Eagles 53-man Roster Defensive Reaction: Howie Roseman has a card up his sleeve after questionable moves
Philadelphia ended up waiving two promising pieces, but there’s a realistic chance they might be back.
The Philadelphia Eagles had some tough decisions to make, and that generated some questionable decisions along the defensive personnel. So, let’s discuss what general manager Howie Roseman did, and what comes next for Philly.
The Weru and Bernard situation
A lot of Eagles fans are bummed about Joshua Weru and Uar Bernard both being waived, and I get it. They’ve been a fun story. They’ve shown flashes of potential, and Eagles fans have gotten attached. But I think we need to take a step back. These are International Pathway Program prospects. One was a seventh-round pick, the other was undrafted. It’s not some crazy out-of-this-world concept that they didn’t make a 53-man roster.
I would have kept one of those guys over Andy Dalton, absolutely. But maybe other teams don’t value these guys as much as Eagles fans do. They’re not ready to play this season. Maybe next year or the year after. And I don’t think it’s crazy that at least one of them clears waivers and ends up back on the practice squad where he can be elevated when needed.
Jonathan Greenard’s status is huge news
Now, on a much more positive note, edge defender Jonathan Greenard was not placed on the PUP list to begin the season. That means the Eagles expect him to be able to play within the first month, and he won’t have to miss the mandatory four games. That is massive.
Philadelphia traded for Greenard and gave him a real contract, and he hasn’t been on the field nearly enough. The injury situation has been concerning all offseason. We’ve been looking for younger players to step up at that position, and based on some of Vic Fangio’s comments during camp, it didn’t sound like Greenard was going to be available anytime soon. So this is a legitimate positive development. The Eagles desperately need production from that spot after it was a weakness last season.
