Philadelphia Eagles: Second-year player performance grades
By David Esser
Marcus Epps: B-
It pains me to say it, but Marcus Epps has actually been kinda good for the Eagles this year.
The Epps experiment was a train wreck in 2019, as opposing offenses routinely picked him apart as a weak link in the Eagles secondary. Quarterbacks had a passer rating of 104.9 when throwing at him, and he became infamous for giving up the game-winning DK Metcalf completion in the playoffs.
However, despite the fanbase’s general dislike of Epps, he’s been a pretty serviceable backup here in 2020. He’s missed some time here and there, but he’s ultimately found a way to be productive in a limited role.
His passer rating when targeted is way down at 87.3, and he logged his first career interception against the Cardinals this past week. He’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s definitely been a good developmental season for the second-year safety.
Nate Herbig: A
The former UDFA offensive guard was thrown into the deep end on multiple occasions this season, and he’s routinely found a way to swim instead of sink.
Whether it’s playing right guard, left guard, or coming off the bench as an emergency replacement – Herbig has at least been serviceable on the offensive line.
Similar to Epps, he’s definitely not a perfect player, but he’s a valuable piece to have around as a developmental backup moving forward – especially considering the state of the Eagles offensive line.
Next. Philadelphia Eagles: Complete 7-round mock draft (leaning on the SEC). dark
Other second-year players on the Philadelphia Eagles roster includes: Brett Toth, Ross Pierschbacher, Joe Ostman, Craig James, Travis Fulgham, Deontay Burnett, and Hakeem Butler. These players either weren’t with the team last year, or haven’t played enough snaps this season to warrant an actual grade.
The nine players I broke down into detail are the main sophomores worth highlighting in terms of Eagles players developing over time.