The Oakland Raiders hosted free agent defensive end Dave Tollefson on Tuesday, but were unable to sign the Super Bowl-winning 29-year-old. However, it appears as though he could still very well end up wearing the Silver and Black next season. In a phone interview, Tollefson told the press he hopes to work out a contract with the Oakland Raiders despite the fact that he is going to visit with the Tennessee Titans.
Tollefson is a Bay Area native who hails from Walnut Creek and went to Ygnacio Valley High School. Prior to becoming a free agent, Tollefson was a backup on one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. While he was not a starter, Tollefson was a solid backup for the New York Giants the past few years and would make an excellent addition to the Raiders.
The Raiders do have a solid defensive line, but an injury to starter Matt Shaughnessy last season showed that Oakland could use some solid depth along the defensive line. In addition, Tollefson, who is a pass-rushing defensive end, could be asked to play standing up at the outside linebacker position on occassion when the Raiders use the 3-4 defensive front.
If the Raiders can land Tollefson, it would make Reggie McKenzie 5-5 on signing players that he invited to come visit Oakland. So far, McKenzie is living up to everything the Raiders thought he was when they asked him to take over as the general manager. It will be exciting to see what he does in the draft later this month.