The Philadelphia Eagles have a safety problem, and it is no longer a projection. It is showing up on the field. Howie Roseman’s decision not to address the position this offseason is already exposing a flaw in the secondary, and the early returns confirm what should have been obvious for months.

I’ve been saying it for three months. The Eagles needed to add a safety this offseason, and they didn’t. Now we’re watching the consequences play out in real time.

Andrew Mukuba and Marcus Epps aren’t enough

Andrew Mukuba is a second-year player coming off a major injury at the end of last season, and he is not a guy who can lead that safety room right now. He’s still developing, still finding his footing, and asking him to be the anchor back there is too much too soon. And Marcus Epps? He just doesn’t look like he has anything left. The burst and instinct, the playmaking ability you need from that position, it’s not there anymore.

So if you ask me what issue number one is on this defense, it’s simple: go get a safety who can tackle and who can cover. That has to be the priority before anything else. You address the back end first, and then you work your way forward.

The top options on the free agent market are former Dallas Cowboys’ Donovan Wilson and veteran Jabrill Peppers, who’s most recently played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. While free agency looks rough, there are some strong options on other teams’ practice squads. The best examples are Geno Stone (Buffalo Bills), George Odum (Houston Texans), Taylor Rapp (Denver Broncos), Jalen Mills (Detroit Lions), and Ifeatu Melifonwu (Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

The bigger defensive picture

The defensive line has all this talent. We know that. But the game plan just wasn’t any good on Monday night, and talent alone doesn’t save you when the scheme isn’t putting guys in position to succeed. The linebackers have not been powerful. They have not been overbearing the way we got used to seeing from Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean. There’s been no pop, no physicality, no setting the tone.

This game felt so much like last year, and that’s the most frustrating part. I do believe Vic Fangio’s defense will get better as the season moves on. Fangio’s track record speaks for itself, and his schemes tend to improve once players get more comfortable with the concepts. But that doesn’t change the fact that the roster has a hole at safety, and no amount of schematic adjustment is going to completely cover for a position group that simply isn’t good enough.

Howie Roseman needs to find a safety. Whether it’s a trade before the deadline or some other move, the time to act is now.