The Raiders waived Hall on Wednesday, less than eight months after they traded for the former Pro Bowl cornerback and gave him a $70 million contract.The acquisition of Hall from Atlanta in March was a big part of Oakland's plans to rebuild its defense. But the move has backfired. The Raiders gave up a second-round pick to acquire Hall and also gave him a seven-year contract.
But Hall never played up to that level. He struggled with nagging injuries throughout training camp and was picked on constantly by rookie receiver Eddie Royal and quarterback Jay Cutler in a 41-14 season-opening loss to Denver.
With most teams choosing to avoid throwing at standout cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha on the other side of the field, Hall became a frequent target. In his last game, he was beaten for a 37-yard touchdown pass to Michael Jenkins on the opening drive of a 24-0 loss to his former Falcons team.
In his eight games in Oakland, Hall was beaten 40 times for 552 yards on 66 passes thrown his way, according to data compiled by STATS LLC. He gave up more yards than any defender this season and was tied for third worst in catches allowed.
Hall said earlier this season it took him time to get used to Oakland's man-to-man style of defense after being able to freelance frequently while playing zone with the Falcons. He had 17 interceptions in his four seasons in Atlanta, making the Pro Bowl in 2005 and
'06. He had three interceptions this year, but frequently got beaten on big plays.
Hall got about $8 million of his contract for playing in eight games. But by releasing him now, the Raiders can use some of the money they planned to give Hall to try to keep Asomugha.
Oakland placed the franchise tag on Asomugha this year and would like to sign him to a long-term deal in the offseason.
In other moves, the Raiders placed safety Tyvon Branch (shoulder) and linebacker Robert Thomas (hamstring) on injured reserve with season-ending injuries. The Raiders signed defensive back Michael Waddell, who was released in training camp, and linebacker Marquis Cooper to contracts.
