Is Ndamukong Suh The Dallas Cowboys Missing Piece?

Back in 1992, the Dallas Cowboy were a team full and loaded, with an explosive offensive that included first rounders on quarterback, wide receiver and running back, and a dominant offensive line. They were on the cusp of doing something really great, but they were still missing a player that would take them over the edge. Then just before the 1992 season started, they traded for some guy called Charles Haley from the San Francisco 49ers, and the rest is history.

Everybody talks about the Herschel Walker trade, and with good reason as it was the trade that built the Cowboys ‘90s dinasty that would see them win 3 Super Bowls in 4 years. However, acquiring Haley from the Niners was the game changer for a couple of reasons: first, they got that pass rusher they so desperately needed; and second, they took away a great player from their most important rival at the time.

On 2015, the Dallas Cowboys are a team full and loaded again. They have their own version of the Triplets plus a future Hall of Famer at tight end, an offensive line filled with Pro Bowlers and a competitive defense. According to Pro Football Focus the Dallas Cowboys is the team with more elite or above average players, not to reach the Super Bowl. They are in the cusp again, and need that player that tip the balance on their favor. His name?

Ndamukong Suh.

Nov 27, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions defensive tackle

Ndamukong Suh

(90) watches from the sidelines during the third quarter against the Chicago Bears at Ford Field. Detroit won 34-17. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

I know he’ll cost a lot, and I know he is not the right kind of guy that Jason Garrett always look to get playing for him. But the Cowboys just hit the jackpot on another not so “right kind of guy” in Rolando McClain. Besides, even when Jerry Jones has started to behave more financially responsible with this team he understands that the Cowboys window of opportunity is open now and it won’t stay like that for long. They are built to win now, and by now I mean that one year from today the guys doing the Super Bowl Media Day have to be Tony Romo, DeMarco Murray and Dez Bryant, not that Sherman guy once again please!

Jerry said the other day that even when he doesn’t want to invest the future paying for players now, he gets it that they need to win now. Romo’s back won’t stay upright forever. For me, that’s the best clue that Jerry will sign both Bryant and Murray. He’ll restructure Romo’s and Tyron Smith’s contract to make room for those guys. He’ll make Brandon Carr take a pay cut, and he’ll sign McClain and Bruce Carter. It’s Jerry, he knows how to do it, and now he has a good reason to do it.

So, what are we missing? A disruptive defensive player capable of taking over games. A shutdown corner, a pass rusher or a defensive tackle. The only other free agent that could mean so much for the Cowboys would be Darrelle Revis. But getting Revis, would be even harder than getting Suh, as cornerbacks command even more money (ask Brandon Carr).

Getting Suh would instantly put the Cowboys on a complete different level. Pairing him with Tyrone Crawford, would make them one of the best defensive tackles duo in the league. You would have good outside pass rush in Jeremy Mincey and DeMarcus Lawrence as defensive ends and then you can invest your first round pick in another pure pass rusher defensive end, settling that pass rush thing for years.

But Suh would not only make the defensive line better, the linebackers would get a great boost thanks to his hability to close down running lanes, freeing Sean Lee and Rolando McClain to fly around the line of scrimmage making tackles. And the improved pass rush will instantly help the defensive backs work.

Last but not least, Ndamukong Suh would bring some needed nastiness to the defense. In the line of what McClain brought this year. I mean, you can have great defensive players like Sean Lee and Orlando Scandrick, but before McClain arrived the unit was lacking in attitude. Defensive players need to be bad boys, they need to intimidate their rivals, and that’s precisely what Suh does.

I know that in this cap age of the NFL, getting all the players that you want is not possible most of the time. But the Cowboys are right there, they just need a little push to go back to the big game, and I’m certain that Suh would give the Dallas Cowboys that edge. Back in the nineties Jerry Jones traded for Charles Haley and four years later he had 3 beautiful rings on his fingers, now all he needs to do is beat the rest of the league in the upcoming bidding war for Ndamukong Suh disruptive services.