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.

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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.

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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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Options

The Eagles have filled some holes on the roster and added some solid players. They haven’t made any significant moves. They sniffed around a few things, but weren’t able to pull anything off. The offseason isn’t over and the Eagles still have some options.

The #Eagles recently reworked K Jake Elliott’s contract, trimming his base pay from $6 million to $5 million but guaranteeing all of it. His cap number for 2026 was lowered by $240k. pic.twitter.com/x57gQwjrDu

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 19, 2026

Why would they do this to save so little money? Howie Roseman has spent the offseason trying to build as much cap space as possible.

A week into the league year, the NFL’s report on the teams with the most cap space …

1) Titans $63.56M
2) Chargers $54.13M
3) Commanders $52.17M
4) Cardinals $41.72M
5) 49ers $40.13M
6) Eagles $38.98M
7) Jets $38.47M
8) Seahawks $38.1M
9) Patriots $37.01M
10) Steelers $29.87M

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 18, 2026

Howie and his staff have done a terrific job of creating space. That gives them the flexibility to go after Jonathan Greenard if they want. Maybe they would be able to trade AJ Brown before June 1. There coul be a free agent or two that they have interest in. Maybe they would like to re-sign Fred Johnson to be the swing tackle. I think re-signing safety Marcus Epps would make a lot of sense. They have options.

The trade for Andy Dalton gives them the option to trade Tanner McKee if they want. We haven’t heard much about teams showing interest in him, but it feels like the QB market has become more active recently. The Eagles dealt for Dalton. The Chiefs just trade for Justin Fields. Andy does love athletic QBs. Just this morning Carson Wentz re-signed with the Vikings. Maybe a market will emerge for McKee.

The Eagles still have needs. They can address these through free agency, trades or the draft. They still need to add an edge rusher, preferably someone who can affect the QB on a regular basis. With Jihaad Campbell having a shoulder issue they could look to add another LB. Jeremiah Trotter Jr could fill in as needed, but there would be a need for depth. Safety is still a mystery. We don’t know what their plan is. Most of the offensive starters are set. There is need for depth on the OL and possibly at receiver.

Many of these needs can be addressed in the draft, but not all of them. Howie is going to need to make some more pro moves. With additional cap space and the possibility of adding another pick or two, Howie will have more options for how to adress his team’s needs.

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What could McKee bring in a trade?

It might not be as much as you think. McKee has looked good when he’s played, but he only has two career starts. He’s only thrown 249 career passes. The best deal would probably be a trade for a future pick that would be tied to production.

Maybe you could get a third rounder this year since this is a weak QB class and a few teams still need QB help. Howie won’t give him up cheap. He’ll have a good sense of the market.

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