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It’s been a whirlwind for P.J. Hall over the last couple of weeks. First, he was called out by Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, then he was “cut” by the team but then it turns out he was traded. However, the trade didn’t go through because he failed his physical which sent him back to Las Vegas, and then he was cut again. The former second-round pick has only played two seasons and has already dealt with a lot.
He’ll now get a chance at a fresh start in his home state as EnterSports Management announced that Hall is signing with the Houston Texans.
Hall was born in Texas and played college ball at Sam Houston State. Playing for his hometown team could be just what he needs to reboot his career. The talent is there, he just needs to show he has the drive to succeed.
What Went Wrong With Hall & the Raiders?
Hall had everything going for him when he first came to the Raiders. He was one of the first picks that Jon Gruden made when he returned to the team, and he was joining a defensive line that desperate to have a standout player. Unfortunately, he never lived up to his potential and only lasted two seasons with the team.
Hall getting came shortly after Gruden put him on blast for showing up to camp overweight last year.
“P.J. Hall, I’m anxious to see where his weight is, he came in overweight last year and at that position that can’t happen,” Gruden said in late July.
It’s more than likely that he did show up overweight and the Raiders decided he wasn’t worth the headache anymore. New defensive line coach Rod Marinelli probably also played a role in him getting cut. General manager Mike Mayock alluded to the fact that Marinelli “doesn’t put up with anything but 100 percent hustle” and singled out Hall. It seems like the Raiders have known for a while that he wasn’t going to cut it with this team but tried to give him another shot because of his raw talent.
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New Additions Likely Played Role in Hall’s Dismissal
The biggest indicator that the Raiders were probably ready to move on from Hall this offseason is that they brought in two veteran defensive tackles in Maliek Collins and Daniel Ross. Both men played under Marinelli in Dallas and he played a role in them coming to Las Vegas.
Gruden has already raved about Collins so he’s probably going to be a starter with Johnathan Hankins next to him. Ross and Maurice Hurst will serve as the backups. That didn’t really leave room for Hall to have a roster spot. The Raiders’ defensive line is finally showing some promise so they didn’t really need to bet on Hall. With him heading to Houston, the Raiders’ second-round picks from 2015 to 2018 have not gotten second contracts. Hopefully, cornerback Trayvon Mullen can buck the trend.
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