DeAngelo Hall says Washington still in play

by Skin Patrol on Mar 17, 2008 1:02 PM EDT in News Comment 3 comments

Hat tip PFT on this story which is actually a few days old. Although this AJC article makes clear that it thinks Hall is heading to Oakland (more on that here) it takes the time to get his thoughts:

Hall and his representatives are negotiating a contract with the Raiders, which needs to be agreed upon before the trade is completed, according to the person close to the negotiations. Hall's agent Joel Segal, who did not return several calls to his cellphone, was in talks with the Raiders on Saturday evening.

Hall said Saturday night that he did not believe a deal was imminent.

"As of right now, we're still at the same stages that I was at with every other team," Hall said. "New York, Washington, Dallas, and Jacksonville. Nothing has been OK'd on my end. Unless they agreed to something that I don't know about, but I don't think no team is going to sign me without talking to me and getting everything right on my end."

Joel Segal is supposed to be the one shedding light on this kind of thing but apparently he refuses to pick up his cellphone. In any event, AJC quotes "a person close to the negotiations" as to why Hall has it all mixed up. He also missed a great opportunity to keep his mouth shut, providing another reason to caution against adding him to the Redskins franchise:

"I will not be a part of another losing team for another year," Hall told the AJC in December. "I've got to do what I've got to do. No matter who hates me."

Nobody likes a loser in the NFL but I disapprove of malcontents as well. In today's NFL even with Hall of Fame coaches it is difficult to maintain winning seasons for the requisite large stretches (though certainly possible) that run through a player's typical contract. I worry that you add a guy like Hall, struggle a bit, and then you've got the same nonsense with him complaining about being stuck on a loser. Also I think he's overrated.

It's important to quantify "overrated" since that could just as easily mean a lot of things. When I say overrated, I mean he is some amount worse than the 57 million and two picks our Raiders colleague seems to think he'll cost. The truth is I don't know what his price tag is in a trade, but I'm sure it's sizable for a young allegedly talented cornerback.

Interesting: For a guy who has sworn off losing teams categorically, he is primed for self-loathing. Since 2003 the Oakland Raiders have won just 19 football games, which is worst in the NFL in that span. No wonder he's distancing himself from these reports; cognitive dissonance. If he does end up in Oakland, I will be one step closer towards believing that we live in a Just world. If he wants to whine his way out of a moderately successful Atlanta (The Falcoholic is already thinking replacements) into the lesson in fail that has been Oakland recently, more power to him. It will simply be one more reminder that when one wishes, it's best to do so carefully.

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