It wasn't a move that many fans were expecting, but the Philadelphia Eagles got another trade done for the second time in the second week of free agency.
The Eagles sent safety Sydney Brown to the Atlanta Falcons, with both teams swapping fourth and sixth-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. Brown has been a solid special teams player, but after failing to beat out 2025 second-round pick Andrew Mukuba for the starting safety job, the writing was on the wall for him.
Philly ends up saving $1.5 million in the salary cap, but the Eagles have a glaring hole at safety with Mukuba and Andre' Sam as the only safeties on the team. There is one option that has been discussed and is about to become a reality, and that message was sent loud and clear.
Michael Carter II could be moving to safety in 2026
Last year, when the Eagles made a trade with the New York Jets to acquire slot corner Michael Carter II, general manager Howie Roseman had mentioned that he saw Carter as depth for the safety position. Carter only made 10 tackles last season with Philly as a backup, but things are starting to change for him.
All of a sudden, Carter becoming a safety is a reality. That rumor has been around all offseason, especially after he did the Eagles a solid and took a massive pay cut to stay on the roster for the 2026 season.
Roseman looks to be rewarding Carter for his financial sacrifice by potentially taking over as the other starter at safety with Mukuba. This move would make sense, given that Carter has plenty of starting experience with the Jets, and it would also be a better financial move for the Eagles, since they wouldn't have to overpay for a safety in free agency.
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With that being said, a safety will be added in some capacity whether that is through free agency or the draft. For now, though, Carter could be well on his way to being a starter on this defense.