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Marcus Epps

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/24/24

September 24th, 2024 at 7:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tuesday’s minor moves around the NFL:

Chicago Bears

 Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Patrick was among the Broncos’ final roster cuts but he quickly landed a deal with the Lions on their practice squad. Healthy after back-to-back years featuring major injuries, the 30-year-old has twice been a gameday elevation so far this year and logged a 44% offensive snap share. He will aim to remain in a depth role while now permanently on the active roster.

Covey will be sidelined for at least the next four weeks given today’s move. His injury is particularly notable given the fact A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are both injured at the moment, thinning out the team’s receiver room. Covey, 27, received seven targets across the past two games and Philadelphia will need to turn to other options for a complementary role at wideout (along with the return game).

Raiders S Marcus Epps Suffers ACL Tear

September 23rd, 2024 at 3:14pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Raiders were dealt a major blow during Sunday’s loss. Safety Marcus Epps suffered an ACL tear, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Epps was part of the Raiders’ efforts to rebuild in the secondary last offseason. He inked a two-year deal as a free agent worth $12MM. That pact included $8MM in guarantees, and it proved to be a worthwhile investment from the team’s perspective last year. The 28-year served as a full-time starter, collecting 66 tackles and three pass breakups. Similar play was expected of him in 2024, but his attention will turn to recovery.

As Pelissero notes, Epps’ knee is otherwise intact, which is a positive sign regarding his long-term outlook. For the time being, though, the Raiders will be shorthanded at the safety spot. The Wyoming product logged more than 1,000 defensive snaps for the second straight year in 2023, and replacing him will be a tall order for Las Vegas. The team ranks 28th in scoring defense through three games, including poor numbers against the pass (226 yards per game), and those figures could worsen in Epps’ absence.

The former Viking and Eagle did not hold down a full-time starting role in Philadelphia until his final year with the team. Epps did not deliver strong coverage statistics that season, but his leadership and communication made him an attractive option for the Raiders to pair with Tre’von Moehrig. The latter had his best season to date in 2023, but he will close out the current campaign with a new safety partner. The likes of Isaiah Pola-Mao, Amari Burney, Christopher Smith and Trey Taylor are options to take on an increased defensive role.

The news of Epps’ injury comes not long after it was learned starting defensive end Malcolm Koonce is also out for the year. Those absences will leave the Raiders without a pair of impactful defenders moving forward as they look to improve from a 1-2 start. With nearly $28MM in cap space, a move aimed at adding safety depth to help replace Epps would be feasible from a financial standpoint.

For the former sixth-rounder, this injury will no doubt impact his free agent value. Epps will look to rehab in time for the start of the 2025 campaign, but his market will not be as strong as it would have been had he remained healthy and productive for Vegas.

NFL Injury Roundup: Jefferson, Herbert, Hamilton

December 10th, 2023 at 6:04pm CST by Ely Allen

Justin Jefferson‘s return from injured reserve may not last long. In Jefferson’s first game back from the IR-stint caused by a nagging hamstring injury, the Vikings wide receiver was knocked out of the game early with a separate injury.

While cutting across the middle of the field on a deep slant, Jefferson leapt up, arms extended, in an attempt to grab a high pass from quarterback Joshua Dobbs. While Jefferson was fully exposed in the process of the catch, Raiders safety Marcus Epps delivered a big shot to Jefferson’s rib cage from the side.

It didn’t take long for the team to rule Jefferson out for the remainder of the game with a chest injury. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Minnesota decided to transport Jefferson to a local hospital in Las Vegas. While perhaps not indicative of the worst-case scenario, the Vikings are likely just acting out of an abundance of caution.

At 6-6, the Vikings are one of a handful of NFC teams on the boundary of playoff contention, even without Jefferson for the last eight weeks. If Jefferson’s chest injury is not too painful to overcome, he would be a great asset in a playoff push to close the season.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the league:

  • The Chargers are facing an uphill battle in their attempts to remain in playoff contention. Things won’t get any easier as starting quarterback Justin Herbert was ruled out of today’s game with a finger injury, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. With Herbert out, backup quarterback Easton Stick has entered the game for his first game action since the 2020 season. Since starting in place of an injured Tyrod Taylor in Week 2 of his rookie season, Herbert has not missed a single start in his career. If Herbert’s finger keeps him out for more than a few days, with Los Angeles facing a short week, Stick could see his first ever NFL start in Vegas this Thursday.
  • Ravens do-it-all safety Kyle Hamilton was forced to leave today’s overtime win over the Rams with a knee injury. He had sat out a couple of plays after initially tweaking his knee before returning to the field of play earlier in the game. A few drives later, he would not return and was ruled out for the rest of the game. According to Schefter, the plan is for Hamilton to undergo an MRI scan tomorrow in order to determine the extent of the injury. Baltimore is set up well with Marcus Williams and Geno Stone at safety, but Hamilton lines up in so many places on the defense that he would be virtually impossible to replace with a single player if he’s forced to miss any time.

Raiders To Sign S Marcus Epps

March 13th, 2023 at 5:12pm CST by Ben Levine

The Eagles have lost another defender in free agency. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that safety Marcus Epps is expected to sign with the Raiders.

The defensive back will get a two-year, $12MM deal from Las Vegas, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The contract includes $8MM in guaranteed money.

Epps had a career season for the Eagles in 2022, starting a career-high 17 games. The defensive back finished the campaign with 94 tackles and six passes defended, and he had another 13 stops in three postseason starts. The 27-year-old only finished as Pro Football Focus’ 71st-ranked cornerback among 88 qualifiers, but the site did give him a top-12 score in rush defense.

With Rock Ya-Sin and Anthony Averett hitting free agency, the Raiders have been mentioned as a potential suitor for free agent defensive backs. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (via Twitter), there was mutual interest between the Raiders and Bills safety Jordan Poyer, but it seems like the organization opted for the cheaper alternative.

The defending NFC champions have already seen a handful of defenders leave today. Besides Epps, the Eagles have also lost defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and linebacker T.J. Edwards to free agency.

Eagles Looking For More Safety Help?

August 22nd, 2022 at 3:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jaquiski Tartt has worked as a starter for most of his career, lining up as a 49ers first-stringer 64 times since being taken in the 2015 second round. The veteran defender, however, has not shown enough to be an Eagles roster lock yet. The other Eagles veteran safety, Anthony Harris, may not be locked in as a starter. The team appears on the lookout for more help.

Marcus Epps looks to be the only Eagles safety who has secured a roster spot, Geoff Mosher of InsidetheBirds.com notes. Epps, 26, stands in front of Harris and Tartt (both 30), but the Eagles should be expected to seek a starter upgrade alongside the fourth-year player. This would be the one starting spot the Eagles try to upgrade between now and Week 1, Zach Berman of The Athletic offers.

Harris and Tartt each signed one-year deals with Philadelphia this offseason, the former doing so to stay with the team. Harris worked as a full-time starter last season for the Eagles, but Mosher adds the team’s lack of speed at this position is viewed as a concern. Pro Football Focus graded Harris just outside the top 50 at safety last season; Tartt slotted outside the top 70.

Once attached to the franchise tag in Minnesota, Harris re-signed with Philadelphia on a lower-cost deal (one year, $2.5MM; $1MM guaranteed) compared to his 2021 contract. Tartt signed a one-year, $1.12MM pact with no guarantees. The longtime San Francisco starter is on the outside looking in right now, Berman adds in a roster prediction that has former UDFAs K’Von Wallace, Josiah Scott and Andre Chachere cracking Philly’s 53-man squad instead of Tartt.

Epps has missed time recently because of a back issue as well. The former Vikings sixth-round pick has also never been a full-time starter, seeing just eight such opportunities in three seasons. The Eagles used Harris and Rodney McLeod as their back-line tandem last season; McLeod is now with the Colts. Epps rising to a starting role has been in the works for a bit now.

The Eagles exited the draft with safety as a position of need, but Tartt joining Harris and Epps quieted that noise. Training camp, however, has reignited the push for an otherwise-strong Philly roster to have more help at the position. The Eagles should be expected to make another move here, per InsidetheBirds.com’s Adam Caplan.

Eagles S Marcus Epps In Line For Starting Spot?

June 4th, 2022 at 10:24am CST by Adam La Rose

The Eagles have made a number of notable additions on both sides of the ball, but a starting role at the safety position is up for grabs this offseason. According to Zach Berman and Bo Wulf of the Athletic (subscription required), the favorite for that spot is Marcus Epps. 

After the departure of veteran Rodney McLeod, the Eagles have a number of options to consider, but not much in the way of NFL experience. Epps, 26, began his career with the Vikings in 2019. After just eight games in Minnesota, however, he was waived; that began his tenure with the Eagles, where he has played a rotational role.

The former sixth-rounder has appeared in 30 games over the past two seasons, seeing an uptick in playing time from 2020 to 2021. Over that stretch, he totalled 109 tackles, three interceptions and nine pass deflections. That production leaves him as a logical candidate to take on an even larger workload for the 2022 season, the final year of his rookie contract.

As Wulf writes, 2020 fourth-rounder K’Von Wallace could be “closer to being off the roster entirely” than to the vacant starting role. The Clemson alum has made six appearances in two seasons, playing primarily on special teams. Other young options include Andre Chachere and Jared Mayden, leaving uncertainty in terms of depth behind Anthony Harris and “front-runner” Epps as starters.

Berman makes note of the push the Eagles made to sign Marcus Williams in free agency as evidence of the front office’s perception of the depth chart at the position. Their attempt to add the former Saint, who ultimately landed in Baltimore, coupled with the fact that Harris, 30, re-signed on only a one-year deal for less than what he earned last season, could leave general manager Howie Roseman busy in attempting to make at least one more addition. On that point, Berman posits that Roseman should be inquiring about trading for veteran Raven Chuck Clark, something multiple teams have already done.

While more could still be done at the position, then, it appears as though Epps can be penciled in as a starter for the time being. If he does ultimately land – and hold on to – the spot, he could help offset the loss of McLeod and earn himself a larger payday in free agency in the process.

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 1/3/22

January 3rd, 2022 at 8:56pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Monday’s activations from and placements on the reserve/COVID-19 lists:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OT Mike Remmers (remains on IR)

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Raymond Calais (remains on IR)

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/18/20

November 18th, 2020 at 5:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Activated from IR: OL Phil Haynes
  • Placed on IR: CB Neiko Thorpe

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/5/20

November 5th, 2020 at 4:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Matt Judon

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed off Raiders’ practice squad: CB Dylan Mabin

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Marcus Epps; Epps tested positive for the coronavirus but is believed to be asymptomatic, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link)

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/7/19

November 7th, 2019 at 4:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

  • Waived from injured reserve: S Damian Parms

New York Jets

  • Activated from non-football injury list: CB Bless Austin
  • Placed on injured reserve: S Rontez Miles
  • Waived: LB B.J. Bello

Oakland Raiders

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

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