[UPDATE 7:12 p.m. ET]
Leon Hall left the #giants. Visit over. As I noted earlier, he has some other options. We'll see where this goes
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) May 3, 2016
Despite having drafted Eli Apple with their first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the New York Giants are apparently still on the hunt for cornerback depth. The Giants are reportedly hosting veteran corner Leon Hall for a free-agent visit on Tuesday.
Hall 31, is a nine-year veteran who has spent his entire career with the Cincinnati Bengals after being a first-round draft choice in 2007. SB Nation's Cincy Jungle offered this summary of Hall's abilities in a free-agent profile:
What he offers: Leon Hall is still a very technically sound player with a good football IQ. He's been reduced to a nickel CB, but that role still sees about 60 percent of the total snaps, and he's still one of the best nickel corners in the league. He's physical, presses well and offenses should never throw wide receiver screens in his direction. Hall is still one of the best tackling corners in the NFL today. Hall has also rotated into safety for some packages and has practiced there in training camp. I think he could extend his career a few years as a safety and nickel CB.
Concerns: Concerns with Hall are due to past injuries. It's amazing that he's come back from two Achilles injuries, but they have severely slowed him down. His top speed is almost all but gone and he doesn't have the short area quickness he once had. Hall is at his best in zone coverage and shouldn't be put outside in man coverage. His ball skills have largely been average throughout his career and combined with his lack of speed, it makes Hall a liability on deep passes.
In a way-too-early projection of the 53-man roster for 2016, I made reference to the idea that the Giants could still use experienced, quality depth at the cornerback spot. They have left themselves thin in this area the past couple of seasons, which came back to bite them when injuries struck.
In addition to the past Achilles injuries, Hall apparently had back surgery this offseason. Obviously, you wouldn't want to see the Giants rely on Hall as an every-snap player at this point. With Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Janoris Jenkins, and Apple that, however, isn't what the Giants need.
As a low-cost, low-risk depth signing, a guy who could help in spot duty and be a veteran presence, this seems like it might a worthwhile chance for the Giants to take.
Your thoughts, Giants fans?