Rodney Hudson, Jared Cook snubbed as no Raiders make Pro Bowl
ALAMEDA, Calif. — Raiders center Rodney Hudson was snubbed out of $100,000.
Tight end Jared Cook has plenty reason to be disappointed, too.
Neither Hudson nor Cook was voted to the Pro Bowl as the Raiders were shut out of the All-Star game for the first time since 2003. Players on losing teams — the club owns a 3-11 record — tend to be overlooked in the annual popularity contest.
Even so, Hudson objectively should’ve been a lock given his 2018 play, and Cook had a strong case amid career-high production. Both lose out on six-figure contract incentives because of the voting.
Hudson, Cook and left guard Kelechi Osemele were voted alternates among the selections announced Tuesday by the NFL.
Hudson, 29, is the only Raiders player who’s appeared in all 914 offensive snaps this year. He hasn’t allowed a sack. Pro Football Focus grades the team captain as the No. 1 pass-blocking center in the league. He’d been chosen to the Pro Bowl the previous two years.
“He’s the best center that I’ve ever played with,” running back Doug Martin said Tuesday. “Just his knowledge of the game, his FBI, his football intelligence is unmatched. You always see him going into the room, studying film. He knows all the nuances of picking up a blitz or calling out the Mike point. He’s just an all-around great center.”
Cook, a 10th-year NFL veteran, was vying for his first Pro Bowl selection.
The 31-year-old would have triggered a $250,000 incentive if named, a person familiar with his contract said. His 63 receptions for 848 yards and six touchdowns in 2018 all are career highs, and his receiving yardage is the most by a Raiders tight end since Todd Christensen had 1,153 in 1986.
“This guy is a hell of a football player,” coach Jon Gruden said. “If he’s not a Pro Bowler, I hope there’s an investigation.”
Fans, players and coaches each have a one-third say in the annual game’s roster.
Theoretically, Cook and Hudson still could attend the Pro Bowl should players ahead of them in voting back out due to injury, personal preference or their team playing in the Super Bowl. Cook and Hudson trigger their Pro Bowl bonuses only if voted to the original roster.
Overall, Cook has been rewarded for his production.
By eclipsing 60 receptions, he pocketed $350,000. Because he’ll finish the season having appeared in at least 60 percent of the offense’s snaps, he will collect a $200,000 bonus.
Cook is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on March 13.
The Raiders had four Pro Bowl selections in 2017. Along with Hudson, defensive end Khalil Mack, guard-tackle Kelechi Osemele and and tackle Donald Penn. Quarterback Derek Carr attended the game as an alternate.
Notable
— Right guard Gabe Jackson was placed Tuesday on season-ending injured reserve. He suffered a significant left elbow injury during the second quarter of the Raiders’ 24-21 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 9. He managed to finish the game.
— Linebacker Emmanuel Lamur was waived. These two moves cleared room for defensive tackle Gabe Wright and defensive back Rico Gafford to be promoted from the practice squad.
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Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.