About The Vernon Hargreaves Injury
August 11th, 2018
Mental challenge ahead
In addition to Joe feeling badly about Vernon Hargreaves’ new groin injury, Joe is confident the healing runs deeper for Hargreaves than just inflamed soft tissue.
Hargreaves, who Dirk Koetter called his No. 2 cornerback yesterday, blew his groin early against the Dolphins on Thursday.
It happens. But it’s more than just an injury, Joe believes, for a guy Joe puts in the category of Buccaneers who lack a high level of mental toughness.
That sounds harsh, but this Bucs team has been marred by mental weakness for years and Joe won’t pretend it’s all one big coincidence that the team has struggled in various areas.
Last year, former Bucs cornerback Ricky Reynolds, a gameday analyst for FOX-13, made it very clear that he believed Hargreaves’ struggles were all fear-based. Talking to Joe this summer, Hargreaves said he sees the NFL as one big mental challenge and that was after Ronde Barber explained on radio that Hargreaves needs to understand his limitations. Barber also said Hargreaves is best working inside — not outside where the Bucs have hoped he’d be this season.
Yesterday, Koetter said Hargreaves probably would be ready for opening day physically. But Joe’s concern is where Hargreaves will be mentally when he gets back.
Will he trust his groin enough to the player he needs to be mentally? How will that sensitive injury impact the other mental battles he’s facing? If he loses his outside cornerback job to an emerging rookie in his absence, how will he react?
A prominent guy at One Buc Palace told Joe last year that there’s always something very wrong when a first-round pick takes a big step backwards in his second season. That really stuck with Joe, and it’s hard to argue.
Joe just sees this new groin injury as a gigantic hurdle for Hargreaves in several ways. Joe sure hopes he can leap over it.
August 11th, 2018 at 9:58 am
“Blew his groin?”
PHRASING JOE!! PHRASING!!!
August 11th, 2018 at 10:04 am
Time to kick the tires on Bashaud Breeland & Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
August 11th, 2018 at 10:07 am
this is a blessing for the team. wasting reps on a Short, Slow, Stupid-Mentally Weak 1st Round Bust is a sure way to stay in the basement. It’s time to move on from another 1st round bust failed local feel-good story with NO talent.
August 11th, 2018 at 10:07 am
Should have drafted Laremy Tunsil
August 11th, 2018 at 10:14 am
“History repeats itself? Of all people, Kobe always thought that Milli Vanilli VH3 will get injured doing a Gramatica…
celebrating when a QB overthrows the wide open reciever”
Kobe Faker
August 11th, 2018 at 10:55 am
Seriously doubt that VHIII would’ve been the #2 corner at season start (maybe starting at nickel, but not outside). We’ve got 2 youngsters who are coming on strong IMO, and I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see BOTH of them start (Davis outside & Stewart at nickel).
Also agree with LUVMYBUCS … we NEED to add a veteran CB to the mix, preferably someone who can give us 2-3 solid years at outside CB (we’ve got enough nickel CBs to choke a horse). And Duthsty, as much as I’d love to have Tunsil on our OLine, that ship sailed. ‘You are where you are’ as the old saying goes.
August 11th, 2018 at 11:33 am
This guy is reaching Bowers level of being a bust. I don’t think Licht could have made a worse choice if he tried. Just imagine if Licht put a 35yo corner playing next to Hargreaves. Can you imagine how laughable that would be?
August 11th, 2018 at 12:25 pm
Start the rooks! VH3 is soft and Ryan Smith is terrible. Those rookies compete!
August 11th, 2018 at 2:31 pm
Doesn’t help matters when Ballage stopped him dead is his tracks on his corner blitz.
August 11th, 2018 at 2:35 pm
No opinion on Hargreaves since the Gators lost their contending status in the SEC, I didn’t even pay attention and will defer to the expert comments here on JBF, mostly negative by the way. Watching the Bucs his name is mostly mud when mentioned.
August 11th, 2018 at 3:46 pm
Rhonda Barber trying to keep anotha brotha down- wants to keep his space as top dog
August 12th, 2018 at 7:58 am
I’m a Florida grad and Gator fan…but VH3 was a mistake. This was the year for DB’s. Holton Hill and Kevin Tolliver were two that we should have grabbed (Big bodied DB’s). Both would be an upgrade over VH3. They both went undrafted and are both looking like possible starters for their respective teams when they play for real.