Why Vic Fangio and Eagles Are On The 'PP Plan' With Uar Bernard This Training Camp

Uar Bernard is going to have an interesting summer.

Not only is Bernard embarking on his first training camp with the Philadelphia Eagles. This is Bernard's first training camp --ever.

Bernard never played football in his life before being drafted in the seventh round by the Eagles. He's the most intriguing player in an Eagles uniform this summer, even though he likely won't play a down this season.

Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio admitted Bernard has never put on shoulder pads. That will change next week, when the Eagles have their first padded practice.

This summer is going to be an advanture.

"The "PP Plan," lots of patience and lots of persistence," Fangio said. "The day he put on a helmet here was the first time he ever put on a helmet. He hasn’t had shoulder pads on yet. That would be a new experience for him."

Why Eagles have to be patient with Bernard

This is going to be a long summer for Bernard, a man who has never experienced the rigors of training camp. Bernard will be going up against players who have played football their whole lives, and he hasn't even put on a pair of shoulder pads yet.

This is comparable to Jordan Mailata's rookie year, as he was learning on the fly. Watching Mailata learn the game was intriguing, but he didn't deserve to be on an NFL roster if the Eagles compile dthe 53 best players -- that year and the next.

The Eagles essentially reserved a roster spot for Mailata, and wsill do the same for Bernard as he learns the game. There are going to be a lot of reports on Bernard getting blown up on the line for bernard struggling to get off the snap.

This is part of the process of developing Bernard. he's not just learning how to play football, but he's learning the game of football.

"Everybody, including himself and us, needs to temper any expectations down," Fangio said. "He's got a process to go through. Process, that's a bad word around here."

Does Bernard have a roster spot on lock?

Nothing is a given, but the Eagles are deep enough at defensive tackle to reserve a roster spot for Bernard. This is similar to Mailata back in 2018, as the Eagles were deep enough on the offensive line to reserve a roster spot for him.

Defensive tackle is the deepest position on the Eagles roster. The Eagles have Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo as their first team players, followed by Byron Young leading the second team.

Ty Robinson is still there, even though his roster spot is in jeopardy. Gabe Hall and Tae'Quon Graham are also fighting for roster spots. The Eagles are likely to keep six defensive tackles, with one being the reserved spot for Bernard.

This is part of the "PP plan." The Eagles have to live by their words as Bernard learns the game.

Bernard isn't going to figure football out in five weeks -- or this year. This is a two-year process, at minimum.

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