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Houston already saw three of its former players find new places to play football. Cullen Gillaspia signed with the New York Giants. Carlos Watkins signed with the Dallas Cowboys. Will Fuller signed with the Dolphins. And now Nick Martin is headed to the Raiders to grind with Jon Gruden.
Former #Texans center Nick Martin is signing with the #Raiders, source said, as they work to rebuild their offensive line. After trading center Rodney Hudson, Las Vegas brings in a player who started 62 games in Houston.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 18, 2021
The Raiders traded Rodney Hudson and a seventh round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for a third round pick. The Raiders also traded Gabe Jackson for a fifth round pick to the Seattle Seahawks. This all came after trading Trent Brown back to the New England Patriots. For a team who requires great pass protection to ensure Derek Carr can have the 5.5 seconds necessary to play quarterback, these moves come off as strange.
Martin will be there to try and become something he wasn’t in Houston, and it will be up to offensive line coach Tom Cable to make it happen. Martin is as mediocre as it gets. The Raiders will need more from him to replace Jackson, and even more so, because of the offense they run and the quarterback they have.
Good luck Nick. I hope you don’t line up against Grover Stewart any time soon.