Eagles' Safety Plans: Cooper DeJean And Competition

PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles’ plan to replace safety Reed Blankenship is a layered one that will include All-Pro Cooper DeJean and a competition.

DeJean played the 2025 season as an outside cornerback in the base defense before moving inside to the slot in nickel where he earned those All-Pro honors.

With his good friend Blankenship now in Houston after signing with the Texans in free agency and veteran outside CB Riq Woolen brought by the Eagles, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s working plan is to have the versatile DeJean play opposite of second-year safety Drew Mukuba in the base defense, something the Eagles have played about 10 to 15 snaps per game in the Fangio era. Woolen will handle the outside work at CB on the other side of All-Pro Quinyon Mitchell.

DeJean will continue to move to the slot in nickel looks while an open competition will be in play, with veteran Marcus Epps and Michael Carter as the lead combatants.

Position Change

Epps, 30, returned on a one-year deal this offseason after finishing the 2025 season as a starter alongside Blankenship after Mukuba went down with a fractured right fibula. He remains the placeholder everyone else is chasing.

"It's open," Fangio said when discussing the position at the Jefferson Health Training Complex on Thursday. "I think Marcus is someone that will put up good claim to it. In base, it will be Cooper. When we go to nickel and Coop comes up and plays nickel, it'll be Epps."

The book isn't closed though.

From there, it’s Carter, who is making a move from slot CB to safety, Andre’ Sam, veteran All-Pro special-teamer J.T. Gray, and rookies Cole Wisniewski, Kapena Gushiken, and Maximus Pulley.

"We're taking a good look at Michael Carter back there. Andre Sam. Then we signed an undrafted free
agent, Gush. J.T. Gray has been mainly a special teams player, but he'll get a look. We'll look at
all those guys. It's an open competition."

Epps seems to be the clear leader, though.

“I wouldn’t consider him an old player at this point, but he’s obviously a veteran,” Fangio said. "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.”

As for Carter: “He just has to go out there and do it,” according to Fangio. “... “I think we’ll know early whether he’s got the feel for it or not.”

The Eagles will continue their offseason program with Phase III next week, on-field organized team activities before mandatory minicamp in June. By that point Fangio might have his feel on Carter which could determine if GM Howie Roseman will be tasked on adding more to the position over the summer.

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