Philadelphia Eagles rumor mill: Might Ndamukong Suh be added?

Picture, for one second, a Philadelphia Eagles defensive line that features the game changers it currently has . Then add Ndamukong Suh to the mix.

How prepared were you, as a Philadelphia Eagles fan, to see your favorite NFL franchise become one of the premier destinations for free agents? It really became apparent last season when players like Alshon Jeffery stated that they wanted to come to Philly to be a part of what the Eagles were trying to build. They hadn’t even won anything yet. Fast forward, and with this ‘new norm’ that head coach Doug Pederson is trying to build, NFL vets and impending free agents are taking notice.

Look no further than five-time Pro Bowl selection Ndamukong Suh. Might Philly look at the Miami Dolphins‘ roster and, again, add another key piece for a championship run? Think Jay Ajayi.

Let’s dig into this one for a second.

In the eyes of many, Suh fell off of the face of the planet when a career full of unnecessary moments and a few instances that weren’t well thought out led him from the Detroit Lions to the Dolphins. That isn’t exactly true. Though Suh hasn’t seen the statistical production that he saw in ‘The Motor City’, his role with the Dolphins was just as important.

Often, he ate up blocks and drew double-teams, and that allowed his comrades on defense to make plays. It isn’t glamorous, and, again, it doesn’t fill up stat sheets, but it demonstrates his value. With Suh, so many others can make plays. Without him, these same guys are left to their own vices. In all honesty, that will probably lead to a decline in the defense’s production.

You don’t have to believe us. Just watch what happens when the Dolphins don’t have him.

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Here’s why it may or may not happen.

There are just two issues with this argument. One, Suh has a high price tag, and that’s Miami’s main reason that they may let him walk. Those ‘character issues’ are gone. Some might even say that they weren’t warranted in the first place. Here’s a rule of thumb. Always look at what a man’s teammates and coaches say about him. In Suh’s case, it’s hard to find anything other than a glowing report.

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Here’s the second issue. Philly has virtually no money to spend on free agents, but then again, we said the same thing a season ago. Look what executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman was able to pull off under those circumstances.

The Eagles are projected to be over the salary cap once free agency begins, but things may work out anyway as Suh stated in a conversation with defensive line coach Chris Wilson that he was so interested in joining the Eagles that he’d play with them ‘for free’. This revealed in a recent story by Sports Illustrated‘s Robert Klemko.

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That probably won’t happen, but it’s still interesting as it shows the depth of Suh’s seriousness. Here’s something else of note. Joining the Eagles would reunite Suh with his former head coach, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. It was under ‘General Schwartz’ that Suh saw his best statistical moments as a pro. For his career, Suh’s a four-time First-team All-Pro. He’s a two-time Second-team All-Pro, and he won the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2010.

Think about adding that to a defensive line that includes Fletcher Cox, Timmy Jernigan and Brandon Graham and it might make a fan of this team salivate.

We’ll all have to wait and see what happens.