Nick Martin would be a solid backup center for the Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals could add the seventh-year NFL center to provide some veteran experience behind starter Rodney Hudson.

Fans of the Arizona Cardinals rejoiced this past week when it was announced that starting center Rodney Hudson would be back with the squad in 2022.

For several weeks, the team’s followers agonized over who would anchor the Cards offensive line if Hudson failed to return. Justin Pugh was being touted as a possible replacement, but a position change for the 31-year-old would’ve created a sizable hole at left guard for Arizona.

At the moment, rookie Lecitus Smith is the number-two center on the Cardinals depth chart. The sixth-round draft pick appears to have potential, but would it be wise for the organization to believe that the youngster could handle the starting duties if Hudson were sidelined for any amount of time?

Arizona Cardinals should add a veteran center before the 2022 campaign gets underway.

Fortunately for the Redbirds, there’s a free agent who’d make a fine backup center for the franchise. In fact, general manager Steve Keim could probably get this unemployed individual at a bargain rate with the regular season now just a handful of weeks away.

Nick Martin, a former second-round choice of the Houston Texans, is still looking for work. Throughout four campaigns (2017-20), the 29-year-old Martin was credited with 62 starts for the Texans.

Houston grabbed Martin with the 50th-overall selection of the 2016 NFL Draft. The former University of Notre Dame product missed his entire rookie season after suffering an ankle injury during the summer of ’16 that required surgery.

After his release from the Texans in February of 2021, Martin signed a one-year contract with the Las Vegas Raiders. The 6 foot 4, 295 pounders was brought in to compete for the starting job but was ultimately beaten out by third-year pro Andre James.

Keim and his cohorts need to be better prepared for a scenario where the 32-year-old Hudson cannot take the field this season.

But, on the other hand, the vastly experienced Martin would certainly make one heck of an insurance policy at the center for an Arizona club hoping to contend for a Super Bowl championship this coming fall.