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Another Great Option at Center

The Miami Dolphins need a starting center for 2021 and an interesting possibility opened up Tuesday
Alain Poupart|
Another Great Option at Center
Another Great Option at Center

One way or another, the Miami Dolphins are going to have to address the center position this offseason.

They just got an unexpected, and most intriguing option, show up Tuesday.

And it just might be the best option of all.

In a move that surprised practically every NFL analyst and/or media member, the Las Vegas Raiders released three-time Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson.

The move was particularly surprising given Hudson's contract, which ran through 2024 and will create $7.2 million of dead cap space if it's designated as a post-June 1 cut, according to overthecap.com, or more than $12 million if it's a pre-June 1 move.

Mark Sanchez, former Jets quarterback and now an analyst for ESPN, tweeted that Hudson requested his release from the Raiders and agreed to void his $3.5 million 2021 guarantee to facilitate the move.

In addition to his ability on the field, Hudson is a beloved teammate with great intangibles, according to Raider Maven publisher Hondo Carpenter.

The Dolphins already have been trying to see if they can land the services of David Andrews from the New England Patriots and would consider re-signing 2020 starter Ted Karras as an unrestricted free agent, but there's little debate that Hudson would be an upgrade over either of them.

Perhaps the top center on the free agent market, Corey Linsley, agreed to terms with the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday.

Hudson, who will turn 32 in July, has started 127 of 143 games in 10 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and Raiders.

Hudson does have some ties to Florida, having played his college football at Florida State.

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

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