Savvy veterans know how to lie in wait, then pounce on a potential job opening when their market becomes robust.
With the injury to Cincinnati Bengals first-round rookie William Jackson, suddenly the market for Leon Hall is heating up.
The free agent is meeting with the New York Giants on Wednesday, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per a source informed of his plans. It's Hall's second visit with Big Blue, after a stop over in May.
The news comes on the heels of Bengals coach Marvin Lewis acknowledging Tuesday that Cincinnati has had conversations with Hall and there is interest from both sides.
Hall had a solid 2015 campaign, including nine passes defensed and two interceptions. With three first-round corners in the pipeline, however, the Bengals decided to move on from the 31-year-old veteran who underwent back surgery this offseason. The injury to Jackson could change that.
The Giants could swoop in and snap up the veteran to solidify their defensive backfield first. In either destination Hall would be a depth addition. Big Blue paid Janoris Jenkins a ton of money this offseason, still has Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie as a veteran leader and drafted Eli Apple in the first round.
Here's another visit we've been monitoring Wednesday:
- Another veteran player looking to join a team during the training camp period is Brandon Spikes. The linebacker took a gap year from the game, but Rapoport reported that Spikes had his first workout after a year away from football with the Dolphins. However, Spikes left Miami without a contract; instead, the 'Fins signed linebacker Danny Lansanah, a five-year veteran who mostly recently spent three years in Tampa Bay, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe reported.
Spikes was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, and spent his first four seasons in New England. After a brief one-year stop with the Bills, Spikes rejoined and was released shortly after by the Patriotsfollowing a hit-and-run incident.
