Rodney Hudson traded to the Cardinals after near release from Raiders

The Raiders have traded Rodney Hudson to the Cardinals after nearly releasing him for nothing earlier this week.

The Las Vegas Raiders seemingly released center Rodney Hudson this week in a move to clear cap space. That report came as a bit of a shock, and teams around the NFL may have jumped at the chance to openly negotiate with the All-Pro.

But someone in Las Vegas realized that was foolish, and reports from Wednesday indicated the team was actually looking to move him via trade. That became a reality as the Raiders are reportedly sending Hudson to the Arizona Cardinals.

Raiders trade Rodney Hudson to Cardinals

The Raiders are sending Hudson and a seventh-round pick in exchange for a third-rounder. So instead of letting him walk for nothing, the Raiders front office woke up and realized they could get some value in return.

This continues Arizona’s trend of adding veteran talent this offseason. First it was J.J. Watt, followed by the news that receiver A.J. Green was heading to the desert as well. Now Hudson shows up to protect Kyler Murray and add stability to Arizona’s offensive line.

Hudson has made three Pro Bowls since 2016 and was second-team All-Pro for the 2019 season. He now shows up as part of the 30-and-up free agent class hoping to get the Cardinals back to the postseason for the first time since 2015.

The news of Hudson being released could have been planted by the Las Vegas front office. Or, they saw the reaction to the reports and changed course. The positive for the Raiders is that they were ready to move on from Hudson and got a third-round pick in return.