Raiders C Rodney Hudson named to NFL.com All-underrated team

To be honest, when I saw NFL.com had put together an All-underrated team, I didn't think I'd see any Raiders players among them. I was surprised to see there was a player on the list -- Rodney Hudson. Here is what Elliott Harrison had to say about Hudson:

When Hudson received approximately $8 billion per year (OK, so it was only $8.9 million per year) from the Raiders this offseason, some were left wondering how someone they'd never heard of before could make that kind of money. Hudson was solid in the run game and screen game in Kansas City last season; now he'll surely hope to make a name for himself for reasons beyond his salary.

Over the past couple months, even before he signed with the Raiders, we have become quite familiar with Rodney Hudson. As the top center set to hit the market, and with Stefen Wisniewski on his way out, by the time the Raiders signed him, we knew full well of how good Hudson was. For that reason, to think he was 'underrated' seemed a bit surprising.

What we can forget in our Raiders and AFC West bubble is the rest of the NFL world weren't quite as in tune with Hudson's skills.

After all, Hudson has only been a full time starter the past two seasons and didn't just on the scene, but rather improved each season, which often goes unnoticed among offensive linemen where there are not tangible stats upon which to draw.

As Harrison pointed out, the sports world now knows who Hudson is based on his contract, which was the highest for a center when he signed it. Now that he's on the radar, the next step to get his due is to be named to the Pro Bowl. He played at a Pro Bowl level last season, but received little attention for it. Hence his status as underrated.

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