Move Back

PHILADELPHIA – The free agent departure of safety Reed Blankenship stripped an ascending Eagles defense of its quarterback of the secondary, a notable loss within the context of coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense.

Stepping into Blankenship’s role atop the positional hierarchy will be second-year pro Drew Mukuba, who returns from a fractured ankle that limited his rookie campaign to 11 games. In the weeks prior to the injury, Mukuba, 23, appeared to have been settling into his role opposite Blankenship last season following early growing pains. His sample size was abbreviated, granted, but there are reasons for optimism as Mukuba prepares to undertake a more prominent role.

With Mukuba entrenched at one spot, the competition that determines who seizes the vacancy alongside him promises to be one of the more compelling storylines to monitor throughout the summer.

The pre-training camp frontrunner is veteran Marcus Epps, who started four games in Mukuba’s absence. Epps, who re-signed with the Eagles this offseason, already garnered an endorsement from Fangio in May that feels worth filing away. Strengthening the case for Epps, 30, is that the eighth-year pro enters the camp battle with 94 games (49 starts) of field experience. He’s disciplined and savvy, both critical factors in Fangio’s evaluation process.

That doesn’t mean Epps will simply go uncontested, however, as the Eagles also demonstrated a commitment to affording converted nickelback Michael Carter II an opportunity to stake his claim.

Once regarded among the top players at his position of trade during his tenure with the New York Jets, Carter II, 27, was reduced to a cameo role with the Eagles after coming over in a trade ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

In eight games, Carter II logged 106 snaps, 65 of which came in the regular-season finale. It was in that game that Carter II was pressed into service at safety, following an early exit from Brandon Johnson. The optics suggest that Carter II showcased enough positives in the 24-17 loss to warrant a longer look, but defensive passing game coordinator Joe Kasper, whose familiarity with Carter II can be traced back to their overlap at Duke, always envisioned safety as a possibility.

“Yeah, I did,” Kasper said this spring. “Shoot, I think I probably have coached Mike longer in his life than anybody else at this point. We used him in a versatile role at Duke. And his intelligence – we got a smart group, and that’s a major strength of ours. He’s really smart. Cooper’s really smart. Q’s really smart. Andrew’s really smart. Epps, really smart. Intelligence is a premium in the evaluation process, and the personnel department’s done a great job of emphasizing that, specifically as it speaks to the scheme that we run here.

“And Mike fits into that and he’s doubly as helpful or enticing of a player to have because he can play multiple spots and he’s done it at a high level. So, we have that vision for him because of that intelligence and the body type and the way it looks and how we see that position evolving.”

Michael Carter II will try to win the No. 3 safety job this summer despite a mostly nickelback pedigree.

The final sentence is worth highlighting, as Carter II, at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, wouldn’t appear to check off many boxes from a measurables standpoint at such a grueling position.

But the position is evolving, prioritizing movement, range and matchup potential. The demand of the position requires players be multiple to account for the growing offensive trends sweeping through the league.

Apart from his advanced football intellect, watching Carter II from afar with the Jets revealed a fondness for fundamentals and details. His toughness and willingness to participate in run support constituted as hallmarks of his game. Skill set aside, though, it’s Kasper’s longstanding knowledge of Carter II that could potentially expedite the learning curve, positioning him for a summer surge.

But before looking too far ahead, it’s worth noting that there are elements unique to the safety position that can’t be quantified. The mental aspect, specifically in this defense, is demanding. There’s also the communication piece, as well as atoning for different angles, spacing, and vision relative to what Carter II was accustomed to as a nickelback.

The action develops at a slower pace. When it comes to nickel and safety, there can be a perception that signifies a smooth transition, though Fangio, at least as it pertains to Carter II, doesn’t necessarily see it that way.

“I don’t think it’s the nickel position translating,” he said. “That’s an individual thing. He’s an instinctive player. I think he has a good feel for the game. What little he did play for us last year, he did show that. I don’t think he’ll have a hard time learning the position mentally.

“He’s just got to go out there and be able to do it. What we’ve been doing out there these last couple of weeks are just kind of walkthroughs and route pickups against other defensive players running the routes or even non-players. I think we’ll know early whether he’s got the feel for it or not.”

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com