The Sports Xchange

ASHBURN, Va. — No player has evolved more during his Washington Redskins tenure than DeAngelo Hall.

When the cornerback arrived in Washington in November 2008, he had just been cut by the Oakland Raiders only seven games into a seven-year, $72 million contract.

That had come after Hall had not been re-signed by the Atlanta Falcons despite making two Pro Bowls during his first four seasons and even though Bobby Petrino, the coach he had challenged, already had left the Falcons.

With the Redskins, Hall publicly questioned defensive coordinator Jim Haslett and confronted officials during games. But as Hall aged, he also matured. So now, at 31, he’s considered a wise old head and a leader even as he has been extremely limited this spring while recovering from the left Achilles he tore twice last fall.

“I’ve really been impressed with DeAngelo,” said Joe Barry, who replaced Haslett in January. “He’s been in every single meeting for the last six weeks. He’s taking notes. He’s a phenomenal leader. I’ve really, really been pleasantly surprised.”

Hall, whom a couple of younger teammates have teasingly called ‘Coach,’ has been forced to a spectator role even though he feels like he can practice. The Redskins allowed him to participate in individual drills during the first week of organized team activities before shutting him down until training camp begins in Richmond, Va., in late July.

“I feel like I can go out there now and compete and make plays, but if they want to hold me out for a while, that’s fine with me,” said Hall, whose 43 career interceptions are second among active players, trailing only Oakland’s Charles Woodson, who has played six more seasons. “As good as I feel now, I just look at it as more time to even feel better. I don’t feel threatened. I wish all these guys the best of luck. I’m gonna compete, and may the best man win at the end of the day.”

The inactivity is a rarity for Hall, who has missed just three games with injuries since he debuted with the Falcons on Oct. 24, 2004, a month before he turned 21. So it came as a shock to Hall when he tore his left Achilles in Week 3 of 2014 in Philadelphia and tore it again six weeks later in his Northern Virginia home.

Washington was 1-1 in the games in which Hall played the whole way, 3-11 otherwise. But after Hall was hurt, 2014 rookie Bashaud Breeland emerged as the Redskins’ top corner. Then Washington signed cornerback Chris Culliver away from San Francisco with a four-year, $32 million contract in March. So Hall, who’s used to being his team’s best corner — even when former Pro Bowl players Nnamdi Asomugha, Carlos Rogers and Shawn Springs were on the opposite side — will have to fight to maintain that status in 2015.

“I love the guy,” Hall said of Culliver. “I wanted (another top) corner here years ago. To finally get a No. 1 guy that we can put out there and compete, make big plays and play in big games, I’m (excited). All through Phase 1 and Phase 2 (of the offseason program), me and Culliver (were) out there starting.”

Hall has outlasted coaches Joe Gibbs and Mike Shanahan and coordinators Greg Blache and Haslett in Washington. Backup defensive end Kedric Golston is the only player who has been with the Redskins longer than Hall, who’s so secure in his status that he has taken on a quasi-coach’s role this spring, seemingly channeling former secondary coach Raheem Morris’ role in verbally harassing the offense.

“I didn’t need to do much yelling when (Raheem) was here,” Hall said with a laugh. “He did all the yelling. It’s kinda fun to get out there and chirp around a little, especially when those guys are chirping at us. We can’t let that go unpunished. We gotta kind of chirp back and bring it to ’em as much as we can.”

Hall plans to be bringing it on the field, not from the sideline, when it’s time for camp.

“I just look at it like I got one shot right now, one shot to go out there and show what I can do (so) I definitely want to be as healthy as possible,” he said.

–The Redskins signed offensive tackle Bryce Quigley on Tuesday and waived quarterback Hutson Mason.

Quigley, undrafted out of San Diego State last year, spent training camp with the Detroit Lions and joined the San Diego Chargers’ practice squad in Week 14. He was waived by the Chargers on May 19.

Mason, a former Georgia quarterback, was signed May 18 to replace rookie Connor Halliday, who chose to retire.

Mason had been the fourth quarterback on the roster, behind Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy.