Philadelphia Eagles: Is P.J. Hall worth a look at defensive tackle?

Could P.J. Hall be the Philadelphia Eagles’ special teams secret weapon?

P.J. Hall is not having a good August.

After spending the last two seasons with the then-Oakland Raiders, a logical outcome considering he was the team’s second-round pick in 2018, it was initially reported that Hall was going to be waived.

Emphasis on the word initially.

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It was then reported that the Raiders weren’t going to waive Hall after all, and instead had agreed to ship him to the Minnesota Vikings for a conditional seventh-round pick. Okay, not as nice as hitting the open market but for the Vikings, the move made sense. After watching their recently-signed 340-pound nose tackle, Michael Pierce, opt out of the 2020 season, why risk losing Hall on the waiver wires when you can give up a menial asset to ensure his services?

But yet again, a transaction involving Hall just wasn’t meant to be.

Hall ultimately failed his physical in Minnesota, voiding the trade, and reverting his contract back to the Raiders, where he was once again waived – this time officially.

Assuming he passes through waivers, which will probably happen based on the Vikings’ medical evaluation, Hall will officially become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his young NFL career, free to sign with any team he’d like, including the Philadelphia Eagles.

But just because Hall could sign with the Eagles doesn’t mean he should, right? I mean the Birds already have the best one-two-three punch in the league at defensive tackles in Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, and Malik Jackson, plus a competition fourth option in Hassan Ridgeway, who earned a contract extension after starting five games for the team last fall. What’s the point of adding another tackle?

Allow me to elaborate.

Measuring in at 6-foot-2, 305 pounds, Hall (erroneously) received favorable comparisons to Aaron Donald due to his supremely measured athletic testing number that maybe set unrealistic expectations for his NFL ceiling. Sure, running a 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds and posting a 38-inch vertical is beyond elite for a 300-pounder, even if it came at a Sam Houston’s pro day, but Aaron Donald? Really? Fletcher Cox is worth every bit of his $100 million deal and even he isn’t on Donald’s label.

*checks Hall’s college stats* oh snap, maybe he did deserve to go in the second round.

Splitting time between defensive end and defensive tackle, Hall amassed 284 total tackles, 42 sacks, nine forced fumbles, and an absolutely insane 14(!!!) blocked kicks over his 56 game tenure with the Sam Houston Bearcats. Granted, he earned most of those numbers against FCS Southland Conference competition, but so did both Carson Wentz and Dallas Goedert, so what does that really matter? Rushing the passer from the interior, regardless of whether it’s from the zero, one, or three-technique, is about explosiveness, once Hall blew things up at his pro day, it quieted many doubters over his game’s ability to translate to the NFL.

My goodness, 14 blocked kicks? Hall could be an absolute weapon for Dave Fipp.

Now, as you probably already know, the Eagles’ special teams unit has been arguably their strongest unit for a while now, dating back to the Chip Kelly-era when Fipp initially came to town. The Eagles have employed players like Chris Maragos, Seyi Ajirotutu, and Rudy Ford purely for their ability to run down the field as quickly as they can and tackle would-be returners as quickly as possible, and for the most part, the money has been well spent.

Is Hall a better defensive tackle than Ridgeway? Debatable. Ridgeway has appeared in more NFL games, has better statistics, and a year of experience in Jim Schwartz’s scheme, whereas Hall has more impressive measurables and more NFL snaps to his name. With that being said, the Eagles used defensive linemen – everyone from Josh Sweat, to Vinny Curry, Ridgeway, and even Fletcher Cox – on 581 special teams snaps last season, so having a reserve rotational tackle who can play a core role in another facet of the team’s gameplan.

If Hall’s healthy, why not bring him into camp, let him duke it out with Ridgeway, and let the best man win?

Next. Howie Roseman’s method to the Jalen Hurts madness. dark

In the NFL, teams usually win games on the margins. Sure, having a franchise quarterback, a star receiver, and an all-world edge rusher is crucial to maintaining continued success, but seemingly every season there are a few random games won on a fluky play, a botched extra point, or an unconscionable call by a referee. If P.J. Hall, as a fourth defensive tackle, can make a few of those plays a season on special teams, isn’t it in the best interests of the Philadelphia Eagles to give him a look?

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