Eagles projected to keep both project defenders who've become fan favorites originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The Philadelphia Eagles' 53-man roster this season is going to be very interesting. There are a lot of position battles still up for grabs, like at quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, offensive line, cornerback, safety, and linebacker. But, for the most part, the defensive line rooms along the interior and at the edge are mostly set. That is, except for the potential of fan-favorite project rookies, who've never played football before this year, to make the roster. The Athletic's Brooks Kubena and Zach Berman both projected that Uar Bernard, the fan-favorite defensive tackle, would make the Eagles' roster, while Joshua Weru was only projected by Kubena to make the 53-man roster. Eagles projected to keep Uar Bernard, but still 50/50 on Joshua Weru Both Kubena and Berman project the Eagles to hold onto Bernard on their initial 53-man roster, thanks in part to the potential risk of losing him if they were to cut him. "But it makes sense that the Eagles would not want to risk it - especially now that Bernard has 15 preseason snaps on film," Kubena writes. If the Eagles were to cut Bernard to get to a 53-man roster, and he were to be picked up by another team, Eagles fans would surely be irritated. He's become a fan favorite due to his incredible athletic profile, which includes a 4.63 40-yard dash at 6-foot-4 and over 300 pounds. Bernard has the physical tools and only needs to learn the proper technique. Berman went as far as to note that it would "surprise" him if the Eagles didn't keep Bernard. So, of the two project rookie defenders, Eagles fans should feel somewhat confident that Bernard will not be leaving the Eagles, barring a big change. MORE: Eagles might've already found their Lane Johnson heir after 6-foot-9 rookie Markell Bell Kubena projects the Eagles to keep Weru, the edge-rusher project who's flown a little under the radar as an undrafted free agent rookie since Bernard was actually picked during the draft. Weru "impressed" during his debut for the Eagles, according to Kubena, as he was on the field for twice as many snaps as Bernard and even had a quarterback hit. Berman, however, projects the Eagles will try to get him back on the practice squad after exposing him to waivers. Trying to get him through waivers would be a big risk. But Berman believes that, "At this point, I'll say yes" to Weru making it through waivers and returning to Philadelphia by joining the practice squad. While neither player is a lock to make the roster right now, the projections from Berman and Kubena on the pair of rookies who've never played football before this year show just how close the fan-favorite defenders are to actually making the roster. More NFL news:
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