Donald Penn excited at prospect Raiders could add Ndamukong Suh, 'plays like a Raider'

You can add another current Raiders player to those who would love to see the 3-time All Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh in Silver & Black. Shortly after the news came down the Suh would be making a free agent visit to Oakland, I spoke with Penn and one of the things he said he was most excited about was who the team might be adding in free agency.

In particular, he sees Ndamukong Suh as a perfect fit for the Raiders.

"It would be a great boost," Penn said of signing Suh. "He's one of the top three defensive tackles in the league. Having him on your team, who wouldn't want him, he's a great player. And looking at him over the years, looking at his career, he plays like a Raider, so I think it would be a great fit for him."

If anyone on this Raiders team knows what it means to play like a Raider, it's Penn who grew up a Raiders fan in Los Angeles and attended games as a kid before they headed back to Oakland.

Prior to last season, Penn was the starting left tackle in Tampa Bay for the first eight years of his career. During that time he said the Buccaneers faced Suh several times, and though in most cases Suh lines up inside and Penn is outside, there was no question Suh was a focus of the offensive line.

"He's a pretty strong player," Penn said. "It wouldn't be smart to keep only one guy on him. He always needs a double team. You got a guy like that it opens up a lot for you. The linebackers and everybody else."

To be specific, Penn has faced Ndamukong Suh three times in his career. In those games, the Buccaneers held Suh without a sack, though he had 13 QB hurries and one QB hit.

Penn was one of several veteran free agents to sign last offseason with the Raiders. Two others were Justin Tuck and Charles Woodson - who was re-signed. Tuck talked up the idea of adding Suh to the defensive line and Woodson said he was all for it as well.

Unlike Tuck, Woodson and most of the Raiders free agent additions last year, Suh is still in his 20s (28) and is coming off two-straight All Pro's and three-straight Pro Bowls.

The cost to add Suh is estimated at around $20 million per season, but the Raiders can afford it and still have plenty to be able to afford a few more high priority free agents. They are currently at over $64 million under the salary cap.

Follow @LeviDamien