Radio row is made for guys like Justin Tuck.



Smart and insightful, the Raiders defensive end is the perfect guest because he’ll address almost anything and usually it has some opinion attached rather than a series of clichés.

In an interview with Sirius XM Mad Dog Radio and then talking with the Detroit Free Press, Tuck had some interesting things to say regarding teammates Khalil Mack and Derrick Carr (Sirius) and then talked about the possibility of the Raiders’ signing Ndamukong Suh (Free Press) in free agency. Suh is scheduled for free agency March 10 unless he either signs a long-term deal or the Detroit Lions put the franchise tag on him to the tune of $26.9 million.

Suh is expected to command a contract of more than $100 million, and the Raiders have so much room under the salary cap they could easily bring Suh aboard.

Tuck on Khalil Mack: I’m very conscious abou who I liken them to, but saying that I am a history buff and Ive watched a lot of film on guys like Derrick Thomas, Lawarence Taylor . . . I’m not saying that he will be that player, I’m saying he’s capable of being that player. Believe me, I know what praise I just gave him. I know what category I just potentially put him in to. The thing I love about him that people don’t get to see every day is not the fact that he’s an absolute physical specimen. It’s not that. It’s that he’s smart, he understands the game, but he also understands that he doesn’t know it all.

“He comes into meeting rooms, he’ll call me on Friday night before we come in on Saturday to finish everything going into our game and say, I’ve got a question about this. From my experiences, guys like that are going to be very successful. I don’t know what success that includes him to be. I don’t know if that’s a Hall of Fame guy. I don’t know if that’s multiple Pro Bowls, I don’t know if that’s just he’s a quality football player. But I know for a fact he’s going to be successful, because barring injury, I have no problem of saying he has the capability to be one of the best defensive players in this league for a long time.”

Tuck, asked if on Derek Carr is a franchise quarterback: “Yes, hands down. Again, I don’t look at on the field. I look at preparation. It’s kind of ironic, that, Peyton, Eli, he saw all the difficulty his brother had and he’s been preparing for this. The thing I notice, and I watch him a lot _ and I tell him I watch him _ he doesn’t get to up with the ups, too down with the downs. He’s even-keeled and he goes about his business the same way every day. He’s the first guy in, last guy out. And again, I don’t know what that means but I know it means that he’s going to do whatever it takes to be successful.”

Tuck on the possibility of Suh becoming a Raider: “He’s Raider-ish. And that’s one of the reasons I know Raider Nation would applaud that move, beyond the fact that he’s an awesome football player. He kind of fits the mold of . . . the toughness and the ferocious player that built the Oakland Raiders.

“The thing about him, you know what you’re getting every day. Some of the tactics, you could probably do without, but he’s a hell of a football player. I would love to have the opportunity to line up beside him and let him take all the double teams I normally take.

“I know Raider Nation would love him. I think Detroit would love to keep him, but hopefully it works out for us and I get the opportunity to play with that guy, because it would be phenomenal for what we’re trying to build in Oakland.”