Rodney Hudson, Andre James questionable for Sunday’s Raiders game
ALAMEDA, Calif. — Raiders starting center Rodney Hudson and backup center Andre James were both on the field for Friday’s practice after missing the first two sessions of the week.
Both Hudson and James are listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Lions after being limited in Friday’s session. But that is far better than what it seemed like earlier in the week, when both Hudson and James weren’t at practice and the team had starting left guard Richie Incognito taking snaps.
“They were out there, did a little bit,” Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said. “They’re giving us what they have, but they’re still sore.”
Hudson’s presence would be significant along the Raiders’ offensive line. The Raiders have started five different combinations on their offensive front since the start of the regular season — with just last week being the first time all projected starters played.
But that didn’t last long, with Hudson on the field for just 10 snaps in the loss to the Texans before exiting with his ankle injury.
A two-time Pro Bowler, Hudson hasn’t missed a start since the 2015 season, playing 100 percent of offensive snaps from 2016 to 2018.
James, an undrafted rookie out of UCLA, came in last Sunday and played the rest of the game — 45 snaps — in his NFL debut. James was a tackle at UCLA before converting to center once he arrived with the Raiders.
Gruden said he wouldn’t be surprised to see Hudson or James playing against the Lions, but as of now their status is still unclear.
“I just know that they haven’t been able to do very much,” Gruden said. “And (Damon) “Snacks” Harrison is one heck of a player who’s playing in front of them. So we’ve got to be smart about this.”
Elsewhere on the injury report, the Raiders have four other players listed as questionable. Defensive end Josh Mauro (groin) did not participate in practice all week, nor did wide receiver/return specialist Dwayne Harris (foot).
Safety Erik Harris (illness) and defensive tackle P.J. Hall (shoulder) were both limited in practice on Friday and are questionable.
First time at home
A lot has happened since Sept. 15 — the date of the Raiders’ last home game. The club has made plenty of roster moves, which means there are a few players who haven’t experienced a game day in the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum.
One such player is wide receiver Zay Jones. Having played for the Bills for two-plus seasons, he knows what it’s like to play in an environment with rowdy fans. But he’s looking forward to playing in front of the famed “Raider Nation” for the first time.
“I don’t really know what to expect,” Jones said. “I haven’t seen inside of the stadium. I’ve seen some games from game film with the fans and things like that. I heard the fan base is very strong — really vibrant here. So I’m looking forward to a lot of energy from the crowd.”
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Contact Myles Simmons at msimmons@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Follow @MylesASimmons on Twitter.