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Raiders Trade P.J. Hall to Vikings for 2021 Conditional NFL Draft Pick
August 3, 2020
The Las Vegas Raiders have traded P.J. Hall to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2021 conditional draft pick, the Raiders announced Monday.
Though Las Vegas did not reveal details on the pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the team will receive a conditional seventh-round pick in the deal.
The Raiders had planned on releasing Hall before agreeing to the deal with Minnesota.
Hall, 25, was a second-round pick by the Raiders in the 2018 draft. He hasn't lived up to those expectations, however, registering 48 tackles (eight for loss) and 1.5 sacks in 30 total games (18 starts).
His departure, then, doesn't come as a huge surprise, especially after both head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock spoke less than highly about him this offseason.
"P.J. Hall, [Maurice] Hurst, [Arden] Key, those are three guys that we used high draft picks on," Gruden said last week, per Heavy.com. "Arden has to stay healthy, P.J. Hall, I'm anxious to see where his weight is, he came in overweight last year and at that position that can't happen. Maurice Hurst has had some good moments, but we need these guys to burst on the scene no question."
"P.J.'s got a challenge," Mayock added in February, per Vic Tafur of The Athletic. "We have a new defensive line coach coming in, and trust me, Rod Marinelli doesn't put up with anything but 100 percent hustle. Nothing but."
Given the roster holes the Vikings have at defensive tackle, however, taking a low-risk gamble on Hall makes sense:
If Hall can revitalize his career in Minnesota, Monday's trade will be a fruitful one for the Vikings. Based on the comments by Gruden and Mayock this offseason, however, Minnesota fans might want to temper their expectations.