The Arizona Cardinals are on their way to having another glaring hole on the roster.
Three-time Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson could be set to retire, as he has not reported for any offseason activities, voluntary or mandatory. It would be a massive blow to the team. Not only are the Cardinals potentially losing a Pro Bowl talent and the anchor of their offensive line, but they’re doing so in June. It’s much harder to replace losses at this point in the offseason than in the spring.
Fortunately for the Cardinals, there is an option that could bail them out of this surprising an unfortunate situation. Former Browns and Packers center J.C. Tretter is one of the top free agents available and was an integral part of a dominant offensive line in Cleveland.
Tretter has dealt with various knee and ankle injuries that kept him out of practice, but was readily available for the Browns on game day. There are some concerns about his injuries contributing to him still being on the market, but if healthy, he is by far the best option.
During his time with both the Packers and Browns, Tretter was consistently available. He has started 16 games in every season since 2017. The Cardinals could use that reliability.
The 31-year-old posted a 78.7 overall PFF grade, meanwhile Rodney Hudson only had a 60.9. He signed a three-year deal with the Browns in 2019 with an average annual salary of just under $11 million. Hudson’s extension with the Cardinals last offseason was for approximately ten million.
Should Hudson retire, the Cardinals are expected to receive a decent amount of cap space depending on the manner of his departure.
The Cardinals have nearly no long term money tied up. The extension for Murray will add to that, of course, but the team has the money to afford a proven, veteran center should they need to.
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury recently said the team is about to make Kyler Murray the highest paid player in franchise history. That’s a foolish investment if he does not have a proper offensive line to keep him upright.
J.C. Tretter, should he be healthy, is a good veteran player who can mitigate the damage from Hudson’s potential retirement.
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