Ndamukong SuhPhoto: Getty Images
The Philadelphia Eagles gave it their all to win a championship. Proof of that can be seen in their recent commitment. It was reported Thursday afternoon that the Eagles signed former All-Pro defense tackle Ndamukong Suh to a one-year contract. Suh was once considered the meanest player in the NFL, so it’s only fitting that he ends up paying for the meanest fan base in the league.
A man of few words, Suh brings another veteran presence to the Philly locker room and is a player who can help anchor the Front Seven to stop the run. While the Eagles were quite strong defensively, last week they allowed the commanders to rush for 152 yards, suffering their first, resulting in Philly’s first loss of the season. The Eagles are ranked 17th in the NFL and stopping the run, so Suh should help plug the center to improve in that area.
Philadelphia’s ability to stop the run is the number one question mark plaguing this Eagles defense, and even with that, they still rank in the middle of the field. Suh should help bolster defense up front, but he also brings the kind of edge Philly fans thrive on. The people of Philly embrace their heel personality the way Suh once embraced his in Detroit and Miami.
Suh isn’t the same player he was in his prime, but his willingness to play dirty and win at all costs will never be forgotten. This is the perfect team for Suh and this fanbase will embrace him like no other. The former five-time Pro Bowler was never afraid to stomp or kick a guy to gain an advantage, even if it was just psychological. He has been fined/suspended multiple times for using his feet as a weapon, with one of the most notable incidents stemming from him stepping on Aaron Rodgers leg twice in one game.
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So Suh should fit right into Eagles Nation’s rowdy culture. He’s played heels for most of his career, and they’re heels for eternity. Suh was once voted the “dirtiest” player in the game by his peers. And everyone knows how obnoxious Philly fans can be. You came to own it, and rightly so. It really is a match made in Football Heaven. That should have happened years ago.
But credit should be given to the Eagles as General Manager Howie Roseman looks to take advantage of the team’s hot start. Adding Suh as a marquee name on defense is still enough to intimidate any offense. Roseman also brought in Linval Joseph, a former two-time Pro Bowl pick with the Vikings and last season’s Super Bowl champion with the Rams.
Interior designers aren’t always concerned with how many tackles or sacks they put together. Suh and Joseph are there to clog up the middle and boost run defense. Roseman takes a page from the same playbook as the Rams and Bucs have done for the last two years. Arm yourself with as much talent as possible for this playoff run. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Philly sign Odell Beckham Jr., similar to how the Rams took him on mid-last season. The Eagles haven’t been included in OBJ’s current team roster, but that could be a smokescreen.
Philly goes bankrupt and leaves no stone unturned in her quest for another Super Bowl. At least the Eagles are showing us how badly they want to win, unlike other teams whose owners talk about doing whatever it takes to win but never doing what it takes to get there.
