Las Vegas Raiders 2021 Camp Battles: Andre James vs. Nick Martin
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders have to replace Rodney Hudson somehow in 2021, and there is a battle brewing between Andre James and Nick Martin.
In one of the strangest moves of the offseason for the Las Vegas Raiders, the Silver and Black decided to trade away Rodney Hudson. The leader of the offensive line, and the gold standard at the position, Hudson will now go and block for Kyler Murray in Arizona, leaving a gaping hole in the middle of the Raiders offensive line.
To replace Hudson, the Silver and Black are going to see who can win the battle for the position between Andre James and Nick Martin. James is a player who has been with the team since the 2019 season, and he recently signed a pretty big contract to stay with Las Vegas for the next three seasons.
Martin was a free agent signing of the Raiders this offseason, and has a tremendous amount of starting experience, serving as the center for Deshaun Watson with the Houston Texans. Before all is said and done, one player is going to have to be snapping the ball to Carr in Week 1 against Baltimore.
Raiders replacing Rodney Hudson
In 2021, the Raiders will have to find a way to replace Hudson, as the center is one of the more important positions in the sport. Quarterback Derek Carr and Hudson have been together since the 2015 NFL season, Carr’s second in the league, so this is a pretty huge deal.
James was given the kind of money that suggests that the job is his, and he was working with the first-team offensive line on Day 1 of OTAs. However, with the team in win-now mode, and Martin having so much experience, you can be sure Tom Cable is going to keep an eye on who gives the team the best chance to win this season.
I do believe that it is James’ job to lose, and the team is going to give him every opportunity to prove he should be the starter this summer. However, he has a solid backup behind him, and you can be sure Martin is going to push for the job as well heading into the 2021 campaign.
Whoever wins the job has some big shoes to fill, as Hudson is the best center in the league, and was a leader for this offensive line for years. James and Martin are going to have months to figure this thing out, and it is a position battle we plan on keeping an eye on all summer long.