Center Rodney Hudson is one of the Las Vegas Raiders’ best players. Heading into his 10th season in the NFL, he doesn’t take anything for granted and keeps working as if he has something to prove.
Rodney Hudson has been one of the few constants for the Las Vegas Raiders
Hudson has been one of the few bright spots on the Raiders roster since he signed with the team back in 2015. Although he hasn’t gotten any First-Team All-Pro designations in his career, the center garners respect from his peers and recognition from the advanced statistics site Pro Football Focus.
The Raiders veteran center has one of the factors behind running back Josh Jacobs’ successful rookie season and quarterback Derek Carr having plenty of time to let plays develop.
One of the reasons for his continuous success on the field is his work ethic. Even though he could take advantage of his veteran status, he’s still working on getting even better. In his latest press conference, the center talked about how the Raiders offensive linemen are focusing on becoming a cohesive unit.
We’re coming together, it takes time. Just the NFL, there’s a lot of new guys in the room all the time, it’s just the nature of it. We’re coming together, it takes time. We’re working daily to try to get better. I like the work we’re putting so far, but we must continue to build on it.
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Effective communication is key to success
The Raiders claimed guard Jordan Roos from waivers and signed veteran Sam Young in May. Moreover, they drafted guard John Simpson in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft. Hudson is making sure they all are coming along. Also, he says that even though all five offensive line starters are coming back, the unit as a whole still has work to do.
It’s not the case with the whole room, but we have the whole starting group back. It’s good for communication. Sometimes when you play next to a guy for an extended period of time, you know what he’s thinking. You don’t really have to talk as much, but at the same time, when you play next to a guy in the meeting rooms, the conversation gets deeper because the experience is there and the continuity.
The Raiders offensive line was one of the best in the NFL. PFF graded it as the tenth best going into the 2020 season and there’s no reason to believe they will continue to dominate the line of scrimmage. One of the keys to doing so will be working in unison the way Hudson has emphasized.
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