With the addition of new defensive line coach Rod Marinelli, it’s expected that several of the young players on the Raiders should get a boost as soon as the 2020 season. Marinelli is widely known as the best defensive line coach in the NFL, and his motto is to be relentless.
That message should play with players such as Clelin Ferrell, Maxx Crosby, and Maurice Hurst, who all play with a non-stop motor. However, one player that may be in some trouble is defensive tackle P.J. Hall.
In his Tuesday press conference, general manager Mike Mayock singled out Hall as someone who might struggle to adust to Marinelli’s coaching. Mayock emphasized that Hall will need to work on his effort under the new coaching staff.
A little alarm went off for third-year DT P.J. Hall today in Indy.
Here's Mayock: "P.J.’s got a challenge. We have a new defensive line coach coming in, and trust me, Rod Marinelli doesn’t put up with anything but 100 percent hustle. Nothing but.” #Raiders— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) February 25, 2020
However, Hall might struggle for another reason under Marinelli. Historically, Marinelli has preferred smaller defensive tackles who can get up the field and attack the quarterback. While Hall tested as a great athlete, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team opted to go with a smaller defensive tackle in his spot.
Hall will get several opportunities to showcase his talent during the offseason and during training camp. But as Mayock mentioned, it’s going to be an uphill climb for Hall to earn a starting spot at defensive tackle.
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