The Eagles are going throwback on their defensive line. On Thursday, Philly reportedly signed both Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph, adding to a group that already features Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave.
There are 13 Pro Bowls and four first-team All-Pro nods between Suh, Joseph and Cox. The signing begged the question as to whether the 49ers were suitors for their services.
General manager John Lynch joined Tolbert & Copes on Thursday to talk shop and acknowledged San Francisco had interest in Suh, who hasn’t played all season and is 35, going on 36 years old. He didn’t have concerns about his fitness.
“We had some interest in Ndamukong,” Lynch said. “Chris Kocurek has been with Ndamukong. Ndamukong doesn’t get out of shape. He’s probably a rare breed and I think the same could be said for Odell. Those guys are special athletes.”
The pieces just never came together for both sides, Lynch side.
While there was interest, he believes Suh was just more intrigued by what Philadelphia had to offer.
“We talked to him last year and we talked to him earlier this year. It just never came to fruition,” Lynch said. “I think, ultimately, it sounds like he really sought out the Eagles as a place he wanted to be. You can’t get them all. He’s a good football player who’s on the back end of his career but I’m sure he’ll help them and a good pickup for the Eagles.”
The 49ers have been without Arik Armstead (left fibula fracture/stress fracture and plantar fasciitis on the right foot) since Week 4 and Javon Kinlaw (knee) since Week 3.
Armstead sat out practice on Thursday and Kinlaw, on injured reserve, didn’t even make the trip. It’s a clear position of need, with the team activating T.Y. McGill from the practice squad last week. It’s maybe the only position on the defense that you could describe as being a clear need right now, though there’s an argument at outside corner, too.
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