Dirk Koetter’s State Of Hargreaves Address
June 16th, 2018
Telling report
If you ask Joe, Vernon Hargreaves had a great spring. He often made plays in team periods open to media, and he looked so quick and comfortable as a nickel cornerback.
A revived man and a healthy man, it’s easy to forget Hargreaves lost seven games to a hamstring injury last season.
No, the Bucs didn’t draft Hargreaves No. 11 overall to be a dynamic nickel, but that appears to be his future. As an outside corner, Hargreaves just isn’t the same guy.
Impressed by Hargreaves offseason, Joe asked Dirk Koetter on Thursday to give a state of Hargreaves address.
JoeBucsFan.com: Coach, how would you describe or summarize the spring that Vernon Hargreaves has had?
Dirk Koetter: Yeah, Pretty solid. Pretty solid. Vernon worked and played both in and out, made a nice play here in the red zone just a few minutes ago. I think Vernon, I think he’s taking it serious. I think he’s workin’ at it. I won’t say that the competition is over, because we’ve got some other guys that are going to push him. But I think Vernon’s got his head in the right place; I think it’s important to him.
Koetter’s response was telling. It sure wasn’t the kind you want to hear about a high first-round pick just two years ago. But it does represent good news.
If football is now Hargreaves’ top priority, then he certainly has all the skills necessary to be successful, as well as experience and 23-year-old legs.
June 16th, 2018 at 7:17 am
I believe next spring, just prior to the start of the 4th season, the bucs will have to decide if they will pick up his 5th year option. I don’t see this happening if he plays nickel.
June 16th, 2018 at 7:31 am
Nickle is just as important as playing outside in todays NFL…especially for the Bucs who always seem to get hurt the most up the middle.
The traditional views of Nickle backs no longer apply…not with the rules favoring passing offenses more.
June 16th, 2018 at 7:41 am
If Hargreaves ends up being a great Nickle……that’s OK…..better than a total bust….teams need 5 or 6 CBs…..and I’m sure he can play outside if necessary.
No way the Bucs don’t pick up the 5th year…..what would be the point in letting him go? Not picking up the 5th year option doesn’t mean he leaves the team. See Doug Martin. –Joe
Yes, you’d like to have an outside force with a top pick…but you can’t win them all.
Where are all the Dominick picks now?……..
June 16th, 2018 at 8:21 am
@joe… I think you missed the he’s doing well inside and out as a cornerback in the article.
Didn’t miss it at all. Joe’s view says Hargreaves hasn’t been too good outside, compared to how he’s been inside.–Joe
June 16th, 2018 at 8:48 am
Don’t know what the dollars are on a 5th year option….but he’s at an average of $3.5 million now……suspect it won’t be prohibitive.
The difference between Martin & Hargreaves is that Martin had a couple of very bad years and was injured….I agree…if that happens to Hargreaves, he won’t be optioned.
June 16th, 2018 at 9:18 am
Hargreaves had a great spring last year. I need to see him line up against other teams before i get too excited.
June 16th, 2018 at 9:24 am
@Joe go back and rewatch Hargreaves film from last year when he switches to nickel corner. He looked like how you’re describing him now. If I am not mistaken, he played a game or two at nickel and i thought he looked like a completely different player
June 16th, 2018 at 9:47 am
Kobe and Bonzai finally agree…
slot corner is a very important position
the slot position emphasizes Mlli Vanilli’s limited strengths and hides his weaknesses…
however it takes a year for offensive coordinators to really target a weakness (especially OCs division rivals who we play twice)
Kobe Faker is still very adamant that picking up a veteran corner will be the downfall of the 2018 season
having a 12 game season old man grimes and the 9 backup secondary rookies will be our downfall
“Not drafting Derwin James and Darrius Guice will hurt us for the next 10 years”
Kobe Faker
June 16th, 2018 at 9:48 am
That response from coach Koetter is very telling. Sounds like Softgreaves got a wake up call and is working on the right track now. But his lack of effort got him a lot of competition. It will be interesting to watch and see how all that pans out.
June 16th, 2018 at 9:49 am
Stewart is going to press Hargreaves.
If he doesnt start at slot CB, then it will be because they just wont give up on VH3.
Ryan Smith and Carlton Davis both have size and speed- plus both transtion from backpedal really well. Both have smooth steps.
I know less about stewart. But what I did see, is that he is a powerful mauler in the first 5 yards. Which is great against the smaller wrs that play the slot..
stewart also shows burst. Although hes not as fluid as Smith and Davis, hes much more so than VH3.
Whitehead should be exciting to watch at Safety. He has the cover skills of a CB. And hes a hitter.
Should be fun, watching these guys develop into our secondary.
But I dont see any chance that VH3 is a part of it. As I said the day we drafted him, if anyone watched his tape- it would be crazy to draft him
Biggest problems- Hes short. Hes slow.
He is stiff in transtioning from his back pedal. Thats why he kept giving up 10 yard cushions. If a reciever runs a “Go” route, Vh3 loses him, while turning from backpedal to run. Same issue in college.
Plus he is choppy in his backpedal. Even if the reciever stays in from of him, VH3 isnt fluid in delivering a hit.
Every draft, there a guy or two- that will obviously bust, but is drafted high anyway. Its like the NFL requires a least one high level bust.
At least we have some real CBs now, finally
June 16th, 2018 at 9:50 am
Just so I’m clear Joe … Bucs’ secondary coaches can develop VHIII as a strong nickel CB but not as an decent outside CB? Hmmm, perhaps his strengths & weaknesses match up better with playing in the middle?
Far as his 5th year option goes, we’ve got 2 years to worry about that. What HE contributes to the team will ultimately determine his value IMO. Hopefully he plays lights-out & we have to beg him to re-sign.
June 16th, 2018 at 9:54 am
Hargreaves doesn’t have the speed to play outside where deeper routes are run. He is much more suited to play inside. On the outside he’s always giving a huge cushion. Let’s hope he becomes an inside asset and not an outside liability. I think he’ll be fine inside where he is just more comfortable. You need 3 good corners anyway.
June 16th, 2018 at 9:55 am
I hope Vernon has a year like Nelson Agholar had for his 3rd year. Disappointing first two years for a first round pick, got serious about fb, had a breakout season.
June 16th, 2018 at 9:56 am
He was never going to be a true “shutdown” corner. He just doesn’t have the physical build or skill set and he’s not a genuine burner like Darrell Green was who made up for his lack of size with amazing bursts of speed. I don’t know but VHG looks to be very average when it comes to DB speed. He’s not a big physical guy.
But it’s ok. If VHG turns out to be a good Nickel back I agree with Bonzai…they are valuable too. And it means we avoided the 50% bust rate for draft picks.
Seriously look around and count how many truly great cover corners are in this league? Count them almost on one hand certainly two. And they are generally a bit freakish combos of size and speed.
Patrick Peterson is built like a safety at 219 but runs like a CB with a 4.34 40.
He’s a beast. Grimes has great closing speed…but he’s not a 4.34…and he’s not 219 lbs!!!
Xavier Rhodes…6-1 210lbs 4.4 40…had the top mark in his combine for the vertical jump and the long jump…freakish athletic ability with good size.
These guys are special…with rare physical traits…this is why we do not have one!!! They are hard to find and you have to spend a top five pick on one.
In the meantime…Grimes is decent…and if Davis can use his size we may finally have a cover corner…although slow. Our entire DB seems to be lacking in true blazing speed…Evans is quick for a safety.
June 16th, 2018 at 10:11 am
Be awesome to see VH3 and Stewart show up big in the slot. Rotate every other drive to stay fresh. Or use the better of the two for whichever look they were giving you.
June 16th, 2018 at 10:28 am
Nothing worse than a slow and short – immature over drafted corner!
June 16th, 2018 at 10:31 am
YO REALIST!!! Hit em with another realist narcissistic repost again!!! Show these dudes what’s up!
June 16th, 2018 at 10:41 am
Vh3 = Bust
June 16th, 2018 at 10:44 am
Hargreaves would certainly be a 2nd fiddle on a quality team..If that. He certainly has not played up to expectations. May be his last chance this year. I hope he improves..for his sake.
June 16th, 2018 at 10:53 am
Vh3 is a garbage pop warner coach at best and a complete waste of a roster spot on any nfl team. Wasted pick admit it and move on.
June 16th, 2018 at 12:01 pm
“we’ve got some other guys that are going to push him. But I think Vernon’s got his head in the right place; I think it’s important to him”
Well – its nice to finally get some verbal confirmation – from the HC no less – that VH3’s troubles thus far have mainly involved lack of “want to”.
Coach would not be mentioning “importance” of the game to Vernon nor use the phrase “head in the right place” if those had not been legit “issues” at some point over the last 2 years.
Can you even imagine Koetter saying something like that about Winston or Evans or Godwin or Kwon? LOL
Hargreaves will decide his own fate as a Buccaneer and in this league. And it it starts….. NOW!
What’s it gonna be Vernon Hargreaves III??? Ronde Barber says you are a top 5 all time talent at CB for this franchise. I actually believe him because – well because he’s Ronde Barber. Barber himself was a bit of a “late bloomer” – but that’s partially because he had solid CBs in front of him. You were gifted a starting job from day 1 due to lack of competition at the position. That is no longer the case. There are now 3 talented young CBs (R. Smith, Davis, Stewart) who are intent on taking your job(s) Vernon. So what’s it gonna be?
June 16th, 2018 at 12:37 pm
Sounds like a classic case of “Darning him with faint praise.”
June 16th, 2018 at 1:08 pm
Agreed st. pete, he was never gonna be a shutdown guy. And that’s why I didn’t want is to draft him in the 1st, but oh well.
Xavier Rhodes was a guy I wanted real bad…
June 16th, 2018 at 3:23 pm
Hope Mike Smith goes with the best player plays and not a : player will play so that GM does not look as if he has wasted a first round pick. Mike Smith did NOTHING! about VH3 embarassing play last year for multiple games in a row–if we have a poor record this year-Mike Smith and vh3 (garbage, waste of a top pick, finger wagging numbskul) is washed up!
Joe–any word on Ryan Smith who scked as bad as VH3 last year–his ONLY redeming quality is he was 4th rounder and there are lower expectations
June 17th, 2018 at 1:35 pm
Time for mike snith to go and bring in the new blood for the defense like derrick brooks and ronde .