Oakland Raiders: Nine Players Who Must Play Big For Team To Succeed
By Kevin Saito
October 5, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs center Rodney Hudson (61) blocks San Francisco 49ers nose tackle Ian Williams (93) during the third quarter at Levi
They let a popular player with family ties to the Raiders in Stefan Wisniewski walk away as a free agent. And then McKenzie made a very sizable investment in the former Kansas City Chiefs center. On paper, it looks like a very smart, very savvy move.
For the last couple of seasons, Wisniewski’s play has declined, and he struggled. Hudson comes in at a high point, being consistently ranked one of the NFL’s best centers. And even at a little more than $8 million a season, if he plays to his potential, and reputation, the Raiders may have gotten a bargain.
They need Hudson to anchor and stabilize an offensive line that’s seen a lot of fluctuations over the last few seasons. Injuries and inconsistent play have plagued the offensive line over the last few seasons. And though it’s not entirely their fault, the Raiders had a historically bad running game in 2014.
With just 1,240 total rushing yards and an anemic 3.7 YPC average, Oakland’s running attack was abysmal. The offensive line struggled at certain points, but running backs Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew could not manage to take advantage of the opportunities they had – which is proven by the fact that once Latavius Murray started getting the lion’s share of the carries, the Raiders rushing attack suddenly found some life.
All of that being said, Hudson is going to be the key to Oakland’s running game this season. He is going to be the anchor and a leader of that group. They will be charged with blowing open running lanes for the running backs and keeping Carr upright.
Oakland needs Hudson to step up and bring the offensive line to life.
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