Redskins’ DeAngelo Hall Retires From NFL
DeAngelo Hall is calling it a career. The Redskins defensive back says he’s “done” playing football (Twitter link via John Keim of ESPN.com). Hall has yet to make it official, but the 34-year-old is considering offers to join a front office or work in television. 
The Falcons brought Hall into the league as the No. 8 overall pick in the 2004 draft and he went on to earn two Pro Bowl nods in Atlanta. Prior to the 2008 season, he was shipped to the Raiders and signed a seven-year deal worth up to $70MM with the club. That deal was terminated after just eight games, leading him to the Redskins.
Over the last ten seasons, Hall has appeared in 106 regular season games for the Redskins with 97 starts. In recent years, however, he has been limited by injuries. Hall has played in just eight games over the last two seasons and hasn’t turned in a full season since 2013, so this is probably the right time for him to hang ’em up.
Hall leaves the game with three Pro Bowl selections (2005, 2006, 2010) as well as a place in the record books. In 2010, Hall picked off Bears quarterback Jay Cutler four times, including a 92-yard pick six, which ties him for the single game record along with 13 other players in league history. Only two players – Hall and Deltha O’Neal – have hit that watermark since 2001.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/11/2018
Here are today’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Waived: DL Matthew Godin
New York Giants
- Waived: OT Laurence Gibson
Oakland Raiders
- Waived: P Colby Wadman
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: QB Stephen Morris
Washington Redskins
- Retired: OL Sean Welsh
Redskins Sign 6 Draft Choices
Shortly after the Redskins’ agreement with first-round defensive lineman Da’Ron Payne was announced, Washington came to terms with six more of its 2018 draft picks, per John Keim of ESPN.com. Here’s the full rundown:
- 2-59: Derrius Guice, RB (LSU)
- 4-109: Troy Apke, S (Penn State)
- 5-163: Tim Settle, DT (Virginia Tech)
- 6-197: Shaun Dion Hamilton, LB (Alabama)
- 7-241: Greg Stroman, CB (Virginia Tech)
- 7-256: Trey Quinn, WR (SMU)
Only one of the Redskins’ draft picks remains unsigned — third-round offensive lineman Geron Christian — and that’s not exactly surprising given this CBA’s interesting lack of clarity regarding third-round contracts. But Washington has the rest of its group in tow as the team moves further into its OTAs.
Guice is the most notable of this sextet, falling extensively during draft weekend and having reported issues before the draft. The LSU product plummeted to Washington near the end of the second round, and he’s in position to compete for the team’s starting job. He joins Samaje Perine and Rob Kelley as Washington’s primary backs set to complement passing-down specialist Chris Thompson.
Settle figures to compete for depth on a defensive front that may well have Payne included among its starters this season. And Hamilton joins Payne and 2017 first-round pick Jonathan Allen as former Crimson Tide cogs to be part of the Redskins’ front seven.
Redskins Sign Da’Ron Payne
The Redskins have signed first-round pick Da’Ron Payne, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The defensive tackle has become the first Round 1 pick from the 2018 NFL Draft to ink his rookie deal. 
[RELATED: 2018 NFL Draft Results By Team]
Payne, an Alabama product, vaulted up the draft boards this year thanks to his run-stuffing ability. The Redskins pounced on him at No. 13 overall with the belief that he can also develop into a strong defender on passing downs.
“I think [fellow Alabama alum] A’Shawn Robinson was more talented than Da’Ron and I know Robinson had better (tackle-for-loss) and sack production than him, but Payne plays harder and I think he’ll be the better NFL player,” one NFC executive told NFL.com prior to the draft. “He’s thick and strong, but he’s also a really good athlete and I see his best football in front of him.”
Last year, Payne had 53 total tackles, a sack, and an interception as Alabama captured yet another National Championship.
Payne projects to be the Redskins’ starting nose tackle this year with defensive ends Matthew Ioannidis and Jonathan Allen on either side of him. Between Payne, Allen, and outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, the Redskins’ starting front seven boasts three former first-round picks.
NFC East Rumors: Cowboys, Prescott, ‘Skins
The Cowboys are already planning to back up a Brinks truck for quarterback Dak Prescott when the times comes, as Charean Williams of PFT writes.
“Yeah, you know at that position, it kind of is what it is,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “You kind of, when the time comes, [expect to pay him]. I know Dak is going to have a good year this year. I hope it’s up there. It’s going to be as he deserves. He was a fourth-round pick. No one deserves to get paid fairly more than he does. We all see what some of the other guys are who aren’t Aaron Rodgers, who aren’t Matt Ryan [are getting paid]. He’s going to do well. We certainly know that’s going to happen. We’ve got that planned in our budgeting for the salary cap. I just want Dak to go out and be MVP this year of the NFL. That’s what I want. Then, we’ll deal with that.”
For now, Prescott is under contract through the 2019 season with below market cap numbers of $726K and $815K in the next two years. Per NFL rules, Prescott cannot renegotiate his deal until after the 2018 season is through.
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- The Cowboys are on the lookout for safety help, Williams writes. For now, Xavier Woods is penciled in as the starter at free safety following Byron Jones‘ shift to cornerback. “Absolutely. I mean, we don’t ever quit looking in terms of player acquisition,” Jones said. “One of the things that is unique is, when you have players with versatility, it probably makes you feel a little better…We feel like, overall, we’re very comfortable and confident where we are. But there’s still a lot of work to do between now and the start of the season.”
- The Redskins let go of longtime scout Scott Campbell who spent 17 years with the club and was the director of college scouting through the 2017 draft, as Mike Florio of PFT tweets. The team says that they simply did not offer Campbell a new contract after the expiration of his old deal, but that’s really a matter of semantics.
- Earlier today, we rounded up other news on the Cowboys, including items on Randy Gregory‘s reinstatement and the team’s post-Jason Witten plans.
OL Orlando Franklin To Retire
A day after the Redskins released him, Orlando Franklin is ready to call it a career.
The former second-round pick and six-year NFL starter will not attempt to play an eighth NFL season. Franklin, 30, posted on Instagram that he will retire to spend time with his wife and son in Denver.
Franklin’s best seasons came with the Broncos, who selected him in the second round in 2011. He served as Denver’s starting right tackle for three seasons before the team relocated him to left guard prior to the 2014 season. That move helped Franklin, who enjoyed a solid contract campaign and signed a five-year, $36.5MM deal with the Chargers that came with $20MM guaranteed.
While Franklin could not replicate the success he had in Denver with San Diego, he started for two seasons with the Bolts. Injuries limited him to 10 games with the Chargers in 2015, but he returned to man their left guard spot for 16 contests in ’16. The Chargers released him last year, which led to short stays with the Saints and Redskins. Franklin played in one game with Washington last season.
Overall, the former Miami Hurricane started 89 of the 90 regular-season games in which he played. He also started for the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.
Redskins Re-Sign G Shawn Lauvao
The Redskins have agreed to re-sign guard Shawn Lauvao, according to his agency (via Twitter). Lauvao has been hampered by injuries in recent years, but he could serve as Washington’s starting left guard once again in 2018. 
Lauvao has missed 22 games over the last three seasons, including seven missed games in 2017. Last year, Pro Football Focus ranked him as one of the ten worst guards in the NFL out of 77 qualified players. Those advanced metrics haven’t rated him well since his first year with Washington in 2014, but the Redskins clearly like what he offers.
The Redskins also have Arie Kouandjio, Kyle Kalis, Tyler Catalina, and guard/center Tony Bergstrom as options to play across from starting right guard Brandon Scherff. They did not use any of their eight picks this year to draft a guard, though they did select Louisville tackle Geron Christian in the third round.
Redskins Release Orlando Franklin
Following his departure from San Diego, Orlando Franklin has not been able to re-establish his career. The Redskins made the decision to release the veteran guard on Thursday.
A former six-year starter with the Broncos and Chargers, Franklin played in one regular-season game with the Redskins last season. Washington signed Franklin in late October of last year but waived him shortly after. However, the Redskins reacquired him in mid-January via reserve/futures contract.
He’ll now return to free agency. Franklin took multiple visits last year and signed with the Saints as well, but New Orleans cut him before the season began. Aside from selecting Louisville tackle Geron Christian in the third round, the Redskins did not make other moves to bolster their offensive front. Although, Franklin was added during a season that featured rampant injury trouble to Washington’s existing starters — players expected to be healthy by training camp.
The former second-round pick turned 30 in December. He’s started 89 of the 90 career regular-season games in which he’s played. He’s also the most recent Bronco to open back-to-back seasons at right tackle. Denver’s addition of Jared Veldheer figures to extend its streak of Week 1 right tackle starters to five since Franklin was moved to guard prior to the 2014 season.
Redskins Sign 14 Undrafted Free Agents
The Redskins are the latest team to ink a crop of undrafted free agents, as they’ve agreed to sign the following 14 players:
- Quin Blanding, S (Virginia)
- Martez Carter, RB (Grambling State)
- Simmie Cobbs Jr., WR (Indiana)
- Jerod Fernandez, LB (North Carolina State)
- Shay Fields, WR (Colorado)
- Matt Flanagan, TE (Pittsburgh)
- Mikah Holder, WR (San Diego State)
- Danny Johnson, CB (Southern)
- Timon Parris, T (Stony Brook)
- De’Mornay Pierson-El, WR (Nebraska)
- Cam Sims, WR (Alabama)
- Ranthony Texada, CB (TCU)
- Elijah Wellman, FB (West Virginia)
- Sean Welsh, C (Iowa)
Cobbs may be the most notable name on Washington’s list of undrafted free agents, as he was originally viewed as a possible Day 2 pick when he declared for the draft earlier this year. The 6’4″ Cobbs initially broke out for the Hoosiers during the 2015 campaign, when he posted 60 receptions and averaged 17.3 yards per catch. An ankle injury forced Cobb to take a medical redshirt in 2016, but he posted 841 yards and eight touchdowns during his most recent season while earning first-team All-Big Ten honors.
Blanding, meanwhile, led all draft-eligible safeties with 29 run stops, according to Austin Gayle of Pro Football Focus, who listed Blanding among the UDFAs with the best chance to make an impact during their rookie campaigns. The ex-Cavalier managed at least 60 tackles in each of his four collegiate seasons, and put up four interceptions during his senior year.
Redskins’ Bruce Allen Won’t Join Raiders
There’s a belief in league circles that Redskins president Bruce Allen hopes to eventually return to the Raiders, Mike Florio of PFT reports. However, Allen tells SiriusXM (audio link) that he’s not leaving for Oakland. 
“Well, first of all, I do like the Silver and Black, and I think Mark Davis, [GM] Reggie [McKenzie] and Jon [Gruden] are going to do great. And I’m so excited for them to go to Vegas,” Allen said. “But I’m not going there. And I’m not going to play shortstop for the Nationals either tonight…I have a job to do, and we’re really looking forward to this season, and what we’re going to be doing off the field here, and future stadiums in Washington.”
Allen worked with Gruden while with the Raiders and Buccaneers, so the rumblings are only logical. If the Redskins struggle badly this year and Allen finds himself out of a job, it’s a situation worth keeping an eye on.
Last year, the Redskins finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs for a second straight year. This year, they’ll try to right the ship with Alex Smith replacing Kirk Cousins under center.