For the second consecutive year, the Cardinals made a trade at the start of free agency, and once again, the move is intended to help quarterback Kyler Murray.
The new addition? Veteran center Rodney Hudson, acquired from the Raiders on Wednesday. The Athletic’s Vic Tafur confirmed the Raiders will receive a third-round pick from Arizona in the trade for Hudson and a seventh-round draft pick.
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This move comes a day after the Raiders indicated they planned to release Hudson, a three-time Pro Bowler who has consistently been one of the best centers in the NFL over the course of his 10-year career. Hudson played for the Chiefs from 2011-14 before signing with the Raiders.
How he fits: The Cardinals had a clear need to upgrade the offensive line to better protect Murray, who has been sacked 75 times in his first two NFL seasons. Per TruMedia, Hudson has allowed just one sack and two quarterback hits in the past five seasons. Blocking for Murray, a scrambler who is deadly on designed running plays and frequently extends plays, will be a change from Derek Carr, who routinely gets rid of the ball in well under three seconds. Hudson is athletic and savvy enough, though, to adjust quickly.
2021 impact: Hudson immediately should replace Mason Cole, a 2018 third-round pick who started 14 games last year. Cole remains under contract and could compete for a guard spot or provide depth at the interior line positions. But Hudson’s biggest impact should be in providing stability and leadership to an offensive line that has been in flux in recent seasons.
Draft impact: Offensive line should remain a priority for the Cardinals, but adding Hudson and re-signing veteran left tackle Kelvin Beachum on Tuesday should free Arizona from having to use premium draft capital there. The Cardinals can now focus more on depth and developmental signings across the line.
Cap update: The Raiders appear to have been motivated to move on from Hudson as a way to save both cash and salary cap room — and Hudson seemed more than willing to leave. The Cardinals will pick up the remainder of Hudson’s contract and pay him $9.5 million in base salary in 2021. He is due a salary of $10.5 million in 2022 but has no remaining guaranteed money after this season. With the addition of Hudson, the Cardinals are expected to have about $6 million of cap space left with which to work. Longtime Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and cornerback Patrick Peterson remain unsigned.
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Outlook: With last March’s trade for DeAndre Hopkins and the signing earlier this month of defensive end J.J. Watt, the Cardinals clearly believe they are a couple of major moves away from being a contender in the NFC. The move earlier Wednesday to sign A.J. Green is puzzling, but adding Hudson makes a lot of sense. His contract isn’t cumbersome, and he has the potential to be just the type of player Murray needs in front of him.
(Photo: Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today)
