FAB 4. Speedy Hall Could Steal A WR Roster Spot

To say that the Buccaneers’ depth chart at wide receiver is unsettled heading into the team’s third preseason game would be an understatement. The top three receivers – Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Breshad Perriman – are set. But beyond that trio it’s anyone’s guess as to who the next two or three receivers on the roster will be.

Tampa Bay had penciled Justin Watson, the team’s fifth-round pick in 2018, in at No. 4 in the offseason, followed by speedy Scotty Miller, this year’s sixth-round pick, at No. 5. But Watson has been inconsistent at both catching the ball and blocking on the perimeter, while a hamstring injury forced Miller to miss the first two preseason games. Both have a chance to make the roster, especially Miller, who lit it up in the offseason during the mini-camps and OTAs, but their struggles this August have opened up the door for other receivers to challenge for a roster spot, including a new addition in wide receiver Emanuel Hall.

Hall went undrafted due to an injury-plagued career at Missouri where he caught 97 passes from Drew Lock for 2,016 yards and 16 touchdowns, while averaging 20.8 yards per catch for the Tigers in his four-year career. He had back-to-back seasons where he had over 800 yards receiving, while averaging over 22 yards per catch as a junior and a senior.

Those injuries, including a groin injury that occurred last September, affected his concentration and led too many drops in his Tigers career, although he showed better hands as a senior than he did as a junior. The 6-foot-2, 201-pound Hall went undrafted, but was coveted by the Buccaneers before signing as an undrafted free agent with Chicago.

“The Bucs were pursuing me the hardest after the draft, but at the time, I really trusted the Bears staff,” Hall said. “I think on the Top 30 visits, I didn’t get a Top 30 visit with the Bucs, so when it came down to it, it was between Chicago or the Bucs. The Bucs were offering more money, but just because I trusted and knew the coaches, I went to Chicago, and I thought if it don’t work out, the Bucs would pick me up next.”

Hall’s groin injury turned into a sports hernia that required surgery in June, which kept him out of the start of training camp. Happy with their receivers, the Bears released Hall on August 13 and the Bucs claimed him off waivers.

“I had sports hernia surgery,” Hall said. “It is what it is. I will say for me to play my whole senior year with a sports hernia on both sides, and that’s one thing I heard in pre draft reports was, ‘Oh, he’s not tough.’ And that irritates me. At the end of the day, people are going to talk and say whatever they want, and as an athlete, you don’t have a chance to say you’re part. I don’t really care to say my part, because at the end of the day, I’m the one playing the game and the people are the ones rooting me on, so, you wouldn’t be following along if it were true about some of the things that were said.

“I’m excited to be here, Jameis [Winston] is a really good quarterback. This is a really good offense, really good receiver group with a lot of young guys and then we got Mike Evans being the top dog in the room. So there’s a lot I can learn from him. He’s a different receiver than me, but still, just the way he goes about his business is important. He’s a Pro Bowl guy.”

What the Bucs liked about Hall was his size and his speed to stretch defenses vertically. Hall reminds head coach Bruce Arians of Jaron Brown, a tall, fast receiver he had in Arizona. Despite his sports hernia, Hall still ran a 4.39 at the NFL Scouting Combine. Only Ohio State’s Parris Campbell (4.31), UMass’ Andy Isabella (4.31), Ole Miss’ D.K. Metcalf (4.33), Georgia’s Mecole Hardman (4.33) and Ohio State’s Terry McLaurin (4.35) had faster times among receivers than Hall did.

“I ran a 4.39, but that wasn’t my fastest time,” Hall said. “My groin was torn on both sides. If I was healthy I would be able to run in the 4.2s. I don’t know about a 4.2 flat, but I’m faster than 4.3.

“I did break the broad jump record for wide receivers at the Combine with 11 feet, 9 inches, but they didn’t really publicize that too much. I feel a lot more healthy now.”

Bucs WR Emanuel Hall – Photo by: Getty Images

Miller, who is a speedy receiver himself, running a 4.40, said he’s been impressed by what Hall has showed in practice so far.

“It’s tough to latch on to what we’ve already been doing here, and it’s going to take anyone new a few days to really catch up and get accustomed to it,” Miller said. “He’s an extremely good athlete – just look at his Combine results. He’s a ridiculous athlete. He’s been making plays in practice and we’re excited to see what he can do in games. He runs a 4.3 so he can fly, and it looks like he has pretty good hands. I’m excited to see him help us out.”

Hall is expected to get his first few snaps as a Buccaneer in the second half of Friday’s preseason game against Cleveland, and will be featured more prominently in the preseason finale at Dallas next Thursday once he’s had a few more days to learn Arians’ playbook.

“It’s definitely an adjustment,” Hall said. “It’s so weird because you learn a whole different offense for three months and Chicago’s offense was super complex. I spent hours and hours on it, and then overnight they say, ‘Oh, you’re going to Tampa.’ So you have to forget about all of that stuff and there’s some terminology here that’s the exact same way as Chicago, but it means different things. Those are the adjustments you make, but at the end of the day, I’m motivated enough to learn it because if I want to be on this team I’ve got to know it. It’s just like any playbook. You’ve got to put time into it, but this is an offense that I definitely think I can thrive in and I’m glad I’m here.

“And the heat helps any athlete, and I think being here and the practice I just did, I’m going to be in great shape when this is all over. I’m definitely excited because I haven’t been able to play a preseason game yet, I was hoping to get into the last one, I dressed, but things worked out certain ways, so when that preseason game comes I’ve got to ball out and just hope everything works out the way it’s supposed to.”

Bucs rookie cornerback Jamel Dean, who ran a sub-4.3 time for Tampa Bay scouts in the pre-draft process, played against Hall and the Tigers in college while at Auburn and has been impressed by what he’s seen from him in practice.

“He runs great routes and he’s smooth in his transitions and he makes great catches at times,” Dean said. “He’ll keep getting better as the season goes on. He can take the top off the defense with his speed.”

Hall has the chance to help the Bucs settle their depth chart issue at wide receiver and leapfrog some of the receivers that have been here since May with a good showing in the final two preseason games. Now healthy, he could prove to be an early waiver wire steal for Tampa Bay if he can show off his blazing speed and prove that he has made strides catching the ball.

“There are some guys that are shorter and that are quicker, but my thing is more stretching the field – down the field – with my top-end speed,” Hall said. “That’s just something that my junior year, I didn’t really have and it’s the thing I perfected – just taking the top off of a defense. I saw the way that that changed the game for Mizzou. That’s one thing I think any offense always needs, and so, that’s one thing I’ve got to show here, because in the NFL every team wants that. If you watch my tape it’s a lot of deep balls, so here I’ve got to make these count, stay healthy and get back to what I do. I’m excited to be here.”