Predict the 2011 Opening Day 53 Man Roster

[Ruhskins]

Alright, I'll play along...

QB: Rex Grossman, Vince Young, John Beck

RB: Ryan Torain, Roy Helu, Keiland Williams

FB: Darrell Young

TE: Chris Cooley, Fred Davis, Logan Paulsen

WR: James Jones, Santana Moss, Anthony Armstrong, Leonard Hankerson, Terrence Austin, Brandon Banks

OL: Trent Williams, Kory L., Casey Rabach, Will Montgomery, Ryan Harris, Mike Williams, Jammal Brown, Kasey Studdard, Selvish Capers

K: Graham Gano

DL: Adam Carriker, Anthony Bryant, Jeremy Jarmon, Jarvis Jenkins, Kris Jenkins, Vonnie Holliday, Kedrick Golston, Chris Neild

LB: Brian Orakpo, Ryan Kerrigan, Lorenzo Alexander, London Fletcher, Chris Wilson, HB Blades, Perry Riley, Robert Henson

DB: DeAngelo Hall, Nnamdi Asomugha, Philip Buchanon, Kevin Barnes, Byron Westbrook

S: OJ Atogwe, Laron Landry, Reed Doughty, DeJon Gomes

P: Josh Bidwell

LS: Nick Sundberg

[Skins4L]

Originally Posted by Ruhskins

DB: DeAngelo Hall, Nnamdi Asomugha

Id like too see it myself but its actually a tandem weve seen and wasnt successul SUPRISINGLY... Why didnt these two click last time in Oakland?

[Dirtbag59]

Originally Posted by Skins4L

Id like too see it myself but its actually a tandem weve seen and wasnt successul SUPRISINGLY... Why didnt these two click last time in Oakland?

They asked Hall to play more bump and run which is similar to asking Haynesworth to play a two gap style.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Dirtbag59

They asked Hall to play more bump and run which is similar to asking Haynesworth to play a two gap style.

He actually excelled in bump and run when he came here in 2008, because he was playing with a chip on his shoulder. Remember: we didn't switch off aggressive man coverage until the 2009 season.

So Oakland may have been right to believe he could be a good bump and run corner, but Hall never believed in his own ability to do so, and so he never did it well in Oakland.

In that way, at least, the DeAngelo Hall:Oakland::Albert Haynesworth:Washington Analogy holds up quite well. Haynesworth probably could excel at 3-4 5 technique if he put his mind to it. But Hall actually did excel at it when he had a point to prove.

After he got the $52 million deal from us though, Blache never even pretended to attempt to hold Hall accountable for anything. That was a Rogers-only policy.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Skins4L

Id like too see it myself but its actually a tandem weve seen and wasnt successul SUPRISINGLY... Why didnt these two click last time in Oakland?

This was a really good question, so I did some research. Hall's terrible play in Oakland may have been overstated.

I mean, he was terrible there across from Asomugha, meaning he had a pair of disaster games against Jay Cutler and Matt Ryan that year, and then Al Davis held him accountable and released him. I think the perception of Hall's bad games is often not as critical as it deserves to be because Hall is rarely held accountable for poor performance. Davis wrote a check and released him.

But 2008 ended up being a pretty standard DeAngelo Hall season by the end. He can complain about the coverages they made him play in Oakland all he wants, but it's not like 2008 (9 YPA against in OAK, but 5 YPA against in WAS) was somehow more erratic than his 2010 season (5 INTs in two halves in Weeks 7 & 8, 0 INTs rest of season). Hall just lets recent outcomes dictate his abilities on the next play. He should be better than he is, in theory, but the only man who ever held him accountable, Al Davis, is never going to take a chance on him again.

Long story short, Asomugha and Hall would work at least as well here as Rogers and Hall. Hall isn't going to play worse just because he's getting thrown at more. It's just that his mistakes will compound and perhaps be more evident. But they were always there.