There’s that adage still out there that defense wins championships. And for the record, that remains pretty accurate despite those trying to push the narrative that this league is all about offense. In two of the last four Super Bowls, a team failed to score a touchdown. That would be Sean McVay’s Rams in a 13-3 loss to the Patriots (LIII) and Andy Reid’s Chiefs in a 31-9 setback to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LV).
The summer is here and all 32 NFL teams are knee-deep in training camp. And recently, there have been a couple of veteran signings when it comes to the defensive side of the football that are worth noting. Pass-rusher Carlos Dunlap just joined the Kansas City Chiefs. Veteran linebacker Kwon Alexander is now a member of the New York Jets.
So who’s floating around out there on the open market that would be worth a one-year deal and could help a team walk away with a Lombardi Trophy?
Arguably the biggest defensive name that remains available in interior presence is Ndamukong Suh. The 12-year pro has missed only two games during his career and that was due to a suspension in 2011. The second overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft has played for four different franchises during his career and is his career and has reached the playoffs at least once with each of those teams.
Suh played in Super Bowl LIII with the Rams in 2018 and helped the Bucs win Super Bowl LV in 2020. Other standout defensive linemen that are still worth a look are nose tackle Brandon Williams and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. There’s also Sheldon Richardson, Star Lotulelei and recently-released Dee Ford, late of the 49ers.
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What about an experienced linebacker who has plenty of playoff and Super Bowl pedigree? That would be Dont’a Hightower, who was not brought back by the New England Patriots this year to date. Anthony Barr remains unsigned, as does Anthony Hitchens, Malcolm Smith and Joe Schobert.
There have been whispers in Orchard Park that several members of the Buffalo Bills are trying to recruit veteran cornerback Joe Haden. The 2010 first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns spent the last five years with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He headlines a group of cornerbacks that include Xavier Rhodes and Chris Harris. At the safety spot, Landon Collins, Tashaun Gipson, and Andrew Sendejo are the most recognized veterans.
It’s almost hard to pad them that some of these noted players will not have homes in 2022. But that’s also the reality of the business in the NFL these days. However, there were also the recent signings of Dunlap and Alexander, so stay tuned.
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