Raiders add veteran CB Leon Hall to mix in the secondary
Veteran cornerback Leon Hall is the latest in an influx of veteran players added to the roster by the Raiders under Jon Gruden.
The Raiders announced the signing Thursday.
Hall, 33, is an 11-year veteran who spent most of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals (2007-15) before single seasonswith theNew York Giants in 2016 and the 49ers a year ago. He joins Rashan Melvin and ShareeceWright as cornerbacks added during free agency after the releases of David Amerson and Sean Smith.
With the Bengals, Hall played under defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, who was hired by Gruden to run the Raiders’ defense. Although it hasn’t been announced, NFL Media has reported the Raiders have also brought back free safety Reggie Nelson, who also played for Guenther in Cincinnati.
Hall has played in 142 games with 108 starts with 27 career interceptions, three touchdowns, 115 passes defensed, six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Of the 14 free agents signed by the Raiders, Hall is the fourth player age 30 or above, joining tackle Breno Giacomini (32), longsnapper Andrew DePaola (30) and Wright (30).
Gruden compared the Raiders’ strategy to the one employed in 1998, his first year as head coach under Al Davis.
“We brought in a lot of veteran free agents at the beginning that were tough guys that were leaders of their position, guys like Anthony Newman and Richard Harvey and Elijah Alexander and Eric Allen, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Gruden said. “We’re trying to bring in a work ethic like 1998, and I’m excited about it.” — JerryMcDonald JACKSON BOLSTERS CASE ASQB » Lamar Jackson’s determined look as he threw the football left no question about his NFL intentions. Quarterback is the only posi-
tion he will play in the pros.
The former Louisville QB and 2016 Heisman Trophy winner, who was successful in both throwing and running while in college, has stated that plan before and reinforced it with an impressive pro day workout focused solely on passing before scouts and officials from all 32 NFL clubs in Louisville, Ky. GREGORY WANTS BACK IN
» Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed to nfl.com that Randy Gregory is preparing to apply for reinstatement to the NFL and the hope is the pass rusher can play in 2018.
Gregory missed the entire 2017 season after being suspended for at least one year for violating the NFL’s Policy for Substances of Abuse.
“I’m not confident, but I do see where his heart is,” Jones told espn.com.
Tennis
STEPHENS RALLIES FOR SPOTIN MIAMIOPENFINAL » Sloane Stephens has a sim- ple approach to her game these days. “Keep fighting,” she said. That was Stephens’mantra when her U. S. Open championship last year was followed by eight consecutive losses, a staggering, frustrating and almost inexplicable freefall. And those words kept popping into her head Thursday, when she shook off a very slowstart to beat Victoria Azarenka 3- 6, 6-2, 6-1 in the semifinals at theMiami Open in Key Biscayne, Fla.
Stephens’ opponent in Saturday’s final will be sixth- seeded Jelena Ostapenko, who beat American qualifier Danielle Collins 7- 6 (1), 6-3.
“In the first set, I was down but came back and I battled really well,” said Stephens, who is looking to improve to 6- 0 in finals. “So I knew if I did that in the second I’d be right in there. I ended up winning a lot of games in a row, and just tried to keep the momentum going.”
Stephens dropped the first three games against Azarenka, needing only 11 minutes to get into trouble. She then won 15 of the final 21 games.
“I honestly didn’t feel good at all the whole match,” said Azarenka, a three-time champion at Key Biscayne whose 11-match winning streak there was snapped. “I felt like I was a little bit too slow.”
It was only the fourth tournament for Azarenka since 2016. She became a mother late that year — her son’s name, Leo, is scrawled on the sneakers she wears in matches — and returned to play Mallorca and Wimbledon last year. Azarenka got a wild-card entry to play Indian Wells, another wild card into Miami, and was ousted by Stephens in both of those.
In a men’s quarterfinal, 16th-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta wasted two match points on his serve in the second set before recovering nearly two hours later and ousting No. 6 Kevin Anderson 6- 4, 5-7, 7- 6 (6) in a rematch of a U.S. Open semifinal from last year. Carreno Busta’s semifinal opponent will be No. 4 Alex Zverev.
Soccer
PAOK OWNER BANNED FOR THREE YEARS » The owner of Greek soccer club PAOK Thessaloniki was banned for three years for his part in violence during a match against AEK Athens, including running onto the field with a holstered pistol on his hip.
PAOK owner Ivan Savvidis, a powerful RussianGreek businessman, was also fined $123,000 by the Greek sports court.
The club itself was docked three points for violence that interrupted recentmatches against Olympiakos and AEK incidents that triggered a two-week suspension of the league.
Boxing
ALVAREZ-TRIPLE G FIGHT IN JEOPARDY » Nevada boxing regulators have filed a formal complaint against Canelo Alvarez for doping violations, putting his May 5 middleweight title rematch with Gennady Golovkin in jeopardy.
Alvarez could be suspended for a year for testing positive twice for the performance- enhancing drug Clenbuterol in random urine tests conducted in his hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico, in February.
An April 18 hearing was set on the complaint by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, replacing an earlier April 10 hearing that had been set. The hearing is just two weeks before the fight, making it doubtful the fight will proceed on that date.
Nevada boxing regulations call for a one-year ban for first violations, though it can be cut in half at the commission’s discretion. Even if Alvarez gets a sixmonth suspension, the fight would not take place until August at the earliest.
Olympics
MILAN AND TURIN JOIN FORCES » Milan and Turin are combining to bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) sent a letter of intent to the International Olympic Committee, stating its plans.
While there is usually one host city, the IOC’s new bidding process allows for the Games to be spread over bigger areas, although the competition can only be named after one city.
CONI said it would let the IOC decide which city received naming rights.
“CONI reminds that the dialogue period foresees collaboration between CONI, the city and the IOC to verify the best solution for the country’s needs,” the Italian committee said in a statement.
Subject to approval by the new government, the bid could prompt ceremonies and winter sports in Milan with other events staged at venues built for the 2006 Turin Olympics.
Milan and Turin are 90 miles apart and are connected by a highway and a high-speed rail line.