Are Eagles Really Going Into This Season With Marcus Epps As The Starting Safety?

The Philadelphia Eagles don't spend a lot of money at the safety position. The $8.04 million the Eagles spend at safety is dead last in the NFL.

This isn't a question whether the Eagles value safety. The Eagles just have a lot of expensive contracts tied up at premium positions they have to be compliant somewhere.

Just look at the moves at safety over the past two year. The Eagles traded away C.J. Gardner-Johnson with two years left on his contract, allowed Reed Blankenship to walk in free agency, and dealt away Sydney Brown heading into the last year of his rookie deal. Safety has been in flux ever since.

The Eagles spent a high draft pick on Andrew Mukuba last year, so he's locked in at one of the starting spots. Mukuba is on a rookie contract and played well enough when he was healthy to earn a starting spot heading into year two.

But who starts at teh other safety spot? Slim pickings with Marcus Epps, J.T. Gray, Michael Carter, and seventh-round pick Cole Wisniewski.

Epps is the clear front runner for the job, based on his performance at the end of last season. The way Epps played since he returned to the Eagles last year. Epps signed with the Eagles practice squad after 53-man roster cutdowns and eventually earned his way onto the active roster.

He started his first game in December and never looked back. The Eagles even brought Epps back in free agency on a one-year deal after Blankenship departed.

Based on how the safety position has shaken out, Epps is the guy starting opposite mukuba -- for now.

"I was pleasantly surprised," said Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. "Maybe surprised is the wrong word because I just really didn't know him. But when he had to play last year, he came in and showed his experience, showed his instincts that he has for the game. I was pleased with the way he played last year.

"I wasn't considering him an old player at this point, but he's obviously a veteran. I think he'll do fine. I'm not sure what his injury history has been, but I think if he stays injury-free and if he wins the job, we'll be fine."

Fangio is okay going into the season with Epps as the starting safety, but are the Eagles?

The Eagles can get by with Epps thanks to their cornerback trio of Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Tariq Woolen. DeJean is going to play safety in base defense, so that will solve some problems in keeping him on the field at all times.

Epps is going to play the majority of the snaps there unless the Eagles add another proven starter. The free agency options aren't great, and there isn't likely a trade to be made until the A.J. Brown trade is settled.

There could be a chance Epps has this job well into August, as the Eagles will evaluate him in training camp. They didn't trade for Gardner-Johnson until late in the summer, and could do the same thing as the days of training camp end.

Deadlines spur action -- and there's no deadline for the Eagles to add a safety right now.

Epps is going to get a long look by the Eagles this summer, for better or worse. At least the Eagles know what they have and the type of player they have with Epps.

If the Eagles do stick with Epps at safety, he will have earned that job. He may have that position already.

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