I like Hubbard a lot as a backup...and it sounds as if he's a great guy to be around. He is the oldest (31) player on the roster other than Hughlett @ 32. He was out for the remainder of the season (injured) late in '20 (dislocated kneecap surgery) and early in '21 (triceps surgery).
I don't think 31 is "old" for most OL...but surgeries at 30 & 31...in back-to-back seasons...makes me nervous. One can't predict it (injuries) nor let it keep you from retaining a quality player...but there HAS to be some concern there. Hudson has a loooong way to go...but they seem to like him. Like most teams, if our starting OTs stay relatively healthy, Hubbard - and even Hudson - may be just fine.
Sticking with the OL for a minute: We should see Wills, Bitonio, Harris, Teller, Conklin as starters with Hubbard, Hudson the backup OTs. That leaves 2-3 spots for a slew of other guys...many of whom have proven to be pretty-good backups - Hance & Dunn specifically. We have a ridiculous number of backup IOL and even Hubbard can play inside at that.
After his one-game (?) stint at LT last year, I think Bitonio is - by far - the best backup LT we have...as a matter of fact, I think he's a better LT than Wills. We all know Bitonio is a terrific LG...but man...if he was our starting LT, we'd have Wills as our #1 backup (or our starting RT where he probably belongs). Replacing Bitonio at LG won't be easy or as equitable...but we have a lot of guys who could compete for that starting LG spot.
The OL competition in camp should be interesting.
| 
