Caplan: 49ers reportedly sign WR/return man Chad Hall

In light of the news that Kyle Williams is out for the season with an ACL injury, it appears the 49ers may be making some quick work in filling his eventual open roster spot. Adam Caplan is reporting the 49ers have signed former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver and return man Chad Hall. Caplan is not sure whether it is to the 53-man roster or the practice squad. The 49ers will not announce a move until all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed.

Hall spent some time on the Eagles practice squad and active roster in 2010 and 2011. There isn't a ton of information about Hall, but I did come across this story/scouting report from early 2010:

"His short-area drills, all the footballs he caught, he did exceptionally well. He looked really good," said Patch himself. "His three-cone drill time was probably one of the fastest I've ever timed [6.36 seconds], his 60-yard shuttle was good [10.70] and his short shuttle [4.0] was strong. As a return guy, his vertical speed isn't at the level of somebody like a Darren Sproles [of the Chargers] or Mike Logan [from the Steelers], but his short-area speed is outstanding with those times."

After Sunday's game, Jim Harbaugh mentioned that Ted Ginn Jr. was dealing with a wrist issue, which is why he was removed from return duties, and not because of his fumble. Whether anybody buys that or not, who knows. But with Kyle Williams out for the year, it makes sense to add a player with some return skills. A.J. Jenkins had some limited opportunities as a return man in college, and LaMichael James has had some chances as well, but Hall would seem to provide the 49ers with a safer deep bench option. I suspect for now Hall will be inactive, but we'll see.

This tweet was from a few hours ago, and seems to provide at least a clue towards it:

California, California, here we cooooooome

— Chad Hall (@chadhall16) November 26, 2012