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Report: Rodney Hudson Traded to Cardinals from Raiders for Draft-Pick Swap
March 17, 2021
Rodney Hudson's time with the Las Vegas Raiders has come to a close.
The team has reportedly traded the three-time Pro Bowl center to the Arizona Cardinals, per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Raiders are sending a seventh-round pick to the Cardinals as a part of the deal and receiving a third-round pick from Arizona.
That follows a report from the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport on Tuesday that Las Vegas was planning to release Hudson.
Hudson, 31, is one of the best centers in football. He will seriously bolster Arizona's pass protection in front of Kyler Murray.
Peter Schrager @PSchragsCardinals were in hot pursuit for C Corey Linsley. He went to LA. Keim and co. were monitoring the Rodney Hudson situation even before his status w the Raiders was made public. Cardinals have long stated that protecting Kyler Murray is top priority. They’ve proven that w Hudson.
Sarah Kezele @SarahKezele.@maxstarks78 on @AZSports re: Rodney Hudson: "Having a guy like Rodney Hudson at the center position ... he's going to put Kyler in the best position because of his experience, his savvy & how great of a center he is. This is going to make the entire O-line that much better."
Field Yates @FieldYatesRodney Hudson is due a base salary of $9.55M in 2021 and $10.5M in 2022, with a workout bonus of $350K in each year. Not only do the Cardinals acquire one of the best centers in the NFL, that contract is a discount relative to his performance. Excellent move by Steve Keim. https://t.co/7cPlXUgT5o
As Pro Football Focus noted, his 93.6 pass-blocking grade since 2015 is the best mark among NFL centers.
The Cardinals have been aggressive this offseason in building a contender around Murray, signing defensive line star J.J. Watt and agreeing to sign veteran wideout A.J. Green, per Schefter. The latter move gives Murray a receiving corps of DeAndre Hopkins, Green, Christian Kirk and potentially Larry Fitzgerald, depending on whether he retires or returns for another season.
As for the Raiders, the move was more perplexing from their standpoint. The team is also reportedly shopping guard Gabe Jackson, per Schefter, and already traded tackle Trent Brown. It's possible the Raiders could move on from three starting offensive lineman this offseason, taking a position of strength and weakening it substantially.
Getting a third-round pick for a player the team had reportedly considered cutting is solid business, though it's fair to question whether the Raiders truly needed to cut ties with Hudson in the first place.