Raiders reportedly sign C Rodney Hudson (5 years, $44.5 million): C Grade
Reggie McKenzie is at it again. The beleaguered Raiders' general manager overpaid for players in last year's free agency, and it appears as though he's willing to do the same thing this spring.
Unlike some of the aging bums McKenzie added a year ago, Rodney Hudson is actually a very good player. In fact, he's one of the league's best centers, as he was slotted in the top 20 of my
Top NFL Free Agent Rankings list. So, why the "C" grade? It's because the Raiders could've paid less money to Stefen Wisniewski, who is just as good of a center as Hudson. Oakland inexplicably let Wisniewski get away, probably because the team struggles to evaluate talent (even its own).
Hudson's motivation also has to come into question. Why is he willing to go from a team on the cusp of playoff contention every year to one of the worst-run franchises in the NFL? It appears as though it's solely because of money, and if so, that's a terrible omen for this pact. Hudson apparently doesn't care about winning, so there's a good chance that this will be a bust signing.