The Oakland Raiders have been looking to get faster for the last couple of years. The team was not only looking to get the vertical passing game going but also wanted improve in the return game. So in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, the Raiders selected Amari Cooper.
And Cooper went in and used his blazing speed to helpbig-armed quarterback Derek Carr make his jump to year two. But to have a consistent vertical attack, you need more than one vertical threat at receiver. That is especially the case when one of those vertical threats gets injured.
That would end up happening to Cooper, who played through a foot injury, but wasn’t as explosive. The Raiders’ passing game would then suffer as Michael Crabtree is a possession guy and Seth Roberts is a slot guy. Another speed guy would open things up with and without Cooper.
At the same time, the team was No. 17 in kick return average and No. 28 in punt return average in 2015. So a guy with some speed would add some serious punch to the kick and punt return units. They tried in the seventh round last year, drafting speedster Debose.
But Debose, after looking like a future star in offseason workouts last year, has been cut because he can’t stay healthy. And just after cutting him, the team brought Marvin Hall in for a tryout. And it looks like he’ll get a shot at both roles as the team signed him Monday.
Hall played in 42 games over four years at Washington, totaling 25 receptions for 409 yards (16.4 avg.) and one touchdown. As a returner, he posted 16 kickoff returns for 357 yards (22.3 avg.) and 12 punt returns for 105 yards (8.8 avg.). Those aren’t exactly eye-popping numbers from college.
But Hall has the speed and athleticism to give the Raiders the punch they need in the passing game and return game. According to the Seattle Times, Hall ran a 4.28 40-yard dash and posted a 40-inch vertical leap. And his performance in offseason workouts is what got him signed.
The Raiders just got faster!