Eagles Claim S Marcus Epps

PHILADELPHIA (973espn.com) - The Eagles and Minnesota Vikings were able to engineer a trade of sorts even though the NFL's deadline for such things has passed.

A day after the Vikings claimed Andrew Sendejo off waivers from Philadelphia the Eagles returned the favor by claimining the player Minnesota released to make room for its reunion with the veteran, rookie safety Marcus Epps.

In reality, it was by no means a wink-wink kind of thing as a source in Minnesota tells 973espn.com that the Vikings had hoped to re-sign Epps to their practice squad if he cleared waivers.

A sixth-round pick out of Wyoming by Minnesota back in April, Epps wasn't given a draftable grade by most but was very instinctive on tape and ended up making the Vikings as the fourth safety and a special teams player.

Minnesota's top three safeties -- All-Pro Harrison Smith, coverage specialist Anthony Harris and stellar big nickel option Jayron Kearse -- are among the best trios in the game at the position. Sendejo, meanwhile, spent eight years with the Vikings before being cut in a salary-cap move and signing with the Eagles this spring.

Sendejo had been Philadelphia's big-nickel option and also Cameron Johnston's personal protector on special teams this season, but he was released after the win in Chicago in a procedural move to guarantee another compensatory draft choice next April.

Epps joins Rudy Ford as the backups at safety behind Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod but neither has much experience.

-John McMullen covers the Eagles and the NFL for 973espn.com. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen