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Redskins Insider: Hall produces an early return

Hall makes his presence felt in debut

By Ryan O'Halloran | Wednesday, November 19, 2008

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It had the look of somebody cleaning out his locker. Several pairs of shoes lined up in front of the stall. A stack of gloves to one side, a pile of clothes to the other.

But DeAngelo Hall wasn't packing up Monday morning, he was moving in.

It had been a whirlwind 12 days for Hall - waived by Oakland, signed by Washington, taught a new system on the fly, put on the field more than expected against Dallas, a pass intercepted in a defeat.

Now, finally, Hall had time to tidy up his space, hang up his practice gear and gather Post-it notes that included the cell phone number of fellow cornerback Carlos Rogers.

"It was refreshing just to feel like I was playing for something," Hall said of his Redskins debut. "I already feel a part of this team. I've been here less than a week and I already feel more at home than I did in Oakland - and I was there since July and never felt that way. That's a big thing - when you're comfortable, you play a hell of a lot better."

Hall, the most picked-on corner in the NFL through eight games, played 23 snaps against the Cowboys. The two-time Pro Bowl selection finished with two tackles and recorded his fourth interception of the season. His performance was exactly what the Redskins needed because Shawn Springs missed his fourth consecutive game with a calf injury.

And, it was exactly what Hall needed - a positive first step toward wiping The Oakland Debacle from other people's minds - and his own.

The Hall-Redskins marriage is a fascinating subplot for the next six weeks. Washington can't count on Springs until he returns to the field and can stay on the field.

Because the Redskins' defense needs to blitz to pressure the passer, solid every-down coverage from Rogers, Hall and Fred Smoot is key if LaRon Landry continues to be their only deep help.

If Hall is more than serviceable the rest of the season, what's the Redskins' plan? It would be like them to rush judgment on Hall after a few games and initiate contract talks. But like they seem to be doing with quarterback Jason Campbell (which is puzzling), the Redskins seem inclined to have things play out, which is understandable.