Grading Arizona Cardinals trade for former All-Pro center
By Sion Fawkes
The Arizona Cardinals pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, which sends former All-Pro and 3x Pro Bowler Rodney Hudson to Glendale. Hudson, who started his career as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, brings much-needed stability to a Cardinals line that struggled in nearly every aspect a season ago.
How much value does Rodney Hudson bring to the Cardinals? Consider this, for a team that struggled with penalties in 2020, Hudson was only guilty of committing one all season. He also allowed just one sack out of 1,082 snaps, per Pro Football Focus.
Want more fun? Hudson also received a stellar grade by the reputable website of 73.6, which ranked 8th out of 36 qualifying centers. Also, his 1,082 snaps ranked 6th in the NFL among centers.
While it’s sort of concerning to see Steve Keim zeroing in on aging players like J.J. Watt, A.J. Green, and now, Rodney Hudson – all of whom were selected within the first 60 selections of the 2011 NFL Draft – Hudson figures to be an outlier. Considering his dominant performances in recent seasons.
Hudson now joins an offensive line that features D.J. Humphries, who ranked 4th out of 79 qualifying tackles per Pro Football Focus with a grade of 88.3. Given Hudson’s presence, the Cardinals’ stagnant offensive line from 2020 possesses a far better outlook.
While Hudson’s age tells us he won’t be in the Valley incredibly long; he locks down the center position for the foreseeable future and provides a monster upgrade over what we were forced to watch in 2020. If Keim adds one more puzzle piece to a budding offensive line, the NFL must take notice of the Cardinals, given their ability to run and at times, throw effectively with a mediocre unit up front.
Things are looking up in the desert. And while it would be refreshing to see younger faces come to the forefront, we can’t complain about adding this dominant puzzle piece to Glendale.
Grade: A: This one was really a no-brainer, considering how much help the Cardinals needed at center. Let’s see what’s in store for the Red Birds moving forward.