For the second season in a row, cornerback DeAngelo Hall has signed a big contract. The Redskins re-signed him to a six-year $54 million deal, according to NFL.com.
Hall's deal includes $22.5 million in guarantees. The Skins have to hope that this money buys them more than the Raiders -- last year's winner of the Hall sweepstakes -- got for their cash.
Al Davis' team gave up on him eight games into a seven-year deal. The Skins picked him up off the scrapheap, and he played pretty well down the stretch.
Notably, he picked off Tony Romo in his very first game as a Skin, which counts in the fan's eyes as, like, 10 interceptions.
MeAngelo didn't earn that nickname for being a saint. Vinny the pseudo-GM is banking that last year's few months of clean living were the player they're signing, not the one that caused the Raiders to bail -- or even the one who thought it appropriate to honor his former teammate Mike Vick with signs and tributes during a game on the very day that Vick was being sentenced for killing dogs.
He clearly fills a need for the Skins. Shawn Springs isn't what he once was (but who is), and he's a candidate to be cut now. Carlos Rogers has the pedigree, but the performance hasn't matched. Fred Smoot hasn't taken any bawdy boat rides that we know of, but he isn't always pretty when he's alone out on the island.
There's depth, but it's not necessarily quality depth.
If Hall plays like he did down the stretch, and his attitude sticks in line it might not be -- dare we say it? -- a terrible deal for Vinny and Danny.
Chris Needham used to write Capitol Punishment, and he's still waiting to be tendered a contract.
