Why Didn't the Browns Sign Ndamukong Suh?

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has signed for the second half of the season with the Philadelphia Eagles, prompting questions as to why the Cleveland Browns didn't make this move given how poor their defensive interior has played.

The Cleveland Browns have the worst set of defensive tackles, so when the Philadelphia Eagles signed veterans Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh, it naturally prompted questions as to why the Browns didn't go this route.

Suh isn't a new topic for Browns fans. He was someone who was often discussed during summer when the Browns hadn't made a signing at the position aside from Taven Bryan, an unproven former Jacksonville Jaguars first-round pick.

Suh is a big name. Unfortunately, the former great is now 35 years old and his last two seasons as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were not good, a major reason why he was available to be signed in November.

Suh had no reason to sign with the Browns outside of money. Quarterback Deshaun Watson was suspended for 11 games and while the Browns may have felt good about Jacoby Brissett, it wasn't a major selling point for free agents. 

For their part, the Browns weren't looking to spend a bunch of free agent money on stop gaps for this season. They were trying to amass cap space to roll over into 2023. Some of that money is earmarked to pay for rising contracts on the extensions the team just signed as well as some dead money. Another portion is going to be set aside to continue to make sure they maintain rollover cap flexibility for the future, so that the Browns can continue paying out as much money as any team in the league. Lastly, it's to keep adding to the team.

So the calculus for the Browns was that passing on Suh and players like him was because it was more productive to use the money in 2023 when the team believes they will be a better team.

Along with that, the quality of the Browns defensive tackles would've meant that Suh would be playing a full load of reps, which isn't a good fit for the 35-year old veteran. In his last two seasons with the Bucs, Suh faced 423 running plays compared to 1,068 according to PFF. Some of that is undoubtedly due to how good the Bucs were as a run defense overall, forcing more passing attempts. Nevertheless, Suh was less effective against the run and less impactful overall. Especially in 2021, he wasn't capable of playing that many snaps anymore.

The Eagles are a contender and only need Suh for half the regular season and a playoff run. That in itself is more appealing. Further, the Eagles aren't bringing in Suh to start. The Eagles still have Fletcher Cox and Jordan Hargrave as their starting interior. Hargrave, a pending free agent will be a premium option for teams and the Browns might want to pursue him. They are also waiting for rookie Jordan Davis to return from injured reserve for a postseason run.

Suh isn't a necessity in Philadelphia. He's simply a good option that can bolster a front looking for reinforcements for the stretch run. He knows exactly what they need from him because the team is firmly established. Eight regular season games plus a playoff run getting around 20 to 25 snaps per game is a perfect fit to get the most out of whatever Suh has left. For the Browns, it would've been a full season at around 40 reps per contest. That's not realistic at this point as illustrated by his past two seasons in Tampa.

Adding a player akin to Suh for the stretch run is something the Browns hope to be able to do from 2023 to 2026 when they expect to contend. Winning and the possibility of a Super Bowl lowers the demand for money and allows more specialized roles.

The Browns defensive tackle play has been nothing short of abominable this season, so it's understandable why anyone would be wondering if the Browns should've pursued Suh. However, it would've been an expensive signing, asking Suh to be the star he simply isn't at this point, ultimately still having a disastrous defensive interior that undermines the entire defense.