Raiders To Release C Rodney Hudson

A near-full-on overhaul is taking place on the Raiders’ offensive line. They are releasing Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson on Tuesday, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).

This move follows Las Vegas’ cuts of Gabe Jackson and Richie Incognito and its trade of Trent Brown to New England. A Hudson release, if not designated as a post-June 1 cut, would not save the Raiders any money. It would then make sense if Las Vegas designated its longtime center a post-June 1 release.

Of the slew of moves on the Raiders’ O-line, this one qualifies as the most surprising. A 2015 Oakland signee, Hudson has made three Pro Bowls as a Raider and has become one of the NFL’s top centers. They signed him to a three-year, $33.75MM extension in 2019. The former Chiefs third-round pick figures to generate immediate interest, having proven productive and durable. Hudson has missed just four games in six Raiders seasons.

Hudson, 31, graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 8 overall center last season. He led the way in Josh Jacobs‘ back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and has been with the franchise long enough to pave the way for Latavius Murray‘s 1,000-yard slate in 2015. He lasted less than two weeks as the Raiders’ longest-tenured offensive linemen, following Jackson out the door.

Of the Raiders’ Week 1 starting O-line from last season, only Kolton Miller remains with the team. This release also effectively makes Derek Carr the last man standing from Reggie McKenzie‘s GM tenure.

The Raiders tacking on two void years to Hudson’s extension would increase the dead-money hit to $15MM, were Hudson not designated a post-June 1 release. The latter scenario would save the Raiders $6.4MM against their 2021 cap. Thus far, the Raiders have not replaced any of their departed starters up front. Even the player who replaced Incognito for most of last season, Denzelle Good, is a free agent. This certainly becomes one of the NFL’s most interesting position groups.

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