Eagles Add to Their NDefense

Things were going pretty smoothly for the Eagles defense until Jordan Davis got hurt. They had to put him on injured reserve. Marlon Tuipulotu took his place and then he got hurt on Monday night. Down two DTs, the Eagles signed veteran Linval Joseph on Wednesday.

Joseph was the second best DT available. The best was Ndamukong Suh. Teams had shied away from the 35-year old DT because it was reported he was looking for big money.

I guess desperate times call for desperate measures.

Eagles have agreed to terms with DT Ndamukong Suh on a one-year deal. pic.twitter.com/LW4kkuwle1

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) November 17, 2022

Wow.

The beauty of adding both Suh and Joseph is that you can rotate them to keep them fresh. You can also put Joseph at NT and then put Suh in Fletcher Cox’s spot if needed for a few plays. The coaches have a pair of highly experienced, talented big men to mix in to the rotation.

The downside? Some people might get Dream Team vibes. There is a big difference. Back then, the front office signed free agents to build the team. This time around they tried to rely on teir own guys. The free agents are coming in to help repair the team.

Suh is an interesting player. He lists at 6-4, 313. He played for Tampa the previous three years. He had 6 sacks in 2020 and 2021. He scored 2 TDs in 2019. Suh is a big, strong, disruptive player. He is physical with a capital P. He’s also a solid athlete and skilled player. He’s not just a big body.

His durability is freakish.

An amazing Ndamukong Suh stat: Suh has started every single game in his career. He has only missed two games due to a suspension in 2011.

Otherwise, he's been perfect. 191/191. pic.twitter.com/OZlxVZVRlF

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 17, 2022

That is mind-blowing. Playing in the trenches for more than a decade and only missing two games is unbelievably impressive. Jordan Davis will miss four games as a rookie. Tui is going to miss four games in Year 2. Suh battled double-teams for 12 years and only missed two games. Wow.

This will only work if Suh’s heart is in it. I’m guessing it is. Suh has invested his money wisely over the years so I don’t think this is a cash grab. I think he sees a chance to join a Super Bowl contender for half a season. He avoids Training Camp and the grind of a full season.

Ndamukong Suh has made it clear in recent weeks the wanted to play for the #Eagles. So Philly said … uh, sure. He joins Linval Joseph and veteran DT additions this week. https://t.co/oKprytewsW

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 17, 2022

Suh has a reputation as a…not so nice player. He’s done some questionable things over the years. Opponents call him dirty. Teammates call him aggressive. Since he’s wearing midnight green, we’ll go with aggressive. He can teach the young Eagles DL about playing with a mean streak. You don’t want to be finesse while playing inside. You want to be the biggest, baddest mofo on the field. Suh’s been that guy for a while.

He is the most dominant college football player I’ve ever seen. Suh was a nightmare for college kids to try to block. He went to the NFL and had 10 sacks as a rookie. He is one of those rare dudes who didn’t need time to develop. He just needed asses to kick.

Suh played in the Super Bowl in 2018 with the Rams and then was on the winning side in 2020 with the Bucs. He understand playoff football and what you need to do to win in the postseason.

Jonathan Gannon now has a couple of veteran war daddies to mix in to his defensive front. They should help against the run and can push the pocket on pass plays.

The rest of the regular season schedule is filled with teams that can really run the ball. It is critical for Gannon and his players to make sure they can get the job done against the run. The Eagles have a great secondary. They don’t need to be a great run defense, but they do need to improve.

https://twitter.com/FO_ASchatz/status/1593019842109767680

As you can see by that, it is tough to shut down both phases so the Eagles aren’t alone.

One thing we definitely know, the Eagles are all-in on this season. The league is weaker than expected and the Eagles are stronger than expected. They see  that and are going to do everything they can to win.

*****

What if Howie had to add an ex-Eagle DT?

The obvious choice would be Derek Landri, but Roger Goodell wouldn’t allow that since he wants to keep things fair for the other 31 teams.

Beau Allen helped the team win the SB in 2017. He’s now retired so he can focus on just being awesome.

I guess Destiny Vaeao was too young.

What about Haloti Ngata? How many people remember he played for the Eagles?

Where the heck is Taylor Hart? He could play both DT and OT. That kind of versatility would be awesome.

Cedric Thornton was a good run defender. I’m guessing he’s available.

Who remembers Antonio Dixon? That guy showed so much potential, but only in flashes. Ugh.

I’ll stop there. If I keep going I’ll end up at Bruce Walker and just get depressed.

The Eagles have had a lot of outstanding DTs over the years. From Jerome to Andy Harmon to Corey Simon to Mike Patterson and on and on. It is fun to go down memory lane from time to time.

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