The Philadelphia Eaglestook a calculated gamble when they exposed International Player Pathway prospects Joshua Weru and Uar Bernard to waivers. Fortunately, both players cleared waivers and will continue their development in the organization.
That's the outcome Philadelphia seemed to want. The outcome, however, led to an inevitable question for general manager Howie Roseman. Years ago, in 2018, the Eagles drafted a seventh-rounder, Jordan Mailata, and added him to the active roster long before he was ready to contribute. Why not take a similar approach with Weru or Bernard?
That was one of the questions posed to Roseman during his most recent press conference. His answer revealed something important about how the Eagles view both players and,
ultimately, how they view Mailata. Roseman cautioned against measuring any International Player Pathway prospect against the Eagles' star left tackle. As far as he's concerned, there will never be another Jordan Mailata.
"I don't know, whoever's the youngest person in this room probably could be doing this for 30, 40 years, and nobody's going to see a Jordan Mailata ever again."
Mailata's story has become one of the NFL's most remarkable development success stories. The former Australian rugby player arrived in Philadelphia without football experience and eventually developed into one of the league's premier offensive tackles.
" I mean, the person, the player, that guy is... That story, it’s an unbelievable story. He had just a unique combination of size, strength, athleticism, and pro experience as an athlete. I think sometimes we forget Uar has never played organized sports before. It’s a different bar. 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. Still very excited about {Bernard and Weru], really glad that they did get through. Certainly wasn’t certain about that, but I’m glad they’re back here."
Perhaps he's right. Mailata may be an unrealistic benchmark for future International Player Pathway participants. That also doesn't mean the Eagles should be any less excited about Weru and Bernard. Roseman emphasized that both players possess intriguing physical tools and strong character traits. He also reminded observers how new football remains to them.
Bernard, for example, had never played organized sports before arriving in Philadelphia. The larger message was clear. The Eagles believe Weru and Bernard deserve to be evaluated on their own timelines, not against the most successful International Player Pathway story the league has ever seen.
For Weru and Bernard, that's probably good news. As Roseman suggested, judging every international prospect against an All-Pro left tackle may be the quickest way to create expectations no player could reasonably meet.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Howie Roseman explains why Jordan Mailata is an unfair standard
