Rodney Hudson agrees to sign five-year deal with Oakland Raiders
With veteran center Stefan Wisniewski heading elsewhere, the Oakland Raiders had a considerable hole to fill in front of quarterback Derek Carr. Although losing Wisniewski was thought to be a major loss for the Raiders, the storied franchise was able to fill the void with an upgrade at the position.
According to ESPN, center Rodney Hudson, formerly of the rival Kansas City Chiefs, has agreed to sign a lucrative long-term deal with the Raiders:
The Oakland Raiders and Rodney Hudson have agreed to a five-year, $44.5 million contract that will make him one of the NFL’s highest-paid centers, a source confirmed to ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson.
Once the news broke of wide receiver Randall Cobb agreeing to re-sign with the Green Bay Packers and superstar defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh choosing to join the Miami Dolphins, many believed the Raiders dropped the ball in NFL free agency once again. Cobb and Suh were considered realistic targets for a team with a lot of money to burn in free agency, but they were unable to land either player leaving fans of the struggling franchise disappointed once again.
Fortunately, the signing of Hudson is a step in the right direction. Along with Hudson expected to sign a long-term deal, the Raiders might also get another upgrade from the Chiefs in the form of Terrence Knighton, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle:
Hearing Knighton close but don’t have it being done yet. #Raiders #nomorePotRoastpuns
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) March 9, 2015
Knighton would be a solid consolation prize for the Raiders after being unable to bring in Suh. If able to sign Knighton, Oakland will have upgraded on both sides of the football this offseason. Drafting a wide receiver in the upcoming 2015 NFL draft might be their next move. Kevin White of West Virginia and Alabama’s Amani Cooper could be targets with the Raiders owning the fourth overall pick.
