Hall's time in Washington has been embarrassing

The DeAngelo Hall era (which should end after this season, since he's not due any guaranteed money in 2013) has not gone well. The Redskins, as is usually the case, thought they were getting a better player in Hall than they actually signed. But besides his poor covering abilities, Hall has been a consistent source of embarrassing and bizarre behavior both on and off the field.

Let's take a look back at both how we got here and the weird, foolish things Hall has done or said in his time with the Redskins.

Nov. 8, 2008: The Redskins sign Hall.

Nov. 9, 2008: Via Pro Football Talk: “Adam Schefter reported on NFL Network’s NFL GameDay Morning that Redskins executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato called Kiffin, who was fired as the Raiders’ coach four games into the season, and asked for his opinion on Hall. Per Schefter, Kiffin told Cerrato that he thought Hall had been humbled and would be a good fit.”

That whole paragraph is amazing. And extremely sad.

Feb. 27, 2009: You'll never believe it, but the Redskins decided to spend a boatload of cash in free agency. They signed Hall to a six-year, $55 million deal, with $23 million guaranteed.

Mar. 25, 2009: Hall defends Albert Haynesworth's enormous contract: “Do I feel like he’s the most feared player in this league? Yes I do. . . . I think he’s the best player in the NFL, bar none.”

Oct. 15, 2009: Hall complains about the team's personnel and lack of depth.

(Also included in that link is this self-righteous paragraph by Gregg Rosenthal: "But maybe they wouldn’t be lacking in depth if Hall had taken less than $23 million guaranteed in February. That way, the Redskins would have had more cash and cap space available to acquire better personnel at key backup positions." Completely ridiculous.)
Oct. 20, 2009: Hall questions Jim Zorn's decision to remove Jason Campbell ("I don’t think that was the right move. Coach made that move. Ain't nothing I can do about it. He made that move, he had to live with it.”).

Nov. 6, 2009: Hall publicly criticizes Falcons' GM Thomas Dimitroff the week the Redskins head to Atlanta.

Nov. 8, 2009: In his return to Atlanta, Hall predictably finds trouble during the game, this time in a sideline skirmish with the Falcons and head coach Mike Smith. It should be noted that Hall wasn't fined and that Smith looked rather unprofessional in the incident.

Dec. 22, 2009: From Dan Steinberg: "Early in the fourth quarter, Brandon Jacobs got into a scuffle with DeAngelo Hall. The running back threw Hall to the ground, and then appeared to throw at least one punch. 'I run over there, thought the play was still going, wasn't blown dead,' Hall said, via my colleague Rick Maese. 'I stopped. I get hands put on my face. I got [shoved]. If the refs can't see that, there ain't nothing I can do about that. Just my luck.'"

Yes, just his luck.

Apr. 26, 2010:  Here's what Hall had to say a few weeks after the Redskins regrettably traded for Donovan McNabb (via Steinberg): "We'll dominate our division, off of bringing Donovan McNabb in here, a guy who's dominated the division in the past. So that's just an educated guess." They went 6-10.

Aug. 31, 2010: Hall, standing up for Malcolm Kelly, thinks the team incorrectly diagnosed his hamstring injury: "They thought it was one thing, he ended up finally getting a second opinion three weeks later, and we find out it was something a heck of a lot worse than they ever thought it was. So we're here babying Malcolm, saying, 'He's a baby, he's a baby, get out there and play,' when he has a Grade 2 strain. And they're around here saying it's a Grade 1 and there ain't nothing wrong with him." (I don't have a huge problem with this -- the Redskins' trainers have deserved their share of criticism over the years -- but it was still a controversial issue.)

Sept. 20, 2010: Not pleased after the Redskins coughed up a 17-point lead, allowed a last-minute touchdown pass to Andre Johnson, and lost in overtime, Hall says a few interesting things: (1) "DeAngelo Hall made it clear he’s following the other team’s top receiver from now on and that’s just the way it is"; (2) "It's my team, my defense"; and (3) "I’m going to wherever the f***ing ball is going. Wherever the receiver is going, that’s where the f*** I’m going." (All quotes linked in this PFT piece.)

Hall wanting to follow an opposing team's top receiver? What's the worst that could happen?

Oct. 21, 2010: From Jason Reid: "Cornerback DeAngelo Hall and defensive coordinator Jim Haslett got into a contentious exchange Tuesday over pass coverage instructions, a development Coach Mike Shanahan followed by meeting privately with Hall and singling Hall out at a team meeting Wednesday morning, according to three Redskins employees familiar with the events."

As far as I'm concerned, both Hall and Haslett deserve blame.

Apr. 25, 2011: Hall calls Jay Cutler a "clown" in an interview. Not a big deal, but yeah.

Sept. 21, 2011: Hall, on how he'll attack an ailing Tony Romo: "I want to get a chance to put my helmet on whatever’s hurt. Romo’s ribs -- I’m going to be asking for some corner blitzes. If I know Felix Jones’ shoulder’s hurt, I’m not going to cut him. I’m definitely going to try to hit him up high, so that’s just part of it."

I appreciate Hall's honesty, but that's maybe not the best thing to say heading into a game.

Sept. 26, 2011: Here's Hall, upset with a call in the loss to the Cowboys: "That was a [bleeping] terrible call. I told the ref he’s going to [bleeping] lose his job. I told the ref, 'That might have been the worst call of the game.' He’s going to get some demerit points for that call because that wasn’t no facemask."

Hall also thought Haslett called an ill-timed blitz on a crucial play ("Asked if Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett made the wrong call on the play, Hall said, 'You tell me. The result was a first down.'"). Hall and Haslett: not the best of friends.

Nov. 20, 2011: Hall, after another bad performance: "I can’t point a finger at anybody but myself. The way I’m playing right now, they need to go and cut me, because I’m definitely not worth what I’m getting. It’s frustrating."

That might be the most insightful thing Hall has ever said.

Dec. 16, 2011: In a game against the Patriots, Hall didn't agree with a defensive holding call against him, so he picked up an official's penalty flag and chucked it. He was fined $7,500. In that same game, Hall drew the ire of fans and even "John Keim, the normally mild-mannered Examiner beat writer," for failing to finish a play and instead watch as two teammates failed to tackle Rob Gronkowski.

Apr. 7, 2012: Hall challenges an Olympic gold medalist to a race. Stupid, but good-natured.

June 1, 2012: From a Mike Jones Insider piece on some of the changes in the secondary: "Hall says he expects to take on a role similar to that of Green Bay’s Charles Woodson." DeAngelo Hall and Charles Woodson -- basically the same player, right?

Oct. 14, 2012: Nothing came of it, but Adrian Peterson claims that Hall slapped him in the face after a play in the first quarter.

Oct. 21, 2012: Hall calls out Eli Manning, basically saying that any quarterback could have made the same throw that Manning made to Victor Cruz to beat the Redskins in Week 7. He later backtracks, sort of, and compliments Manning.

Oct. 28, 2012: And, most recently, Hall was ejected in the fourth quarter against the Steelers for "berating an official with an obscenity-laced tirade." He was fined, but not suspended.

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Hall has been with the Redskins for just four seasons, and he's done/said all of those things above. Granted, some are worse than others, and if Hall was a star, or even a helpful player, fans would be more willing to put up with his behavior. But that's not the case.

The Redskins, obviously, need to make some changes next season, particularly in the secondary. Getting rid of Hall needs to be one of those moves.

Apparently it's hard to root for the Redskins these days

Did you know that it's hard to be a Redskins fan? Examiner columnist Thom Loverro does, and he isn't a fan of what's happening on the field. In this column, he mentions that the on-the-field product is still very bad, but he's more concerned with this question: "Are the 2011 Redskins the least likable squad this franchise has fielded in a long time?"

Loverro discusses the showboating of Fred Davis, the jawing of Trent Williams and DeAngelo Hall, Jabar Gaffney's recent Twitter controversy, and he even fits in Stevie Johnson's recent touchdown celebration that mocked Plaxico Burress.

But that's it. That's why it's hard to root for the Redskins. I'll admit, I sometimes cringe when Santana Moss spins the ball when the Redskins are down a few touchdowns, or when LaRon Landry celebrates a huge tackle after surrendering a first down or a big play. But don't most teams do similar things? The Redskins are hardly the only team with players who celebrate tackles, first downs, touchdowns, or anything. And frankly, some of those moments are the most exciting for the Redskins, considering that winning the game each week isn't a viable option. I guess part of Loverro's argument could be that it's a mind-set thing -- the whole act like you've been there before thing, or how to be a professional, or whatever. But the Redskins aren't losing games because some of them like to dance when they get in the end zone.

There are plenty of players fans should enjoy rooting for, and Hall, Williams, Davis, and Gaffney are probably on that list. Here are some others:

Roy Helu
Santana Moss
Brandon Banks
Darrel Young
Ryan Kerrigan
Lorenzo Alexander
London Fletcher
Perry Riley
Brian Orakpo
DeJon Gomes
Josh Wilson
Sav Rocca

Yes, I included Rocca, the punter, who is having an amazing season. And that's not counting Chris Cooley and a couple of youngsters who should be able to contribute next season: Jarvis Jenkins and Leonard Hankerson.

I'd argue that any team that includes London Fletcher can't possibly be mentioned as any kind of "least likable squad," but that's just one opinion.

Skins beat Bears despite offensive struggles

First, the good news: The Redskins beat the Bears today, 17-14, and moved to 4-3 on the season. If the Giants lose tomorrow, then the Skins will be on top of the NFC East again, via tiebreaker. Also, DeAngelo Hall had the game of his life, intercepting a whopping four Jay Cutler passes and returning one for a 92-yard touchdown in the third quarter. That touchdown accounted for the only second half scoring in the game and ended up being the deciding play.

On offense, Ryan Torain rushed 21 times for 125 yards and broke numerous tackles, just like he did on Sunday night last week against the Colts. Unfortunately, he did lose a fumble deep in Bears territory on a potential scoring drive that could have put the game away for good, but it ended up not mattering because of Hall and the Skins defense. Donovan McNabb finished 17-32 for 200 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. He didn't play particularly well, but he was also under siege all day by the Bears defense, and his receivers didn't help him out much, especially early in the game when Anthony Armstrong and Chris Cooley dropped consecutive passes in Bears territory. McNabb's lone touchdown was to Santana Moss, who had five catches for 63 yards. Cooley caught seven passes for 52 yards, but he also had at least one drop and also fumbled (though he did smack the ball out of bounds to keep the ball away from the Bears, but that play did draw a flag). Armstrong also had two catches for 42 yards.

On defense, players were flying all around the field, making big hits and forcing numerous fumbles. Rocky McIntosh led the team with eight tackles (tied with London Fletcher) and had a sack. Albert Haynesworth returned and played a phenomenal game. He blew up several plays by himself and also recorded a sack. Brian Orakpo was awesome as well and had two sacks, increasing his season total to seven. Overall, the defense only allowed seven points and was very opportunistic.

And now, the bad: The offense had a very difficult time both scoring points and holding onto the ball. As mentioned above, McNabb threw two interceptions -- one was returned for a touchdown -- and the Redskins also fumbled the ball six times(!), though they only lost one of them. So that was weird.

But back to the lack of scoring. In the first quarter, the Bears could barely gain any yards, which repeatedly set the Redskins offense up with great field position. In the quarter, the Redskins had four possessions that ended up at least entering Chicago's side of the field, yet at the end of the quarter, the score was 7-7. Let's take a look at each series:

1) 1st and 10 at WSH 23 D.McNabb pass short middle to A.Armstrong to WAS 43 for 20 yards (D.Manning) [I.Idonije].
1st and 15 at WSH 38 R.Torain right end to WAS 49 for 11 yards (A.Adams).
2nd and 4 at WSH 49 R.Torain right tackle to CHI 49 for 2 yards (T.Jennings).
3rd and 2 at CHI 49 D.McNabb pass incomplete short right to S.Moss.
4th and 2 at CHI 49 H.Smith punts 49 yards to end zone, Center-N.Sundberg, Touchback.

Nothing too out of the ordinary here. The Redskins get the ball on the opening kickoff and open up with a 20-yard completion to Armstrong. Torain gains 13 yards on two rushes after a false-start penalty, but McNabb and Moss can't connect on third down. Result: Punt

2) 1st and 10 at 50 D.McNabb pass incomplete short middle to R.Torain [J.Peppers].
2nd and 10 at 50 D.McNabb pass incomplete deep left to A.Armstrong.
3rd and 10 at 50 (Shotgun) D.McNabb pass incomplete short middle to C.Cooley.
4th and 10 at 50 H.Smith punts 20 yards to CHI 30, Center-N.Sundberg, out of bounds.

After the Skins defense forces a three-and-out, Brandon Banks returns the punt nine yards to the 50-yard line. McNabb drops back to pass three times in a row and fails to complete a pass. But it's hard to blame him since Armstrong and Cooley each botch potential big plays by dropping passes that hit them in the hands. Result: Punt

3) 1st and 10 at WSH 39 R.Torain left tackle to WAS 41 for 2 yards (H.Melton, M.Toeaina).
2nd and 8 at WSH 41 D.McNabb pass short middle to F.Davis to CHI 42 for 17 yards (B.Urlacher; C.Harris).
1st and 10 at CHI 42 D.McNabb pass short right to C.Cooley to CHI 37 for 5 yards (M.Toeaina).
2nd and 5 at CHI 37 D.McNabb pass short left to M.Sellers to CHI 22 for 15 yards (C.Tillman).
1st and 10 at CHI 22 R.Torain right end to CHI 26 for -4 yards (P.Tinoisamoa). PENALTY on WAS-J.Brown, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at CHI 22 - No Play.
1st and 20 at CHI 32 D.McNabb pass short left INTERCEPTED by D.Moore (I.Idonije) at CHI 46. D.Moore for 54 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

After another forced three-and-out, the Skins earn decent field position at their own 39. The drive starts out with some promise as McNabb starts to get in a rhythm and completes a few passes to move the ball down the field. But disaster strikes on a 1st and 20 play on the Chicago 32: McNabb drops back to pass but doesn't see an unblocked Bears defender running straight for him. Instead of taking the sack, McNabb tries to make a play and attempts a difficult throw to the left side of the field. But that doesn't work, and the ball is tipped up in the air, intercepted, and returned for a 54-yard touchdown. Result: Interception, TD Chicago. 7-0 Bears

4) 1st and 10 at WSH 28 R.Torain right guard to WAS 33 for 5 yards (M.Toeaina).
2nd and 5 at WSH 33 D.McNabb scrambles right end to WAS 35 for 2 yards (B.Turner).
3rd and 3 at WSH 35 (Shotgun) D.McNabb pass short middle to S.Moss to CHI 49 for 16 yards (C.Harris).
1st and 10 at CHI 49 D.McNabb pass incomplete short left to M.Sellers.
2nd and 10 at CHI 49 D.McNabb pass short right to C.Cooley to CHI 41 for 8 yards (B.Urlacher).
3rd and 2 at CHI 41 D.McNabb pass short right to C.Cooley to CHI 35 for 6 yards (T.Jennings).
1st and 10 at CHI 35 R.Torain right guard to CHI 25 for 10 yards (C.Harris).
1st and 10 at CHI 25 R.Torain left end to CHI 24 for 1 yard (P.Tinoisamoa).
2nd and 9 at CHI 24 D.McNabb pass deep left to S.Moss for 24 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

After that horrible play and resulting touchdown, the Redskins start at their own 28. What resulted was their only touchdown-scoring drive of the day. Looking determined, the offense marches down the field, utilizing both McNabb's arm and Torain's legs (but mostly McNabb's arm). After getting to the Chicago 24, McNabb fires a 24-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Moss. Result: TD Washington. 7-7

The Redskins defense again forces the Bears into a three-and-out, which ends the first quarter. For what it's worth, the Redskins did score on a field goal on the ensuing drive, though they didn't have to go very far considering they started at midfield. But after that field goal, the offense failed to score again, and the only Redskins points came on Hall's interception return.

For the game, the Bears offense slightly outgained the Redskins 322-308, though neither offense would likely take much pride in such an ugly game. However, it's still notable because despite being 4-3, the Redskins offense has been outgained (in yardage) in all seven games. Yes, the scoreboard is what's most important, obviously, but the yardage stat is still worth noting.

So what does all this mean? Well, the offense failed to take advantage of outstanding field position early in the game and also allowed the Bears to score a defensive touchdown, both of which nearly cost the Redskins the game. At this point, Redskins offensive players know that they need to put more points on the board -- especially touchdowns. The offensive line didn't pass block well at all, but Torain did have a strong game on the ground, averaging six yards per rush. Last week Torain had 100 yards, so moving the ball on the ground is starting to become a strength instead of a weakness like it had been early in the season.

The Redskins just aren't a very good offensive team at this point. There's tons of room for improvement, but it may take a while before positive changes are made (if at all). With the team playing so many close games and still managing a 4-3 record, it would be a huge lift if the offense could just score another touchdown here or there. But it would be even better to not have any more plays like that Bears interception return, though that type of thing really hadn't happened to the Redskins this season until today anyway. It's also awesome that the defense forced six turnovers, but that kind of thing probably won't continue to happen, especially since the Skins schedule after the bye week is rather difficult.

No matter who's to blame -- McNabb, offensive line, receivers, coordinators -- the offense has to be more efficient if this team is going to reach the playoffs. Jay Cutler won't be there every week to throw the game away.

Weekly Rundown: Peña, Marko Mitchell, O's baserunning

Weekly Rundown is a combination of links and brief comments on stories and topics that I couldn't get to during the week. If there's something important that I missed, don't hesitate to send an email or leave a comment.

• Zachariah Blott gives the current Wizards logo an F -- the only team to receive a failing grade:
  

  
  I suspect a club executive doodled this on a pad at some meeting in 1997 when the Bullets decided to change their name. There is no way this is the work of an actual artist who knows anything about aesthetically pleasing designs. Someone decided to go with curvy, so all of their logos—primary and alternative—are now made out of scythe blades. There’s no excuse for this amateur trash. Maybe it’s just tradition. The Wizards started as the Chicago Packers back in 1961, and their logo was downright pathetic.
  

  
  Ouch. [Empty the Bench]


• In case you didn't know (I didn't), Carlos Peña currently has hit more home runs (37) than singles (36). [FanGraphs]


• Kelly Dwyer lists the top 10 lottery busts of the decade. Surprisingly, Kwame Brown isn't No. 1. [Ball Don't Lie]


• Caron Butler is looking forward to an exciting season. [Washington Wizards Blog]


• Brandon Marshall at practice on Wednesday:
  
  
  
  Now that guy is a team player. The best way to get a new contract is definitely to act like a jerk in practice by punting the ball away from the ball boy. Nice going. [Larry Brown Sports]


• Defensive coordinator Greg Blache thinks Chris Wilson has "done a good job" switching from defensive end to linebacker. [Redskins Insider]


• Peter Schmuck thinks that the Orioles need to make "a legitimate run at a high-quality veteran starter either by trade or in the free agent market." [The Schmuck Stops Here]


• Marko Mitchell's new name is apparently Lanky Livingston. Confused? Don't be. Fred Smoot is involved. [D.C. Sports Bog]


• In something that needed to happen months ago, Dave Trembley and third-base coach Juan Samuel ripped the Orioles for their awful baserunning this season. The best quote(s) came from Samuel:
  

  
  "For some reason, they're not processing it," said Samuel, who has served as the Orioles' base running coach the past three seasons. "It's just a lack of concentration because they know. They are major league players or at least we think some of them are. To me, some of them are not. Some of them to me have to be thankful that expansion came because some of them wouldn't be here. Some of the stuff that you see them do is not OK. You're going to tell me that they are in the big leagues and don't know how to run the bases?"
  
  . . . "It has never bothered me to take criticism," said Samuel, who stole 396 bases and was a three-time All-Star during his 16-year career in the big leagues. "I'm man enough to do it. If they don't want to make the players accountable, then I'm going to be accountable. But to me, players need to be accountable. If you make a mistake, you need to take responsibility for your mistake. You have to do it. That's why you see teams that are up here [in the standings] and teams that are down here, because they don't want to be accountable. It's always somebody else's [fault], and that's a problem."
  

  
  For the most part, I agree with him. Poor baserunning can definitely be attributed to a lack of concentration, or just not caring enough about it. Several O's make some terrible mistakes on the bases, though I wouldn't say that they don't deserve to be in the majors because of it. On the basepaths, most O's runners don't get great primary and secondary leads, don't take the extra base, and take chances when they shouldn't and give up outs. Apparently the O's worked hard on baserunning in spring training, but they need to do it again. [Baltimore Sun]


• SI's Chris Mannix ranks the Wizards eighth. [Sports Illustrated]


• According to DeAngelo Hall, he dominated J.J. Redick in high school. [D.C. Sports Bog]

Florio: Hall should retire

I almost missed this Sporting News article by Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio titled "10 NFL players who should retire now," but I was confused by DeAngelo Hall's inclusion at No. 5:

In human years, he's 25. In "pain in the butt" years, he's like 84.

It seems as if DeAngelo Hall has been around the NFL a lot longer than five seasons, due in large part that he's routinely popping off about something.

Most recently, he chided the team that paid him $1 million per game for eight games last year before giving him the ability to hit the open market again.

While he now has a fat new contract from the Redskins, we wonder when they'll realize that he's simply not an elite cover corner, and he's eventually more trouble than he's worth.

Was this written by Colin Cowherd? I'm with Florio on the fact that giving Hall a big contract -- six years, $54 million ($22.5 million guaranteed) -- was a risk this offseason, especially given his track record with the Atlanta Falcons and Oakland Raiders, but really, he should retire?

I agree with most of the names on the list, not all of them, but Hall's inclusion made the least sense. I don't recall the Redskins ever saying that Hall was "an elite cover corner," but he does provide an upgrade at the starting position opposite Carlos Rogers over the oft-injured Shawn Springs. Hall isn't as good of a cover corner as Springs, but he came in last season and was very effective in Washington's zone schemes, which is what he's best at anyway. Hall even admitted as much in an interview with the Junkies on WJFK earlier in May:

"Going from somewhere that really didn't have any scheme or any direction to a defense that just said, hey, we're going to put you in this position, we're going to ask you to make plays, but at the same time, we're going to give you a chance and put you in a scheme that's going to allow you to make plays. It kind of was relieving... I kind of had that swagger back. I was like, this is easy, this is fun, instead of feeling like the weight of the world is on my shoulders and we're running this particular coverage and they're max protecting -- it just didn't make sense in Oakland. I come to Washington, and it's like, man, this makes sense. Like, this is what made me love football because this is the fun part. This is the part [where] all you do is go out and play."

The Raiders signed Hall to a huge contract and then asked him to do something he wasn't best at: play a lot of man-to-man coverage. Granted, Hall may not be the best guy in the world or the best teammate, but that was just a stupid move on their part.

With a much-improved defensive line and a defensive scheme that fits his abilities, Hall should have no problem producing more-than-acceptable numbers in Washington.

Haynesworth to the Redskins; Hall re-signs (updated)

After not making much of a move in free agency last year, Daniel Snyder has had no problem spending a ton of money on the first full day that teams can sign free agents.

According to ESPN and other sources, the Redskins have signed defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to a seven-year, $100 million dollar deal, which includes $41 million in guaranteed money. The Redskins also re-signed cornerback DeAngelo Hall to a six-year, $54 million dollar deal with $24 million in guaranteed money. Haynesworth turns 27 in June, and Hall turned 25 in November; so maybe Snyder has learned that it isn't best to sign top players past their primes.

It's amazing that Snyder keeps getting the Redskins in position to sign high-priced players year after year with his salary cap maneuvering. But they're probably not done signing free agents, so I'll give a more detailed opinion/post when they're finished.

Update:

According to an article on ESPN.com, Haynesworth's deal is pretty interesting:

League sources told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that a $29 million "poison pill" in the fifth year of Haynesworth's contract effectively makes it a four-year deal worth $48 million. The Redskins would owe Haynesworth a lump sum of $29 million in salary and bonuses in 2013, the fifth year of the deal. It is unlikely the team will pay the full commitment of $100 million over seven years unless the contract is re-negotiated. Haynesworth will receive $41 million in guaranteed money.

There's not much of a chance that Snyder would pay Haynesworth $29 million for one season, so the deal appears a little better than at first glance. It's still a big cap number and a big risk, but the guaranteed money means nothing to Snyder anyway.

Just know that Haynesworth will not be making $100 million in Washington.