Marcus Epps Inches Closer to Starting Safety Spot

The Eagles seems content with the former sixth-round pick of the Vikings as one of their starting safeties

PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles have addressed many of their perceived needs this offseason, the latest of which came Wednesday when news broke that veteran cornerback James Bradberry will be staying in the NFC East after agreeing to a one-year deal worth up to $10 million with the Eagles.

One hole that hasn't been patched is safety and the reason could be that the Philadelphia brass just doesn't see things the way outsiders do when it comes to emerging fourth-year player Marcus Epps.

“We probably have a higher vision of that [safety] room than maybe is perceived,” GM Howie Roseman said earlier this month.

When discussing Epps specifically Roseman said: "We have a lot of confidence in Marcus. Marcus played really good football for us last year.”

The Eagles did keep their eyes on the safety market in the offseason, getting outbid by Baltimore for Marcus Williams and begging off Tyrann Mathieu when New Orleans proved willing to go to multiple years.

At least part of the discipline stemmed from a belief in Epps, 26, who mixed in with starters Anthony Harris and Rodney McLeod last season, playing 45% of the defensive snaps. At times, Epps was arguably the best of the trio in 2021.

Harris was brought back on a cost-effective one-year deal and the well-liked McLeod was allowed to walk to Indianapolis in free agency, leaving Epps as a de facto starter for the first time in his career.

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A one-time walk-on in college at Wyoming, Epps was regarded as a very instinctive coverage player when the Minnesota Vikings selected him in the sixth round of the 2019 draft.

Epps was ultimately claimed on waivers midway through his rookie season in what essentially turned out to be a trade, as the Vikings brought back Andrew Sendejo after the Eagles released him.

Epps has slowly chipped away from that point and essentially surpassed 2020 fourth-round pick K'Von Wallace on the depth chart.

“The coaches, they’ve expressed confidence in me," Epps said. "Obviously, I have a lot of confidence in myself. Just like any other year, I’ve still got to come in and prove it."

Epps' teammates show the same confidence.

“He’s a guy that’s always been steady and consistent in what he does," Mike linebacker T.J. Edwards said. "He takes his prep very seriously. There’s not a day where he’s not acting like he’s that guy. Even last year, when he was kinda rotating in and kind of not, you knew that if he had to be the starter, he’d be ready.”

Before the Bradberry signing the Eagles talked about the potential of players like Zech McPhearson and Tay Gowan at cornerback so there is no guarantee Epps is going to be handed anything.

Roseman has consistently noted that talent-gathering season lasts until the trade deadline and even beyond with the waiver wire with the track record to prove it.

The Epps hype is starting to feel real, though.

“I thought I played pretty solid last year,” Epps said. “I thought I set a good foundation to build off of this year."

Independent film analysts from Pro Football Focus agree with that assessment, grading Epps ahead of both McLeod and Harris. The key is turning solid rotational play into the same kind of consistency as an every-down player.

“Our coaches have been saying something: you have to prove and re-prove yourself," said Epps. "That’s kind of how it was for me, even in college, being a walk-on. I always had to prove and re-prove myself.

"... My mindset hasn’t really shifted from that.”

The lack of pedigree with Epps has outsiders thinking about trades for Baltimore's Chuck Clark or even moving star slot corner Avonte Maddox back to safety, something the Pitt product did a bit as a rookie.

Marcus Epps / USA Today

Maddox, though, isn't planning on moving and raved about Epps' football IQ.

“He’s smart,” Maddox said. “I sit next to him every day in our DB room and we battle each other [during Kahoot! trivia]. He always beats me. ... He’s definitely ready to be a starter. He puts in the time. ... He’s not afraid to come up and tackle someone, and he’s definitely capable of running 40 yards to the left, 40 yards to the right to stop that fade ball.”

Epps himself is taking things in stride.

"I’m just trying to be myself, day-in and day-out," the Southern California native said. "... I’m never somebody who gets complacent or gets down on myself. Either way, I’m just going to keep working the way I’ve always worked my whole life, and keep pushing.”

That hard work is about to pay off.

"It’s his time to shine,” Maddox said of Epps. “Everyone gets their time, their opportunity. It’s sitting there on his plate, and hopefully, he runs away with it.”

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen