DeAngelo Hall: Would You?

by Tim on Nov 7, 2008 8:59 AM CST in News Comment 25 comments

Last night, I received the following text message from my buddy Jay:

DeAngelo Hall...please? Anybody but Jacques Reeves.

Some of you have already begun debating the merits of pursuing Hall, who was unceremoniously dumped by the Raiders a day or two ago, in the Comments to the latest PGB. I think the debate deserves its own thread, so here we go.

As many of you will remember, Hall was the player many Houston fans were hoping would fall to the Texans back in '04. At the time, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that Hall or a dude named Dunta Robinson would be the selection at No. 10. Needless to say, I'm pretty happy with how that worked out. Question is whether you, as a Texan fan, want DeAngelo Hall now. He's cleared waivers, so Hall could theoretically be signed for a low-risk, incentive-laden contract.

The negatives to signing Hall? By nearly all accounts, he's been a locker room cancer in Atlanta and Oakland. Plus, there's a fine argument to be made that Hall is vastly overrated. And don't forget that you already have Fred Bennett and Antwaun Molden waiting in the wings. Wouldn't you want to get those guys on the field instead of adding a player who could take snaps away from them?

The positives to signing Hall? He's not Petey Faggins or Jacques Reeves, which by definition would make him an upgrade to what the Texans currently trot out to start each game at CB.

Personally, I'm not interested in Hall, primarily because I want to see more Bennett and Molden, so I'm opposed to bringing someone on who could give Richard Smith an additional excuse to avoid playing the youngsters. Secondary reason, of course, is that Hall seems to be a problem child; that doesn't seem like it'd help a 3-5 team.

Discuss, BRB. Pursue DeAngelo Hall or not?

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Comments

It seems like everybody wants Hall

Over at Baltimore Beatdown, they’re yelling to get him for us as well. If you check out a lot of other SBNation blogs, they all say to grab him. Not too sure where he’ll end up, but he will be a rich man. Also not too thrilled about his attitude, which got him run oout of Atlanta and now Oakland. If a bad boy can’t make it in Raider Nation, then where will he!?

Rexx

by Rexx on Nov 7, 2008 9:17 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

"If a bad boy can’t make it in Raider Nation, then where will he!?"

This concludes the Angelo Hall portion of our debate. Thank you.

by ~Buck on Nov 7, 2008 9:31 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

“He’s not Petey Faggins or Jacques Reeves, which by definition would make him an upgrade to what the Texans currently trot out to start each game at CB.”

But we can have an upgrade if dumbass-in-chief Richard Smith just plays Bennett or Molden. The problem isn’t that our CBs aren’t good enough, it’s that Richard Smith is a freakin idiot.

by Only_A_Lad on Nov 7, 2008 9:45 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

You said it.

Personally, I’m not interested in Hall, primarily because I want to see more Bennett and Molden, so I’m opposed to bringing someone on who could give Richard Smith an additional excuse to avoid playing the youngsters.

Exactly. If anything, I’d like to see us say F it and roll with the three guys that we think will contribute next year. And then I’d like to see Petey and Faggins fight to the death so only one could irritate me.

Yay, sports.

by MDC on Nov 7, 2008 9:46 AM CST reply actions 1 recs

what matt said ^

- tyler

by bullpen116 on Nov 7, 2008 9:52 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

It also depends on how you view the current season. If you really think we will make a playoff run this year, then bring him in. If you’d rather use the rest of the season to build for the future, let him go elsewhere.

Matt, I think you meant to say “Frenchy and Faggins.” If that were a cage fight, it would be the most boring fight ever because neither guy knows how to use his hands to his advantage.

by BigTexBD on Nov 7, 2008 10:33 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs

Correct

My hatred of Petey even colors my hatred for Reeves. Odd.

Yay, sports.

by MDC on Nov 7, 2008 12:03 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

But if we did get him...

would that force somebody to tell Smith to finally implement a zone coverage scheme?
Hall clearly excels in that type of defense, and obviously Petey and Pepe have no business in man-coverage (let alone being on the field at all).

by TexanTerp on Nov 7, 2008 10:23 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

hell no

i agree that our DB’s are horrible but do you know what you get when you add Hall to a big pile of shit……..you get a bigger pile of shit. the guy is overated and has a “me” attitude like some of the wide outs in the league. our real issue is richard smith and the rest of the defensive coaching staff that cant get the most out of our potential. i cant say they have talent because the product on the field does not show true to anything even resembling talent.

by kcc28 on Nov 7, 2008 11:10 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I think everyone is forgetting

that you need more than 2 corners in this league. Very few teams use only two receivers at a time. Signing Hall would allow us to completely eliminate the need for faggins and reeves. And even if they are on the field, they aren’t covering the best receiver on the other team anymore.

Additionally, since he could come cheap for the rest of the year, he’d be on his best behavior for a big end of season contract.

It is also important to note that we have NEVER had a winning season. And adding cancer to a losing team, should he turn out to be a cancer, just means your a losing team with cancer. But if he even helps us win one game on the way to a winning season it becomes worth it.

Meat? They're made out of Meat? Meat.

by ihavethemelody on Nov 7, 2008 11:30 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Falcons Fan's perspective.

http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2008/11/7/655984/for-teams-considering-dean

Consider it shameless self-promotion, but I’ve always felt strongly about DeAngelo Hall.

We’ve heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true.

by iRonin on Nov 7, 2008 12:02 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Excellent Take, iRonin

Thanks for giving us that perspective. Not that I needed to be convinced anyway, but I’m with you.

Looking forward to a day when being a Texans fan doesn't mean that April is the highlight of my season...

by Tim on Nov 7, 2008 12:50 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I essentially agree with him

If you’re looking to wreck team chemistry and get a guy who thinks highly of himself but doesn’t play like an elite corner, go get DeAngelo Hall!

by Dave the Falconer on Nov 7, 2008 1:31 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I was gonna' vote 2 thumbs down before I read iRonin's post, now I'm looking for a third thumb

If the Texans front office has done one thing really well, it’s that we have avoided bad actors like this overrated me first jerk. I am with Tim when he says give Bennett & Molden the playing time. Bennett looked great last year, not so great this year, and somehow got demoted. Never heard a good reason for playing Petey ahead of Fred. As for Molden, other than special teams where he has played well, he has played few if any downs. If our secondary was playing well, then that would be understandable, but in our situation one would think the coaches would give a rookie with tons of physical talent at least a few reps. We know what we have in French & Toast; time is running out to see if Fred & Antwaun are capable of being the 2nd & 3rd corners. One could argue that every team needs 4 good corners, but 3 is an absolute must. Time to give the young guys the chance to prove whether or not they got game.

by oiler-texan diehard on Nov 7, 2008 1:33 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

As the man who inspired this post, I thought I should weigh in...

First off, what are yall worried about “ruining”. Chemistry? Chemistry on a bad team is worthless.

Secondly, I’m sick and tired of good citizens who can’t play. I’ll take a team full of a-holes winning every Sunday over this pile of garbage. (on a related note, you should all read “The Bad Guys Won”, a book about the ’86 Mets)

Third, my man ihavethemelody makes an excellent point above. Say you start Molden and Bennett. You’re still going to have to pick your poison with Frenchy or Petey every time you roll out a nickel package.

iRonon, I appreciate your rage. But it seems that your anger is based (justifiably so) on the fact that the Falcons burned a #1 pick on Hall. He’s a bad guy…he’s out for himself…he takes plays off. I get that. But watch a tape of a Texans game. Balls that EVERY OTHER CORNER IN THE LEAGUE make a play on are caught for TDs against our corners with unbelievable regularity. DeAngelo Hall taking half the plays off and looking to strip balls constantly would still be a HUGE improvement over what we have (at least he would be using his arms). And I think there’s something to be said for a guy who’s playing for a contract.

Is Hall going to take us to the playoffs? Absolutely not. No single player could at this point. But my liver can’t take 8 more games of this crap.

by -Jay on Nov 7, 2008 2:27 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

"But my liver can’t take 8 more games of this crap."

amen brotha

- tyler

by bullpen116 on Nov 7, 2008 3:18 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Dunta is back, and playing the nickel

He will start soon, which means we would only haveto see Frenchy or Toast in the dime package. Need to give the young guys reps to evaluate where the secondary is as a unit also.

by oiler-texan diehard on Nov 7, 2008 3:35 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

It's All Moot Anyway

Schefter’s reporting that Hall agreed to terms with the ’Skins.

Looking forward to a day when being a Texans fan doesn't mean that April is the highlight of my season...

by Tim on Nov 7, 2008 2:32 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Yup

I was just about to report this. Seems like the ’Skins still like to grab “big name” free agents eh?

by Leein3D on Nov 7, 2008 2:35 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I wouldn't have wanted him

if I was a skins fan. That team is playoff bound and has a good enough defense to make it to the NFC championship game. They won’t win it all, but D-Hall doesn’t make that more likely to happen.

I maintain, however, that he would have improved the Texans, “chemistry” be damned!

Meat? They're made out of Meat? Meat.

by ihavethemelody on Nov 7, 2008 4:29 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Not just no, but hell no

I know it’s moot now, but the guy is a locker room cancer – and if he couldn’t exist in THE most dysfunctional locker room in the NFL – wtf is he going to do in a place like Houston?

No, no no no no no.

by HoustonDiehards on Nov 7, 2008 2:50 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Jared Allen

Fined 50K by the NFL for TWO cheap hits.

Oh, but we’re just whining…

by HoustonDiehards on Nov 7, 2008 3:21 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

They ought to fine the referees for not throwing a flag on either play

CBS ought to get rid of the 2 morons who did not utter a peep about either play. Low blows to the QB’s is supposedly a hot button issue with the league.

Allen deserved a 1 game suspension in addition to the fine. Schaub gets a 4 game suspension because of his dirty play.

by oiler-texan diehard on Nov 7, 2008 3:31 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs