Despite winning the Super Bowl, the Giants aren’t ready to just rest on their laurels. According to the Newark Star-Ledger, the G-Men are seeking a trade with the Atlanta Falcons for cornerback DeAngelo Hall.
According to two people with knowledge of discussions between the teams, the Giants are willing to give Atlanta their first-round pick (31st overall) in April’s draft in exchange for Hall. The people requested anonymity because of the private nature of the trade talks.
Hall is arguably coming off his best season as a pro and paired with Aaron Ross, the Giants would dramatically upgrade their secondary. But Hall isn’t exactly a choirboy and is in a contract year, so if New York can’t sign him long term, is this still a wise investment? There’s no doubt he can play, but his attitude and contract status might be worth passing on.
As for the Falcons, it’s clear new GM Thomas Dimitrof and head coach Mike Smith want to rebuild from the ground up. They appear to want players who will fall in line and think team-first, which is an understandable with how things fell apart in the locker room last year. If they pull off the trade, Atlanta will have four picks in the first two rounds.
I don’t think the Giants will be the only team interested in D Hall. He should attract a lot of play in the market.
This could be a great move for the Giants as long as they can negotiate an extension as part of the trade agreement. If there ever was a draft where you could afford to trade a late 1st round pick, this is the one and I like the fact they would be getting a proven player, not a question mark. Hall is young and obviously cocky, but the egos on the Giants defense could help keep him in check. A change of scenery may benefit him as well considering the deterioration of the Falcons their need to completely rebuild.
I hope the Giants can pull the trigger.