Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

A Safety Option?

Posted May 8th, 2026 | No Comments »

More than a few people are nervous about the Eagles group of safeties. They want Howie Roseman to sign a free agent or trade for a veteran. They don’t trust second-year Drew Mukuba or Marcus Epps to hold down the back end of the defense.

I am not among those people. Mukuba made great strides last year as he adjusted to the pro game and was playing well until he got hurt. Mukuba can be excellent in coverage and showed playmaking ability. As for Epps, I have reminded people that he’s got 49 starts under his belt. There seems to be this thought that he’s only meant to be a backup. Epps started all 17 games for the Eagles in 2022 as part of a Top 10 defense and a team that went to the Super Bowl. He had 94 tackles, 6 PDs, 1 FF and 4 TFLs. Last season Reed Blankenship started 16 games. He had 83 tackles, 4 PDs, 1 FF and 1 TFL. Epps isn’t some slappy. He can play.

Epps isn’t great in coverage and isn’t a ballhawk. He’s only got 3 career INTs. He is a good hitter and tackler. If Vic Fangio decides he does want someone with better ball skills to challenge for a spot there might be a new option. The Colts just released long time nickelback Kenny Moore. He’s played corner and nickel, but some think he could transition to safety. The Honey Badger sure thinks so.

As we know, Fangio likes safeties who have nickel experience. That shows they have good man coverage ability. Moore certainly has that. He’s also very good in zone. He is a playmaker, with 21 career INTs and 68 PDs. He has 11.5 sacks and 39 TFLs so he will hit and tackle. There really is a lot to like. The downside is that he will turn 31 this summer and this is his tenth season in the league. How much decline will there be.

Here are some clips to show you what he’s capable of in coverage and as a tackler. I appreciate his instincts and ability to jump routes. That’s really impressive.

I don’t see this as a likely move, but found it at least interesting. Moore knows Nick Sirianni from their time together in Indy. He’s highly regarded as a person and has been a good player for a while. I also don’t think he would cost that much. We’ll see. I absolutely don’t see the Eagles bringing him in as a nickel so they can move Cooper DeJean to safety. DeJean is arguably the best nickel in the league. I don’t think you want to lose that. The nickel position has become more important than ever.

*****

Great reminder here from Jimmy Bama that the Eagles still have one of the best rosters in the league. Eagles fans love to nitpick about certain possible issues. I get it, but don’t lose sight of the big picture. Howie has put together another impressive lineup.

*****

One of those stars is LB Zack Baun. There was some thought this might be his last season due to a combination of price and age. Thankfully it sounds like he’ll be here for 2027 as well. We’ll have to wait and see what happens after that. Baun is arguably my favorite player so this is great news to me.

*****

If you ever wondered why NFL teams are so paranoid about information, here is a great story from former Eagles exec Jason Licht.

I would have to think Andy and Howie will be calling or texting him after hearing this story.

*****

We’re about to hit a dead period where news will come and go. If you have some topics you would like me to write about, please let me know. I’ve got a few good ideas already lined up, but it is always good to see what you guys might want.

_