Did Cowboys Even Call on Ndamukong Suh? Jerry Jones Explains

The Cowboys never had interest in signing veteran star Ndamukong Suh, who lands with the Eagles. Why not?

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys never made a play on signing veteran defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh - their disinterest being so deep that they never even made an inquiring phone call, team owner Jerry Jones has revealed.

And why not?

"I like where we are with our big boys in the middle,'' Jones told @1053thefan.

Jerry's viewpoint is not his alone, and he did not arrive at it alone. The football staff here inside The Star is largely on the same page here on the talented vet who has hooked on with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The centerpiece point: The Cowboys defense is experiencing run-stopping problems that they believe their existing personnel can solve. ... and the problems really aren't due to the interior guys - the "big boys in the middle.''

The Eagles, to their credit, have once again jumped to the fore in the NFC East arms race with the signing of long-time standout Suh, the second overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. He spent 2019-21 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he won a two years ago. He is a credentialed star being added to a Philly team that just signed veteran defensive tackle Linval Joseph this week. ... and that owns a record of 8-1, tied for the best in the NFL.

But ...

He's 35, has a habit of "taking plays off'' (as one source put it) and - the Cowboys assumed - is pricy.

So no, Jerry said, "We didn't have contact.''

Furthermore, it is the view of the Cowboys that in order to take on a player with this high of a profile, virtually sight-unseen - Suh hasn't played football all year - it is required that people inside the building have a good feel and a good connection with the prospect.

That applies in Philly more than it applies in Dallas, as far as Suh is concerned.

Worth noting: The Cowboys' potential countermove with receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is very much about what this coaching staff knows about OBJ the person.

The 6-3 Cowboys have issues in their otherwise-fine defensive group. ... but not really at Suh's spot. Micah Parsons, in fact, is calling out his teammates for a form of "selfishness.'' ... and he's not really talking about the "big boys inside.''

The Dallas defense has done plenty to bring them to this point, but its recent efforts to stop attacks on the ground have left much to be desired. Since giving up a measly 38 rushing yards in an October win over the Los Angeles Rams, the Cowboys (6-3) are allowing an average of 175 over their last four games. 

The bottom has fallen out in their last two contests against NFC North competition: the Cowboys were able to withstand 240 yards from Chicago-based rushers prior to their bye week but 159 more from those of the Green Bay Packers partly doomed them to a 31-28 overtime defeat.

Dallas gets a chance to prove it is right, about personnel and about X's and O's, when the Cowboys play at Minnesota on Sunday.

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