Getty DAngelo Hall
Former NFL Pro-Bowl CB D’Angelo Hall is currently an NFL.com analyst, and he was recently speaking about the biggest regrets in his professional career. Without much hesitation, Hall pointed to his decision to turn down an offer from Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots as his biggest regret.
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D’Angelo Hall Turns Down New England Patriots Offer
Hall said this on NFL.com:
When I signed to play half the season with Washington in 2008, there was a line in my contract that said the team could not franchise tag me that next season. I remember negotiations for a new deal with Washington weren’t going well, and there were other teams in the picture, including New England. At that time, players didn’t take short-term deals, but Randy Moss had just signed a three-year, $27 million deal with the Patriots. I couldn’t believe it. In my own contract discussions with the Pats, I recall Bill Belichick telling me they couldn’t give me the contract Moss signed. Being a young and greedy knucklehead, I chose to stay in Washington on a long-term deal (six years, $54 million), which ultimately had me making the same per-year salary as Moss. Over a few million, I could’ve changed my legacy by being part of that dynasty. That was on the table for me, and I wish I would’ve made the decision to take less money and play for Belichick.
It’s clear why Belichick wanted to bring Hall into the mix. By this time, Hall had already established himself as an elite cornerback in the NFL. He was just 25 years old and had already made two Pro Bowls with the Atlanta Falcons. The Patriots obviously didn’t get their mind, and interestingly enough, despite finishing 11-5 that season, New England finished second in the AFC East.
Tom Brady tore his ACL in the first game of the season and Matt Cassel was the starting quarterback the rest of the season. This was the last time the Patriots failed to win the AFC East regular-season crown.
Hall’s Career the Rest of the Way
Despite not joining the Patriots and perhaps being a part of the two Super-Bowl-winning teams the organization had between 2008 and Hall’s final year in 2017, the Virginia native still had a strong career.
He played the last nine years of his career for Washington and collected 21 interceptions from 2009-13. That’s certainly nothing to be ashamed of, but something tells me he’d trade a bunch of those picks for a ring.
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