Slipping Away
October 16th, 2019
Has 10 games left.
Unless something changes drastically, we very well could be watching the final 10 weeks of Vernon Hargreaves’ career as a Bucs cornerback.
Hargreaves, who has struggled since his rookie season, has missed large chunks of time due to injury, including 15 games last season.
When Hargreaves has played since his rookie year, he has both struggled on the field and struggled to demonstrate why he was a first-round pick.
In fact, his former coordinator, disgraced Mike Smith, thought he was better off as a nickel corner. No team drafts a guy in the first round to be a part-time player. Of course Smith had little credibility since he and his henchmen hatched one of the worst pass defenses mankind has ever seen.
And unfortunately for Hargreaves, now healthy, the pass defense is even worse!
For whatever reason, Hargreaves seems to be playing this year as if he is trying out for a defenseman position with the Lightning. Dude looks like he is on skates, always falling down.
Sadly, in the only big play Christian McCaffrey made Sunday, the highlight of the star running back of the Stinking Panthers may have been Hargreaves’ battle to remain on his feet.
Mike Tanier of Bleacher Report pointed this out in his weekly “Gridiron Digest” column.
Best Supporting Actor in Someone Else’s Highlight
Christian McCaffrey’s early-game touchdown would look great under any circumstances, but Vernon Hargreaves made it look even better by slipping and falling at the mere sight of McCaffrey’s juke move. Linebacker Devin White deserves honorable mention for crumpling so beautifully beneath McCaffrey’s stiff arm.
Hargreaves’ pratfall reminded Joe of Mike Jenkins. Yeah, Joe actually remembers him as much for inept Lovie Smith thinking he could replace Darrelle Revis (just goes to show how deranged Lovie was in player evaluation, as if trading a second-round pick for that stiff Gaines Adams wasn’t a tipoff) as Joe remembers Jenkins for his flopping (literally, flopping like a fish on a boat) in an attempt to make a tackle in one of Jenkins’ final games with the Bucs.
Hargreaves has to pick up his game quickly and dramatically if he expects the Bucs to bring him back for his fifth season. Yeah, the Bucs exercised his fifth-year option, but that is no guarantee he will return.
As bad as the pass defense is and with Hargreaves playing well below his draft level, it’s difficult to pull together an argument for keeping Hargreaves.
And like Jenkins, Hargreaves will likely be best remembered for falling down, not for any passes defended or his pick-six to open the season, probably his last season with the Bucs.
October 16th, 2019 at 10:13 am
VHG has reached embarrassing levels. Somebody needs to put the poor guy out of his misery. Leaving him out there so overmatched almost seems cruel. Stick some rookies in there…find out if ANYBODY among our CB’s can actually play.
October 16th, 2019 at 10:15 am
I just don’t see any scenario where he remains on the team. He has been a liability. AND, much to 813’s chagrin, it has been in both zone and man coverage.
Unfortunately, our other DBs are not developing quickly enough for us to just get rid of him. So, while he’s here…..pick it up Hargreaves!
October 16th, 2019 at 10:18 am
It’s just not going to happen at this point in his career. Too bad.
October 16th, 2019 at 10:20 am
It’s apparently most of us was wrong and thought it was coaching. Nope. It’s the players. Especially Vh3. All training camp I heard he was better and he actually got worse. How do you become worse? He was already bad. Now he is terrible.
Other team Qbs don’t even have to think…. Just look at Vh3 way.
This miss of draft player is haunting us BIG TIME. He is just not talented enough. I see what he trying to do he just doesn’t have it and never be it. He is either too slow for faster guys and too small for bigger guys or both
October 16th, 2019 at 10:25 am
just chalk the little fella up as just another bust in the long line of tampa bucanners 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th round busts. the only picks they have gotten right in 4 plus decades was selmon and sapp the rest were just backups impersonating nfl players on their way to failure.
October 16th, 2019 at 10:27 am
Definition of insanity- Starting Hargraeves for four years and expecting different results.
October 16th, 2019 at 10:27 am
He is probably high again. Seeing double vision and attacking silhouettes Garbage player
October 16th, 2019 at 10:31 am
He makes the Bucs worse and his trade value is zero. He’s clueless on the football field and he’s regressing at an accelerating rate. I’ve never been so excited about a bye week. Not watching the Bucs implode on both sides of the ball will be nice for a change.
October 16th, 2019 at 10:36 am
I agree….he simply doesn’t have the talent…..I think he is doing his best and it isn’t enough….surely he is trying with all that is on the line for him.
Good thing Licht got an extra pick by moving down for VH3….Oh wait….that was spent to move up for Aguayo….oh forget it.
VH3’s replacement is on the squad now……that would be either Dean, SMB or Ryan Smith.
If Licht has to draft another CB…..well….let’s hope not.
October 16th, 2019 at 10:39 am
Thank you, Captain Obvious.
October 16th, 2019 at 10:39 am
Jenkins at least was better for a short time that VH3…the Eagles and Rams and Ravens are begging for DBs…wonder if licht reached out to these teams and tried to get rid of an undersized slow CB? How in the FUDGE could licht have not drafted a franchise LT at the pick he grabbed vh3….a 5-11 gm move
October 16th, 2019 at 10:43 am
said this when he first got drafted that he wasnt good. he shouldnt of been drafted in the first obviously. small and slow corners tend to not do well who knew?? obviously jason but thats besides the point. not vh3 fault that moron way overdrafted him. he had 3rd 4th round talent then because of his supposed “nose for the ball”. problem is hes a tick to small and a tick to slow either you have one or the other because u need it at corner cant compensate for both. he shouldnt get 10 more games to prove hes not a one or no 2 corner. start ryan smith and cd3 if u want have vh3 at nickel if you believe the season is still salvageable which i dont. if not the put smb up there and jamel dean pull up mazzi wilkins and trade vh3 because no way in hell is anyone paying him 10 mil next year only people that would be dumb enough to pay him that name rhymes with fason bite.
October 16th, 2019 at 10:47 am
The Sage’s recounting of that play was hilarious.
“There’s Havrgreaves on his back spinning like a top over here!”
Laugh my a** off.
Thank you Jason Licht, you’re the best GM ever.
Lifetime contract!!!
October 16th, 2019 at 10:50 am
This is unfortunate. I was hopeful after his week 1 pick 6 and his great play against the Panthers he was going to have a solid season and stick around. Oh well back to the drawing board I guess…
October 16th, 2019 at 11:01 am
10 weeks?
Cut him now.
October 16th, 2019 at 11:05 am
Licht should be fired now
His drafts and roster building are a disgrace
October 16th, 2019 at 11:05 am
At some point….probably soon….it’s time to start developing Dean & SMB…..and sitting VH3…..if he’s not salvageable…….we need to get our younger players needed experience and see what we have before we draft 11 new DBs next year….
October 16th, 2019 at 11:06 am
2 of Lichts #1 picks humiliated on the same play. His franchise QB was pretty embarrassing also. Devin Bush defensive player of the week?????
October 16th, 2019 at 11:10 am
Hargreaves will be remembered for his terrible seasons not 1 play. All one has to do is look at his stat line for this year. Even though it’s been the same every season.
This year according to profootball reference he has been targeted 45 times with 32 completions thats 71.1% for 463 yards. Average yds per completion 14.5 yards and average yards per target is 10.3 yards.
Why would you throw at anyone else. Everyone was talking about his 12 tackle game. You never want your CB making that many tackles because that means he is letting his man get open that much or playing too far off or both. As bad as he has performed what does that say that he is still starting. Are the backups that bad? Coaching that bad they can’t see it? Who knows. What I do know is we are not a good team. Other than good run defense, nothing has been consistent with this team. But when you can pass against us so easily why would they try to run.
October 16th, 2019 at 11:14 am
VHG has been a major disappointment…..
unfortunately, i think he’ll be back by default…..
-conte was kept after years of poor play….because we had no one else..lol..
-JW has been kept on his 5th year with poor play…..because we had no one else….
-spence was kept because we hoped, prayed and wished he would turn it around but eventually, he was kept because we didnt have anyone else…..
-benenoch was kept because we didnt have anyone else…..
we’ll see how it plays out but 1 things for sure…..
they may be more than 1 former 1st round picks off this roster after the season….
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 16th, 2019 at 11:17 am
Definition of insanity also applies to Winston. God, almighty Glazer’s what were you thinking signing inept Licht to an extension? Worst run organization in NFL. Sell the team Glazer’s or at least fire Licht to let the fans know you know a little about owning a team. Yoy showed us how stupid you are now the time to show us how smart you are.
October 16th, 2019 at 11:23 am
OOF. Devin Bush AFC player of the week.
October 16th, 2019 at 11:33 am
I was wondering if I was the only one who noticed VH on that play when both feet went out from under him and he sat down on the turf like a pouty child.
October 16th, 2019 at 11:35 am
So BA is also a poor talent evaluator also. He came here saying that we had plenty of talent on the roster for him to “reload” with. Was he just blowing hot air?
That is what some of our fans evaluation of Licht’s (and his staff) evaluation implies.
________
I for one was never enamored with Hargreaves. I never watched him play in college. All I saw was his “unusual” hairdo. This gave me a certain not so good impression right away. You know flash like as in before you have demonstrated anything in the NFL.
October 16th, 2019 at 12:12 pm
Give him another year! We can’t officially call a player a bust until they have 5 seasons under their belt and a minimum of three head coaches. You never know… he might “click” next year and even if he doesn’t you could always franchise tag him for a sixth year. Do we REALLY want to try to get a CB from elsewhere? No, let’s just stick with what we got and stay the course. VH3 has some good games in college I’ll have you know!
October 16th, 2019 at 12:14 pm
free a gee now…
yeshhh…free a gee nowww!
October 16th, 2019 at 12:15 pm
maybe start dean and ryan smith…like ya don’t give a fugg !
October 16th, 2019 at 12:22 pm
The only draft choice of Licht’s that looks good right now is Godwin. All the others are playing like garbage, or out of the league. Speaking of Godwin, Licht chose him over Kamara, with Evans on board was that even the right choice?
October 16th, 2019 at 12:34 pm
Who cares? Another wasted draft pick. Those 10 games can’t come fast enough so I can see what this coaching staff can do with another off-season.
But, somebody help these morons out in talent evaluation and drafting.
October 16th, 2019 at 12:42 pm
the good thing is no one really knows how to get his name right…
so once gone, he will be easily forgotten…
until then you can refer to him as:
“vermin har-grievances”
#WellDoesntEveryoneHaveAyeGrievanceWithSaidDude
October 16th, 2019 at 12:44 pm
Put dean at outside corner wanting a nickel if Dean doesn’t do well put Ryan Smith back there , cut Hargraves and MJ Stewart. Perhaps package them with OJ Howard or Cambree for a right tackle there’s no sense having OJ Howard here it is very clear that Ariens is disgusted with his grit and his hands.
October 16th, 2019 at 12:54 pm
arians and company, are well insulated with scrub players and an abundance of staff…
they are comfortably positioned to cut and fire people as the ship sinks over a 3 year period and still keep their jobs…
the glazers are known to dump coaches after 2 seasons, and even they’ll want to rid themselves of that un-lofty rep…
so bruce and company are potentially set and comfy for 3 seasons even if it’s grim…
if losing continues, the good thing is pressers will get so freakin’ weird…
remember towards the end how dirk would barely hold it together when answering jenna’s turmoil filled questionnaires?
remember: a man sees a pizza pie, but a woman sees 8 slices
October 16th, 2019 at 12:59 pm
We have the wrong JL as our GM. Fire Jason Licht and replace him with Jenna Laine. I truly believe she would do a better job.
October 16th, 2019 at 1:01 pm
you don’t cut hargreaves and stewart…they are toss ins on a trade for, per say, peterson…
or swap outs for late round picks
they were high picks, and teams should hope they can coach them up…these guys have one more team in them before the xfl
October 16th, 2019 at 1:03 pm
everyone sorta fears jenna and her shenannies… 🙂
she literally asks every other question at the pressers…
#JennaIsNoJoke
October 16th, 2019 at 1:15 pm
Let VH3 go today and same all of us any further embarrassment
October 16th, 2019 at 6:24 pm
He also had that pic 6 early on. I think he could be a strong improvement from MJ and SMB in the nickel. He just gets dusted and plays off WR plain and simple. Dean needs to get healthy and start his reps on the outside.
October 16th, 2019 at 11:07 pm
Tunsil was the pick!
Who cares if he smokes herb?
The Hebrew word is Cannabossom.
The Bible is mistranslated.
The Holy Oil used by Moses and Aaron was made with Cannabossom not Calamus!
Read the Polish Anthropologist- Sula Bennet.
October 17th, 2019 at 3:50 am
I don’t want to see another 10 weeks of this a– clown. Cut VHIII yesterday.