The Raiders ended up getting something in exchange for center Rodney Hudson after all.
Hudson, initially reported to be released, was traded to the Arizona Cardinals Wednesday in advance of the new league year for a significant swap of draft picks. The Raiders will receive Arizona’s third-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, while the Cardinals get one of the NFL’s top centers and the Raiders’ seventh-round pick.
Originally reported by NFL Media, the Cardinals later confirmed the trade on the day where all teams had to be compliant with the $182.5 million salary cap and players were eligible to be signed as free agents following a two-day period where terms could be negotiated but not finalized.
It amounts to a save for the Raiders in the eyes of their fan base.
Hudson is due $9.55 million in salary in 2021 has been one of the most productive and respected members of the Raiders since his arrival in free agency in 2015.
Bringing in a third-round pick gives the Raiders picks No. 79 and 80 in that round, and the opportunity to add a starter-quality or significant contributor at the cost of one of the NFL’s top centers — a big difference from Hudson walking away with nothing in return.
Of course, that will be incumbent upon the Raiders capitalizing in a round when they got very little last season with three picks in the third round. Running back Lynn Bowden Jr. was traded to Miami for a fourth-round pick after a poor training camp, wide receiver Bryan Edwards played sparingly because of injury and linebacker Tanner Muse spent the season on injured reserve and spent the year transitioning from safety.
Hudson’s departure will have an effect on the Raiders’ salary cap. By virtue of a contract negotiation a year ago, Hudson’s exit will cost the Raiders about $2 million in salary cap space and create $15.6 in dead money in terms of bonus acceleration.
Salary cap implications aside, the Raiders fared much better than in their 2019 trade of guard Kelechi Osemele, when they dealt one of their starting guards and a sixth-round draft pick in exchange for a fifth-round pick.
