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The Oakland Raiders have decided to lock up one of the most underappreciated players in the NFL, Rodney Hudson, per Tom Pelissero. The pro bowl center has been one of the most consistent players for the Raiders since he joined the team in 2015 after spending the beginning of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs.
As Pelissero reports, Hudson will once again be the highest-paid center in the NFL like the Raiders made him the first time they signed him. He’s been every bit worth the money and should continue to be. Hudson has consistently been one of the two best centers in the NFL and the best at pass-blocking. He’s been with Derek Carr for most of the quarterback’s career, so he’ll have to be happy that the team is keeping him long term.
Hudson was entering a contract year but didn’t make the decision to holdout. Looks like that call paid off as the team has rewarded him handsomely. Now Hudson won’t be hitting the open market in 2020 and the Raiders won’t be in the market for a new center anytime soon.
Hudson hasn’t missed a single game in the last three years in Oakland. He’s reached the pro bowl twice and was one of the most important members of the dominant Raider offensive line from 2015 to 2017. The unit had a down year in 2018, but he was still dominant.
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State of the Raiders’ Offensive Line Heading Into 2019
With both starting guards missing the start of the season, Hudson is going to have his hands full in the middle. Gabe Jackson will be out for a bit because of an MCL injury and Richie Incognito will have to serve a two-game suspension. Once those two get back, the Raiders have a pretty solid unit. The biggest question mark is whether or not Kolton Miller will develop into a solid left tackle. He’s played well in training camp but still has to prove he can hold off the likes of Joey Bosa and Von Miller.
Trent Brown will be the man at right tackle and while he’s paid like the best blocker in the game, he hasn’t played like it consistently. Outside of his playoff run with the New England Patriots, he hasn’t been a top-tier tackle. He’s not bad, but he still has a lot to prove. He’s put in a lot of work this offseason, so he could develop into the player the Raiders are expecting him to be.
The biggest thing working against the offensive line is coach Tom Cable. He took one of the best units in the NFL at protecting the passer and turned it into one of the worst. Cable has no track record of success as an offensive line coach. General manager Mike Mayock has given Cable the talent to field a strong unit. If he can’t get it done with these players, he needs to be cut loose immediately.
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