Redskins veteran safety DeAngelo Hall sat out training camp on the PUP list, and will remain sidelined as the regular season starts next week.
Along with the announcement of roster cuts Saturday evening, the Redskins also kept veteran safety DeAngelo Hall on the Reserve/Physically unable to Perform (PUP) list to start the regular season.
Hall was placed on the PUP list before training camp began and hasn't engaged in any team practices this preseason, occasionally doing some rehab drills on a side field. He told CSN-Mid Atlantic last week that starting the season on the PUP list was the best medical choice to make.
"Dr. [James] Andrews doesn't think I'm quite ready," Hall said. "I'm gonna take his advice."
The longest tenured player on Washington's 53-man roster, Hall is entering his 10th season with the Redskins and 14th overall in the NFL. He suffered a torn ACL last season in the Redskins' 29-27 Week 3 victory over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., and was placed on Injured Reserve.
The Virginia Tech product enters the 2017 season having played in 166 career regular season games, collecting 795 tackles with 139 passes defensed, 43 interceptions, 15 fumble recoveries, 11 fumbles forced and two sacks.
With the safety position losing veteran Will Blackmon during Saturday's cuts, the group will rely heavily on 26-year-old D.J. Swearinger, whose starting partner in training camp, Su'a Cravens, has missed the last three weeks of the preseason after having knee surgery.
Cravens is expected to be ready for Week 1, but the team may have to rely on youngsters Deshazor Everett, Montae Nicholson and Stefan McClure. Hall, in the meantime, still fills an important role for the Redskins.
"He's kind of been a mainstay here and he kind of keeps the boat from sinking from time to time," said Redskins head coach Jay Gruden during training camp. "There's some volatile people in that defensive back room from time to time and he's a calming guy, if you can believe that. D-Hall is. He's been great. He's been a great leader for us. Unfortunately for him, injuries have shortened his season. Hopefully we'll be able to get him back at a later date, but if we don't have him back when we want to, at least he'll be in the room and still have a major influence on the team and the defense."
As Gruden mentioned, Hall remains a valuable mentor for the defensive backs group, in particular guiding seventh-round draft pick and cornerback Joshua Holsey, who made a strong impression throughout camp and preseason to make the team as the backup nickel corner.
"As a young cat, I'm trying to steal every little bit of knowledge he knows," Holsey said. "So every chance I get to talk to him, I talk to him."
Added Hall: "You know, when you stop learning, it's the day you don't get better. So everyday I'm trying to get better. So everyday I'm constantly in my book, in the notes, you know, talking to guys, just trying to [have] conversations with coaches [and] coordinators."
