Safety Dance

The Eagles had a busy Friday afternoon. Interestingly it was all at one position. They finally addressed the safety position.

A Falcons-Eagles trade, per ESPN sources:

Falcons and Eagles swapped fourth- and sixth-round picks, with Atlanta also acquiring S Sydney Brown.

Picks No. 114 and 197 to the Eagles in exchange for picks No. 122, 215 and Sydney Brown. pic.twitter.com/fTwhbF2DHZ

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 20, 2026

That’s not much of a surprise. Brown has been good on STs, but he’s been disappointing on defense. He is too aggressive, which ties in to him being good on STs. That’s one unit where you want guys who will run through a brick wall. He still has potential. Maybe Atlanta will bring out the best in him,

That was just one move.

More safety moves: after trading safety Sydney Brown to the Falcons earlier Friday, the Eagles now have reached agreement on one-year deals with safeties Marcus Epps and J.T. Gray. Epps spent last season with the Eagles, Gray with the Bucs, Broncos and Ravens. pic.twitter.com/raQ7ZnmqJl

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 20, 2026

I’m glad Epps is back. I though he played pretty well last year when he filled in for Drew Mukuba. Epps know the scheme and the team. He’s a guy you wanted back. I’m surprised it took this long. Vic Fangio seems to trust him and that’s critical in this defense. I would pencil him in as the starter beside Mukuba, depending on what goes on with Michael Carter, There has been some talk that Carter could move to safety, but I think they’ll leave him at corner for now.

Who is JT Gray? He will be listed as a safety, but he’s really a STs player. And a darn good one. He has been an all pro on STs three different times. He will fill the void left by Brown. The Eagles found out how good he was in 2024 when Gray blocked a punt against them.

The Eagles got better on Friday.

*****

One thing to keep in mind when the team signs guys to one-year deals is that this isn’t just about the 53-man roster. There is also the practice squad. Think about RB Dameon Pierce. He was really impressive in 2022, but has struggled since then. The Texans OL struggled as well so factor that in. Pierce is insurance in case Tank Bigsby or Will Shipley gets hurt. If he has a great Training Camp, maybe he pushes for a roster spot. He also could be a good fit on the practice squad.

The same could be true for TE Stone Smartt. He has a chance to win a roster spot because he’s a good STer nad that has real value with you backups.

*****

Chuck Norris died on Friday. I didn’t like Norris when I was a kid. He fought Bruce Lee in Way of the Dragon and I couldn’t like anyone who went up against Bruce. I changed my mind in 1983 when I saw Lone Wolf McQuade. I’m not saying it is the greatest movie of all time, but it makes Citizen Kane look like a student film.

I’ve shared this clip before, but it is a must as we honor Chuck.

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