DeAngelo Hall Set to Join Oakland Raiders

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As expected (maybe even sooner), the Oakland Raiders are ready to acquire defensive back DeAngelo Hall from the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for the Raiders’ second round pick in the upcoming 2008 NFL Draft. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed yet, but expectations are in the neighborhood of CB Asanti Samuel’s recent six-year, $57 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Raiders are still finalizing the contract, but according to an ESPN.com report, there’s already an agreement in principle.

Finally, Oakland is making sense. I haven’t agreed with some of their other recent offseason moves and they are now limiting themselves to only one Draft selection in the first three rounds (they still own the 4th overall), but there are are no corners on the free agent market or in the upcoming Draft pool that compare to DeAngelo. He’s a four-year veteran of the National Football League, but at the same time, a mere 24-years-old. The Raiders are getting a very young veteran.

I like this addition a lot. Oakland wasn’t in dire need of a defensive back, but by pairing DeAngelo with the outstanding Nnamdi Asomugha, the Raiders will have one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL. Plus, Fabian Washington is still on the roster, so all is looking up for the Oakland defensive secondary. Of course, I’m still scratching my head over the Tommy Kelly deal, but again, the Raiders are finally making a smart decision. Aside from his on-field meltdown in one game last season, DeAngelo had a great ’07 with 70 tackles (career high), 16 passes defensed (career high) and five INTs. He’s an outstanding talent and a quality person despite his recent reputation for being a bit of a hot head.