Eagles claim the safety the Vikings cut to make room for Andrew Sendejo’s return

The Philadelphia Eagles claimed safety Marcus Epps off waivers, according to an official announcement from the team.

This is a funny addition because Epps was recently waived by the Minnesota Vikings so that they could claim Andrew Sendejo off waivers after the veteran was released by the Eagles.

So, it’s almost like the two teams pulled off a deal despite the fact the NFL trade deadline passed last week. When you factor in compensatory pick considerations, the pseudo-swap looks like this:

EAGLES RECEIVE: Marcus Epps, 2020 compensatory fourth-round pick

VIKINGS RECEIVE: Andrew Sendejo

Epps, 23, was selected by the Vikings with a sixth-round pick (No. 191 overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft. The rookie defenisve backs only logged 12 defensive snaps (2%) and 76 special teams snaps (33%) prior to getting waived this week. The Vikings reportedly wanted to keep him on their practice squad if he went unclaimed through waivers, which he didn’t.

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The addition of Epps gives the Eagles four safeties on their 53-man roster. Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod are the obvious starters. Rudy Ford and Epps likely only figure to contribute on special teams, even with Sendejo gone. The Eagles are expected to play more four cornerback dime sets moving forward.

Perhaps the Eagles think Epps has some developmental potential as a defensive contributor in the long-term. Pre-draft scouting report from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:

Former walk-on who has became an impact defender the moment he stepped on campus in Laramie. Epps saw an increase in snaps over the slot last season but lacks the smooth hips and short-area quickness to match routes on the next level. He was a plus tester at his pro day and it is hard to ignore the steady stream of production, but he lacks size for the box and the makeup burst as a high safety so his road to the 53-man roster will be daunting.

The Eagles’ roster is once again filled to capacity at the 53-player limit.