Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles safety Marcus Epps (39) reacts after a play against the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Eagles Grades After Safety Room Shakeup

Originally posted on Philadelphia Eagles on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Mar 20, 2026 9:14 PM ET

The Philadelphia Eagles have done a phenomenal job addressing the secondary so far this offseason.

The Eagles entered the offseason with the biggest question in the secondary being the No. 2 outside cornerback spot. That was the case throughout the season as well, but Adoree' Jackson filled the role throughout the campaign and took steps forward, especially in the second half of the season. But the Eagles tried to add even when Jackson was on the team, including a waiver claim on Darius Slay. So, the Eagles clearly viewed the spot as an area that they wanted to improve.

It became an even bigger priority this offseason as Jackson entered free agency. Fortunately, the Eagles didn't wait long to solve the issue by signing former Pro Bowler Riq Woolen. The Eagles also retained Michael Carter II and signed two-time Super Bowl champion Jonathan Jones for good measure.

Grading Eagles' Marcus Epps, JT Gray, Sydney Brown Deals: A

Cornerback is set but safety quickly became a question mark with Reed Blankenship leaving in free agency. The Eagles have Andrew Mukuba, but they needed to find a replacement for Blankenship. They did so on Friday by signing both Marcus Epps and J.T. Gray, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

"The Eagles have agreed to terms with safeties Marcus Epps and J.T. Gray, both of whom get one-year deals, after trading S Sydney Brown to the Falcons," Rapoport wrote. "Epps spent 2019-2022 in Philly, while Gray has been All-Pro three times."

With Epps, the Eagles are getting a familiar option who has had success as a member of the Eagles. With Gray, the Eagles are technically getting a safety, but he's been an All-Pro as a special teams ace, not from the safety spot. He's never played in more than 41 snaps on defense in a season throughout his career.

Signing Epps and Gray helps the safety room and special teams. Both are great moves at this point in the offseason. On top of that, the Eagles made another good move on Friday. Philadelphia traded safety Sydney Brown to the Atlanta Falcons while also flipping fourth- and sixth-round picks, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. So, the Eagles improved their draft position by trading away a piece who was depth for the franchise. That's a win in itself. The Eagles moved up in both the fourth and sixth rounds for someone who was inconsistent, at best, for Philadelphia.

Howie Roseman is on fire right now.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Eagles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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