The Las Vegas Raiders have gutted their offensive line this offseason and the latest victim is a player with whom the Kansas City Chiefs are very familiar.
According to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Raiders are set to release starting center Rodney Hudson. A former second-round pick by the Chiefs in 2011 under Scott Pioli’s regime, Hudson appeared in 51 games with 35 starts in Kansas City. He left the team following the 2014 NFL season, his first season during which he started a full 16-game season.
The 32-year-old interior offensive lineman has been a mainstay on the Raiders offensive line since 2015, twice signing him to the richest contract for a center in the league. He’s also been a bit of an ironman during his time with Las Vegas/Oakland, starting 92-of-96 possible games over the course of six seasons.
Beyond the nostalgic reasons for re-signing Hudson, the Chiefs are expected to move on from starting center Austin Reiter in free agency. He’s been the starter in Kansas City for the past two seasons and a key backup in 2018. While Nick Allegretti has worked behind him, there’s no guarantee that the team envisions the former seventh-round pick as a starter at center.
Hudson is now a better fit with the type of offensive scheme that the Chiefs seem to be running compared to back in 2015, when they were prioritizing athleticism and working heavily with zone concepts. Those gap/power guys are a better fit with the likes of Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Darrel Williams in the backfield.
Also, Hudson has been a great presence in pass protection on the interior offensive line. According to Pro Football Focus, Hudson has allowed just three sacks since joining the Raiders in 2015. That type of presence would go a long way toward replacing a player like Reiter, who hasn’t allowed a sack since Super Bowl LIV.
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