DeAngelo Hall excited about possibility of DeSean Jackson, would mentor him
DeSean Jackson (10) returns a punt against the Minnesota Vikings. Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Washington Redskins veteran cornerback DeAngelo Hall was one of the few players on the team’s defense who wasn’t below-average last season, and he was rewarded with a significant payday this offseason before hitting the free agent market. Hall is a leader on the Redskins organization, and he isn’t only veteran DB and leader to show excitement at the possibility of his team landing former Philadelphia Eagles star receiver DeSean Jackson (the other is Oakland Raiders safety Charles Woodson, and both the Raiders and Redskins look like the two favorites at this point with the Kansas City Chiefs pulling out).
Hall said, per CSN Washington’s Tarik El-Bashir, “If we could add a piece like that … he’s a threat whenever the ball is in hands.”
“He’s a deep threat. You can’t put eight in the box. Man, if we could pull that off …I was a little disappointed early on in free agency, but if we could pull that off, hell, that would my day, make my year.”
An offense of a healthy Robert Griffin III at quarterback; elite RB Alfred Morris; and Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson, and Jordan Reed as the wide receivers would be incredibly scary. Garcon is a playmaker and a top-notch wide receiver in his own right (I think he’s better than D-Jax), but the Redskins could really use a better WR2. Jackson is a No. 1 receiver in this league, so the Redskins would have an embarrassment of riches at the skill positions for RG3 to work with if they are able to add Jackson. The Redskins are aggressive in the sweepstakes for the former NFC East rivals, so we’ll see if Hall’s year is made.
The character concerns don’t seem to bother Hall at all, but he’s also no stranger to being called a distraction. He stated that he would be willing to work with Jackson and prevent any issues from arising, “I feel like our locker room has a good group of young guys, a good group of old guys, man. Some of the things he’s been going through lately, that’s life. That’s life. We’ve all been through something, so …if he’s able to come here, man, I’m going to take him under my wing and just try to put him on the right path.”
I’m sure Hall isn’t the only one excited about the possibility of the Redskins snagging one of the NFL’s premier playmakers in the passing game, and Jackson’s 1,300 receiving yards last season prove his value.