The Raiders already have one franchise cornerback.
That number could double soon.
The Raiders have agreed in principle to trade their 2008 second- and sixth-round draft picks to the Atlanta Falcons for two-time Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall, confirmed a source speaking anonymously because he is not authorized to speak for the team.
The deal is contingent on Hall agreeing to a new contract with the Raiders.
The Raiders used the "exclusive" franchise tag on cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha last month. He's guaranteed nearly $10 million this season, and the Raiders have exclusive negotiating rights with him.
Another source, speaking anonymously because he is not authorized to talk on behalf of the team, confirmed Hall was at team headquarters in Alameda on Friday for a physical.
Hall, however, is denying a deal is imminent.
"As of right now, we're still at the same stages that I was at with every other team," Hall told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday night. "New York, Washington, Dallas and Jacksonville. Nothing has been OK'd on my end. Unless they agreed to something that I don't know about, but I don't think no team is going to sign me without talking to me and getting everything right on my end."
Hall made his desire to be traded known at the NFL scouting combine last month, when he told the Journal-Constitution the Falcons "stabbed me in the back" after they said they wanted him while entertaining trade talks.
Raiders owner Al Davis and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, both fans of man-to-man coverage, would covet Hall.
To acquire Hall, the eighth overall pick in the 2004 draft, the Raiders would have to spend lavishly. Hall has one year at $4.2 million left on his contract. It likely would take the kind of money Asante Samuel got from Philadelphia – six years, $57 million with $20 million guaranteed – to complete the deal.
That wouldn't seem to be a problem, as the Raiders have spent a lot of money this offseason to bring players to Oakland.
The Raiders re-signed defensive tackle Tommy Kelly to a seven-year, $50.5 million deal before the start of free agency.
Oakland also has signed safety Gibril Wilson (six years, $39 million, $16 million guaranteed), wide receiver Javon Walker (six years, $55 million, $16 million guaranteed) and offensive tackle Kwame Harris (three years, $14 million). The Raiders also re-signed running back Justin Fargas to a three-year deal that could max out at $14 million.
Read Jason Jones' Raiders blog at www.sacbee.com/blogs.
