Bengals' Vernon Hargreaves: Full participant Wednesday
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Hargreaves (ankle) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice session, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.
Hargreaves sustained an ankle injury in Sunday's regular-season finale against the Browns and was limited during Tuesday's practice session. However, he's on track to suit up for Saturday's wild-card matchup against the Raiders after he practiced without limitations Wednesday.
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Bengals' Vernon Hargreaves: Questionable to return
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Hargreaves is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Browns after suffering an ankle injury.
Hargreaves was injured in the second quarter, and he was unable to put any pressure on his right leg prior to being carted off the field. That said, he seems unlikely to return to Sunday's game and will instead shift his focus to returning in time for the team's upcoming wild-card matchup. Hargreaves has been limited primarily to special teams duties this season.
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Texans' Vernon Hargreaves: Enters unrestricted free agency
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Hargreaves finished 2020 with 72 tackles, seven passes defensed and one interception over 16 games.
Hargreaves was a full-time contributor in 2020, but he was also part of a weak defense. The cornerback enters the offseason as an unrestricted free agent, so he may end up with another team. There are big changes in store for a Houston defense that ranked 30th in the NFL.
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Texans' Vernon Hargreaves: Inactive for Week 11
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Hargreaves (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Ravens.
Hargreaves was claimed off of waivers by the Texans on Wednesday, so it makes sense that he would sit out his first game with the team as he likely is still unfamiliar with Houston's defensive scheme. Johnathan Joseph and Bradley Roby remain the starters at cornerback, with Hargreaves likely to fill a situational role once he is able to learn more of the defensive playbook.
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Buccaneers' Vernon Hargreaves: High hopes in new scheme
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Hargreaves will be playing press coverage much more often and lining up exclusively on the outside in new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles' 3-4 scheme, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports. "It's everything that I do. It's kind of like taking me back to college," Hargreaves said of the new scheme, which is more aggressive than the read-and-react system favored by former defensive coordinator Mike Smith. "It's that same scheme [as the Florida Gators used] -- blitz the quarterback, man-to-man on the outside and let's get after it."
The 11th overall pick in 2016, Hargreaves has fallen short of his draft pedigree over his first three NFL seasons. A shoulder injury cost him all but one game in 2018, while a hamstring issue limited him to nine contests in 2017. A large part of the the 23-year-old's struggles might well trace back to former defensive coordinator Mike Smith's scheme, which called for Hargreaves to play an off-coverage style that was the antithesis of the physical press coverage he excelled at in college. Reverting back to an approach in which he's enjoyed success could lead to better results, a notion supported by the fact Hargreaves snagged 10 interceptions in three college seasons while consistently jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage.
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Buccaneers' Vernon Hargreaves: Heads to injured reserve
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The Buccaneers will place Hargreaves (shoulder) on injured reserve Wednesday, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Tampa Bay made the decision to shut down Hargreaves after he received a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews early Wednesday. Though the details surrounding Hargreaves' condition aren't completely clear, it's likely that Hargreaves was recommended to undergo surgery after sustaining what was believed to be a labrum tear in the Buccaneers' season-opening win over the Saints, per Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. The Buccaneers signed cornerback Marcus Williams on Tuesday to fortify their depth at the position with Hargreaves set to miss at least eight weeks -- if not the entire season -- with the shoulder issue.
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Buccaneers' Vernon Hargreaves: Undergoing MRI
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Hargreaves (shoulder) will have an MRI on his shoulder Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Hargreaves is the Buccaneers' top cornerback when healthy, and his potential absence doesn't bode well for the defense. The team feared he may have suffered a severe injury, but it remains cautiously optimistic he'll avoid being sidelined for an extended period.
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Buccaneers' Vernon Hargreaves: Suffers shoulder injury
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Hargreaves is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Saints due to a shoulder injury, Herbie Teope of NFL.com reports.
Ryan Smith will serve as the Buccaneers' top right cornerback as long as Hargreaves remains sidelined, and Javien Elliott could also see an increased workload. Expect an update on Smith's injury after the game.
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Buccaneers' Vernon Hargreaves: Returns to practice
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Hargreaves (shin) returned to practice Tuesday, Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com reports.
Hargreaves was sidelined throughout the weekend with a leg laceration that ultimately required stitches, but he was able to return in a fairly timely fashion as training camp ramps up. He's slated to start at cornerback for the Bucs following a 2017 campaign in which he amassed 42 tackles and five passes defensed in nine games.
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Buccaneers' Vernon Hargreaves: Expected to miss a few days
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Hargreaves (lower leg) will miss a few days after getting spiked in the shin and requiring stitches, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
Hargreaves has avoided serious damage, but he will rest up the injury to prevent anything further. Coming off a sophomore season which lasted just nine games due to a hamstring injury, Hargreaves will attempt to bounce back after a turnover-free nine games last year while being part of a secondary that allowed the fourth-highest completion percentage (67.6) in the NFL. The third-year corner displayed versatility by playing both outside and as the nickel corner and he figures to see work at both spots in 2018. However, he will likely remain off the fantasy radar unless he can drastically increase his interception rate of just one in his first 25 career games.
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Buccaneers' Vernon Hargreaves: Compiles six tackles Sunday
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Hargreaves posted six tackles (five solo) in Sunday's 38-33 loss to the Cardinals.
Hargreaves now has at least six stops in his last three games. However, despite having made a commitment to be a more aggressive on-ball defender this season, the 2016 first-round pick has yet to record an interception and has just one pass defensed through his first five contests. The subpar play appears to be due in large part to the second-year corner giving receivers ample cushion far too often, as per Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. He'll look to snag his first pick of the season against the Bills in Week 7.
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Buccaneers' Vernon Hargreaves: Impressive final practice of camp
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Hargreaves was often matched up against rookie Chris Godwin in Thursday's final training camp practice and frequently won the one-on-one battle, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.
The second-year corner has taken advantage of the absence of Mike Evans (undisclosed) the last two days to frequently exert his will on Godwin. Hargreaves frequently got the best of the rookie during Thursday's session, but he's looked considerably improved overall in his second pro training camp. The former Florida Gator will start alongside Brent Grimes at cornerback this season, and he appears to be making good on his vow to play more aggressively as he enters his second campaign.
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Buccaneers' Vernon Hargreaves: Returns punts in Thursday's practice
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Hargreaves took turns returning punts at Thursday's practice, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.
The second-year corner joined fellow defensive back Brent Grimes and receiver Adam Humphries in logging reps on the punt team. Head coach Dirk Koetter has designated Humphries as the early favorite for the job, but it appears multiple players will be auditioned during the preseason before a final decision is rendered.
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Buccaneers' Vernon Hargreaves: Picks off pass for second consecutive OTA session
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Hargreaves notched an interception for the second consecutive day in Thursday's OTA, Joe Kania of the team's official site reports. "We challenged Vernon to take the ball away more this year and he's done that these first couple of days here," head coach Dirk Koetter said after Thursday's practice.
Hargreaves arrived in Tampa last season with a reputation for getting his hands on the ball after having recorded 10 interceptions and 27 passes defensed overall in three years at the University of Florida. However, his rookie campaign featured just two forced turnovers and also saw Hargreaves targeted a league-high 113 times for a total of 1,069 yards. After Koetter challenged him earlier this offseason to be more aggressive, the second-year corner seems to be playing with just such a mindset over his first week of offseason practices.
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Buccaneers' Vernon Hargreaves: Expected to be more aggressive in second season
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Head coach Dirk Koetter expects Hargreaves, who totaled 76 tackles (68 solo) but only caused two turnovers in his rookie season, to be more aggressive in 2017, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports. "I think Vernon needs to be more aggressive. I think, sometimes, Vernon was too content to just cover his guy," Koetter said. "They threw it to him and he was right there and made the tackle. Instead of, 'Vernon, scoot up and make that play!'"
The 2016 first-round pick flashed plenty of potential, particularly during training camp and practices, but that play-making ability didn't translate very often to regular-season games. Koetter believes that part of Hargreaves' apprehension last season was largely the result of the ebbs and flows of confidence that are part and parcel with being an NFL rookie, but he also expects most of that indecisiveness to evaporate in Year 2. The former Gator did have the relative misfortune of lining up opposite veteran ballhawk Brent Grimes, which helped led to Hargreaves seeing a league-high 113 passes thrown in his direction and him giving up the most receiving yards in the NFL (1,069) among corners. The instances in which Hargreaves was aggressive did often generate positive results, however, such as when his deflection of a Philip Rivers pass in Week 14 led to a pick-six by Lavonte David. The 21-year-old notably played more snaps than all but one rookie (Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey) last season, so the Bucs certainly hope the extensive experience he garnered will lead to a more instinctual player in 2017.
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Buccaneers' Vernon Hargreaves: Posts 76 tackles in rookie season
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Hargreaves totaled 76 tackles (68 solo), including three for loss, one forced fumble, one interception and nine passes defensed overall in the 2016 season.
The 2016 first-round pick experienced the typical ups-and-downs of a first year-player, particularly one playing as volatile position as cornerback. Hargreaves certainly got the proverbial baptism by fire, as he was the subject of a league-high 113 targets, 80 of which were converted into receptions. That volume led the rookie to surrender 1,069 yards receiving overall, a high-water mark in the league last season. Despite the negatives inherent in those numbers, they may ultimately prove to be a blessing in disguise, as they afforded Hargreaves an abundant amount of reps right from the onset of his rookie campaign. With 16 games now under his belt and a wealth of talent, Hargreaves could potentially display significant improvement in 2017 if he's able to make the necessary adjustments over the offseason.
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Buccaneers' Vernon Hargreaves: Receives praise for Week 1 performance
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Hargreaves played on every defensive snap in the Week 1 victory over the Falcons and received praise for his performance from head coach Dirk Koetter, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports. "Vernon, for his first game in the NFL, going against a guy like Julio Jones, Vernon did a nice job," coach Dirk Koetter said. "First game in the NFL, road game, loud crowd, Julio Jones, Matt Ryan, playing nickel and playing outside, he had a lot on his plate yesterday
The heralded 2016 first-round pick was thrown into the fire to start off his NFL career and acquitted himself reasonably well by all accounts. The Bucs did give up a total of 334 passing yards to Matt Ryan, but that was at least partially influenced by the Falcons trying to overcome a deficit throughout the second half. Hargreaves was joined by fellow starting corner Brent Grimes in participating on every play, with Alterraun Verner and Jude Adjei-Barimah rotating in on the nickel. The former Gator finished Sunday's game with two tackles (one solo) to his credit.
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Buccaneers' Vernon Hargreaves: Not practicing Saturday
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Hargreaves did not participate in Saturday's practice due to an undisclosed reason, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.
Hargreaves was seen playing catch with assistant coaches on the sidelines, but the reason for his absence from the field is still unknown. He expects to be back for Monday's practice although nothing is set in stone.
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Buccaneers' Vernon Hargreaves: To start rotating in with first-team defense
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Hargreaves will begin rotating in with the first-team defense beginning with Wednesday's practice,Scott Smith of the team's official site reports. He'll start rotating in there with the first group," confirmed Head Coach Dirk Koetter after practice on Monday. "As I said in the spring, the guy is a good football player, he's going to play. He's doing a nice job, his athleticism shows up every day."
The 2016 first-round pick has been wowing with his coverage on the second unit, so much so that a promotion appeared both inevitable and imminent. Koetter made it official by declaring that Hargreaves will be in with the ones following Tuesday's day off. The UF product will likely start off playing nickel slot corner, a spot that second-year man Jude Adjei Barimah has been manning over the first five practices. Hargreaves' talent level and football IQ is such that the staff feels confident he can excel at both outside and inside coverage, but they won't ask the rookie to adapt to both simultaneously. "Once we feel like he's got a comfort level inside, we'll give him some snaps on the outside," said Defensive Coordinator Mike Smith. "We know that he has played at the corner position, and at the inside corner there are a lot of nuances and we're trying to get him up to speed on that."
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Buccaneers' Vernon Hargreaves: Provides suffocating coverage in Sunday practice
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Hargreaves flashed particularly tight coverage in Sunday's practice, the team's official site reports.
The 2016 first-round pick has been sharp throughout his on-field work in OTAs and mini-camps with the second unit, but appears to be making a push to run with the starters in the early going of training camp. Hargreaves was especially impressive Sunday in one-on-one drills, draping his man so tightly that he was able to record a pass deflection with his body on multiple occasions. If preliminary results are any indication, the Bucs appear to have made all the right moves with their secondary this offseason, as the talent level, and by exentension, the competition, seems to have been ramped up significantly, with Hargreaves being an integral part of that equation.
