Marcus Epps isn’t flashy, but fills one of the Raiders’ biggest needs

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 04: Marcus Epps #22 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on against the Tennessee Titans at Lincoln Financial Field on December 4, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
By Vic Tafur
Mar 13, 2023

The Raiders wanted to address the safety position in free agency, and while the top couple of guys went off the board for a good chunk of change, the Raiders hope they found some value in Marcus Epps. They agreed to terms on a two-year, $12 million deal with close to $8 million guaranteed, a league source confirmed to The Athletic.

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Epps, who ranked No. 88 on The Athletic’s top 150 free agents list, started 20 games last season for the Eagles after starting a total of eight in his first three seasons with the Eagles and Vikings.

The Raiders were interested in former Bills safety Jordan Poyer but may have been scared off when Vonn Bell signed with the Panthers and then Jessie Bates III went to the Falcons for $64 million for four years.

The 6-foot, 198-pound Epps had six pass breakups, a forced fumble and 70 solo tackles in 2022. He was a walk-on at Wyoming and a sixth-round pick in 2019.

Best remaining available: The Athletic’s top 150 free agents
Live updates: News, predictions, analysis and updates
Free agency grades: The Athletic’s Mike Jones grades all the signings
Does free agency work?: Evaluating value from 2020-2022

How he fits: Epps will play opposite Tre’von Moehrig … or Duron Harmon. Harmon is one of the 27 free agents that the Raiders have not re-signed yet (they have only re-signed four thus far), but the Raiders would like to bring Harmon back as he was one of the team leaders last season and can still make plays at the age of 32. Moehrig was a step slow and had a disappointing second season — his first in defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s system — and the Raiders are hoping for a big leap next season. But he was the last regime’s pick and they are not married to him.

2023 impact:  Epps graded sixth in run defense grade for safeties and 59th in coverage out of 64 safeties last season, per Pro Football Focus. He will be looked to shore up the last line of defense. Epps did well as a split-safety reading deep over and crossing routes, but was exposed in man-to-man situations, like in the Super Bowl against Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

History: Epps split his rookie season between Minnesota and Philadelphia. In his second season, he found his footing with the Eagles and started five games. In 2021, his third season, Epps became a trusted contributor in the secondary as a rotational safety and impressed enough that the team penciled him in as a starter heading into 2022. Teammates marveled at how often Epps lifted weights and he now owns his own gym in Costa Mesa, Calif.

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Cap update: The Raiders began free agency with over $43.6 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap and signed quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for a first-year cap hit of $16.3 million. Epps is their second move and they still have plenty of depth to address their other defensive needs.

Outlook: Epps is not a splashy signing but he led the best team in the NFC in defensive snaps and he fills one of the Raiders’ many needs.

(Photo: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)

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Vic Tafur

Vic Tafur is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Las Vegas Raiders and the NFL. He previously worked for 12 years at the San Francisco Chronicle and also writes about boxing and mixed martial arts. Follow Vic on Twitter @VicTafur