Philadelphia Eagles: 2 thoughts on their decision to waive Grayland Arnold

2. Rudy Ford or Marcus Epps might make the 2020 Philadelphia Eagles roster.

Parks isn’t likely to hit the injured reserve list but there’s still a chance the Eagles do decide to keep an extra safety with a bit more experience than Arnold. Last year, the Eagles quietly traded for speed demon Rudy Ford in the preseason. Might he be an option?

Ford ended up playing just 17 defensive snaps but he contributed 212 snaps on special teams. He was one of the gunners on punt coverage along with Craig James, and they made opposing punt returners uncomfortable all year long.

Ford is also in the final year of his rookie contract. The Eagles might give him a shot to see if he has what it takes to take snaps in the defensive backfield now that he has had four years to develop. If he can display the ability to play in those meaningful defensive snaps, he could make some big plays with his speed and still contribute on special teams.

Marcus Epps might be the more likely of the pair to make the team. The Eagles often run three-safety sets. They did it in the Super Bowl 52 season with Jenkins, McLeod, and Corey Graham. 2018 was no different as they put Jenkins, Graham, and Tre Sullivan on the field together pretty often. Last year, it was McLeod, Jenkins, and Andrew Sendejo for the first half of the year. Then, the Eagles cut Sendejo midseason and he returned to the Minnesota Vikings.

To make room for him, the Vikings cut Epps who ended up in Philly, Epps became the third safety in those sets last year. He played meaningful snaps both on defense (98 snaps) and on special teams (112). While Ford might have more intriguing traits, Epps might be the safer option.