It's been quite the last several days for P.J. Hall. The 25-year-old was initially notified by the Las Vegas Raiders he'd be released, but there was enough interest to strike a last-minute deal with the Minnesota Vikings that would've sent Hall packing in exchange for a conditional late-round pick. He'd fail the physical though, and the trade was nixed, leading the Raiders to pull the trigger on their original plan of simply cutting him loose.
And now, he's preparing to head home to Texas, having agreed to terms with the Houston Texans, per his representation.
Hall is looking for a resurgence in the state that birthed his football career, where the Seguin, Texas native -- a city located just over two hours west of Houston -- eventually went on to become a standout for Sam Houston State en route to getting the call as the Raiders second-round pick in 2018. He quickly found himself as the odd man out with the Raiders, in part because he wasn't a selection of Mike Mayock, who signed on as general manager in 2019.
The decision to then make changes this offseason that included the hiring of defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, and the addition of "Marinelli guys" such as Maliek Collins, rubber stamped Hall's pink slip before he could move his bags from Oakland to Las Vegas. Collins is looked upon as a solid upgrade over Hall at defensive tackle, but the latter will now get a shot on a Texans defensive front looking to bolster the supporting cast -- led by J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus.
The terms of Hall's deal in Houston have not yet been released, nor is it clear if he's already passed the required physical after having failed one for the Vikings. If all is well, however, he'll get to work trying to show Bill O'Brien he deserves a roster spot.
