Oakland captured the NFL’s attention when it fired Lane Kiffin and hired Tom Cable. Now it is about to do it again — in a far more stunning fashion.
The Raiders are on the verge of releasing Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall on Wednesday, according to multiple NFL sources.
If they do — and the team was planning on doing it Tuesday before it held off — Oakland will have paid Hall $8 million for eight games and Atlanta a second-round pick for the cornerback’s services.
Oakland is planning to waive him now so as to avoid paying Hall the $16 million worth of injury-guaranteed bonuses in his contract. It is too much of a risk for a Raiders team that still needs to do more rebuilding.
If Oakland follows through, Hall would be placed on waivers, leaving playoff contenders with the question of whether they should put in a claim for him. If Hall goes unclaimed, he would be free to sign with any team.
Last off-season, when the Falcons shopped Hall, the teams most interested in the cornerback were the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Washington Redskins. The New England Patriots also have been in search of cornerback help.
Any one of those teams could put in a waiver claim for Hall, but it would be obligated to pick up his contract. If no one claims Hall, he could sign with the team of his choosing.
But this much is known: Hall’s time in Oakland has been brief and looks to be coming to a close. The curtain could drop Wednesday, if not Tuesday night.
