Raiders, Falcons’ Hall agree to 7-year contract
Published 11:34 pm Thursday, March 20, 2008
ALAMEDA, Calif. — The Oakland Raiders and DeAngelo Hall agreed to terms Thursday on a $70 million, seven-year contract that cleared the way for the former Pro Bowl cornerback to be dealt from Atlanta to Oakland.
Hall arrived in the Bay Area to meet with Raiders owner Al Davis, coach Lane Kiffin and other team officials Wednesday and the deal was completed the following day. Hall will be guaranteed a little more than $24 million in the new deal, a person familiar with the contract said on condition of anonymity because terms were not released.
“I’m excited to be joining the Raiders,” Hall said in a statement released by the team. “To come out here and see all of the Hall of Famers walking around, their photos posted on the wall, the championships, it’s an amazing feeling to be a part of that history and be a part of making history.”
The Raiders wanted to sign Hall to a new contract before completing the deal with the Falcons in order to make sure they would have Hall for more than one year. Oakland sent a second-round pick, the 34th overall, in next month’s draft, and a fifth-round pick in 2009 to Atlanta in the deal.
Oakland has only one pick in the first four rounds of the draft, the fourth overall selection in the opening round. The Raiders previously traded their third-round pick to New England for the pick used to select offensive lineman Mario Henderson in last year’s draft, and its fifth-round pick to Denver for defensive tackle Gerard Warren.
The Raiders could try to recoup some of those lost picks by trading either cornerback Fabian Washington or Stanford Routt.
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STEELERS: Pittsburgh released wide receiver Cedrick Wilson, hours after he was charged with punching his estranged girlfriend in the face at a suburban restaurant. The 29-year-old player was arraigned on charges of simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct and freed on $10,000 bail. Wilson apologized and said he will be treated for anger management. Lindsey Paulat told police that Wilson pushed her on the shoulder at the Patron Mexican Grill on Wednesday night. She said when she turned around he punched her in the left side of her face.
TEXANS: Houston re-signed Will Demps and N.D. Kalu. Demps appeared in 15 games with eight starts at safety in his first season with the Texans in 2007. He finished with 49 tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He also made three tackles and recovered a fumble on special teams. The 6-foot-3, 257-pound Kalu played in 15 games last season, recording 13 tackles, including three sacks.
PATRIOTS: New England signed free agent cornerback Fernando Bryant, a former first-round draft pick who has played nine years with Jacksonville and Detroit.Bryant, 30, started every game for the Lions last year and had 76 tackles — the most since his rookie season — while tying a career-high with a pair of interceptions.
PANTHERS: Carolina signed safety Terrence Holt, a former North Carolina State star, to a one-year contract. Holt, the younger brother of St. Louis Rams receiver Torry Holt, started all 16 games for Arizona last season, and had 75 tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. But Holt did not have an interception and was released on Feb. 21.
REDSKINS: Washington re-signed punter Derrick Frost. Frost returns for his fourth season with the team. He ranked 18th in the NFL last season with a 41-yard gross average and 21st with a 36.4 net average. He had a career-long 64-yard punt in the team’s Week 1 victory over Miami.
VIKINGS: Minnesota signed safety Michael Boulware. Boulware spent last year in Houston. The Texans acquired him in a trade with Seattle with the intent of making him the starter, but he was beat out in camp and played mostly on special teams.
BENGALS: Cincinnati signed linebacker Brandon Johnson, a free agent who played special teams for Arizona. Johnson was a fifth-round draft choice out of Louisville in 2006. The 6-foot-5, 224-pounder played in nine games in two seasons for Arizona. In six games last season, he had six tackles on special teams.
