Colts let go of WR Roy Hall; Wasted Pick or Not?

The Indianapolis Colts recently placed wide receiever Roy Hall on the injured/waived list, meaning that a team can claim Hall or he will on the injured reserve.  Either way, it looks very likely that Hall’s time with the Colts is over.

For me, this is a sad move.  Despite coming from Ohio State (I’m not a fan), I had high hopes for Hall and was really pulling for him to make the team and prove his talent on the field.  He is huge at 6-3 and 240 pounds and I was sure he could succeed given his freakish size and speed for a wide receiver.  Seeing him one year at training camp I was blown away by the combination of huge biceps and blazing speed.  Hall was drafted in the fifth round of the 2007 draft, the same year the Colts took Anthony Gonzalez, another Ohio State wide receiver, in the first round.

Unforunately, Hall has been unable to match even a fraction of the success that Gonzo has found with the Colts.  Even more unfortunate is that I don’t believe it has anything to do with Hall’s ability or talent, but rather that the guy can simply can not stay healthy.  It seems like there are guys who are always hurt and Roy Hall is one of those guys. I don’t understand it personally, they have trainers, sports medicine, weight rooms, etc, etc … but some guys like Hall just can’t stay healthy enough to play.  Several times it felt like we didn’t even know what his injury  was, just that he’d be missing another game.

I had high hopes for Hall last year, feeling he could fill in for Marvin Harrison on some downs or even give the Colts a nice option in a four receiever set.  But naturally, Hall was hurt for most of last season and did not see much playing time at all.  His season total was a whopping one catch for nine yards.  A bit of a dissapointment to say the least.

Again, I had even bigger dreams for Roy Hall this season. Once again, coming in for Gonzo on some downs on the outside, lining up next to Reggie on the left side or coming in for a four or five receiver set that we saw a little bit of last year.  But alas, it was not meant to be.  So whether Hall is claimed by another team or moves on from the NFL, we here wish him the best.

But ofcourse, the story can not end here …

Demond over at 18to88 ( another great Colts site) writes a post that he believes that releasing Hall is a waste of a draft pick and that the draft is overrated.  Hmm … I’m not so sure.  Hall was a fifth round pick, if it was the third round or higher, yeah maybe I’d call it a bust.  But in the fifth – seventh rounds I think you take some chances at positions like wide receiver.  Certainly if we did not take Hall, someone would have.

So what do YOU think ??

A fifth round pick that barely ever plays, was always hurt, eats a roster spot for two years and is now let go ….  a wasted draft pick or not ??