It is unclear what the New England Patriots saw in the Las Vegas Raiders last season, but they have had zero issue bringing in former players to make the trip from Vegas to Foxborough.
On Friday, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Patriots signed former Raiders safety Marcus Epps to a one-year contract worth up to $4.4 million.
Veteran safety Marcus Epps signed with the #Patriots on a one-year deal worth up to $4.4 million, per source.
Epps has 45 career starts. Coming off a torn ACL, he’s expected to be cleared well before training camp. pic.twitter.com/kq6kIY8vgf
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 14, 2025
Epps becomes the third former Raider to make the trek eastward to the Patriots, joining linebacker Robert Spillane and edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson.
Epps signed with the Raiders in 2023 and played 20 games for the team, serving as a starting safety opposite fellow former Raider Tre’Von Moehrig. However, a torn ACL limited Epps to three games, and the promising play of Isaiah Pola-Mao all but ended the veteran’s tenure with the team. The 29-year-old now heads to New England as veteran depth, serving as the team’s third safety behind Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger.
Fortunately for the Raiders, they have already minimized the impact of Epps’s departure.
Earlier in free agency, the Raiders signed safeties Jeremy Chinn and Lonnie Johnson Jr. to replace Epps and Moehrig, the latter of whom signed with the Carolina Panthers. Chinn is expected to replace Moehrig as a starter opposite Pola-Mao, while Johnson slides into Epps’s former role as veteran third safety and defensive chess piece. While the Raiders could still address the secondary in the draft, the free agent additions likely means the team can wait until Day Three to select a developmental backup and special teams option.
The writing was on the wall for Epps with the Raiders as the season rolled on, and both sides now get a fresh start.
