The Eagles finished filling out their 17-man practice squad by adding a small batch of familiar names and fresh lottery tickets, a move that fits the way they like to stock the back end of the roster. Wide receiver Danny Gray, offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie, cornerback Robert Longerbeam and running back Jaydon Blue all landed on the group, giving Philadelphia a mix of developmental depth at several spots while keeping the emphasis on players with some draft pedigree or previous camp exposure.
For a team that consistently treats the practice squad as more than just paperwork, the additions are notable because they widen the pool behind the 53-man roster without forcing any immediate decisions. The Eagles also have their international exemption spot occupied by defensive tackle Uar Bernard, so the group is now in place, leaving the next question to be how quickly any of these former draft picks can turn a quiet signing into something more meaningful. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Take A Flier On A Former Cowboys Draft Pick
Jaydon Blues move across the NFC East gives the Eagles another look at a back they once had to plan against, and it comes with a little bit of intrigue for a practice squad spot. The former Cowboys fifth-round pick was one of Dallas depth options last year, and his path through the league has already included real game action after injuries pushed him into the mix.
Blue never quite turned those chances into steady production in Dallas, though, and that inconsistency ultimately left him vulnerable when roster cuts arrived. Philadelphia is taking the chance anyway, adding him to the practice squad and betting that a change of scenery can make the most of a player whose talent has flashed even as his role has remained unsettled. [Read more 🡒]