Vernon Hargreaves Asked To Play Nickel
October 30th, 2019
It’s rare when a No. 11 overall pick cornerback, one who previously has taken pride in playing press coverage, waves his own white flag on playing outside where the league’s richest cornerbacks roam.
Yes, Vernon Hargreaves asked to play nickel Sunday against the Titans.
Bucco Bruce Arians made the revelation on WDAE radio yesterday.
“Vernon was solid. He wanted to go into nickel,” Arians said. “We moved him into nickel. He did a heck of a job. Gave up a couple of third-down catches, but he was on his guys pretty tight.”
Very interesting development. It’s unclear when Hargreaves asked to play nickel.
Joe was at the game and, obviously, saw Hargreaves playing plenty on the outside. In fact, he was in on 90 percent of the defensive snaps.
Perhaps Hargreaves is realizing that nickel is the key to his Tampa Bay and/or NFL future.
“Sean [Murphy-Bunting} has really played well for a month now. He’s earned the right to be out there a lot more,” Arians said about this year’s No. 39 overall pick. Murphy-Bunting played 46 percent of the defensive snaps Sunday.
Arians added that communication between players and coaches is critical, and Hargreaves asking to play nickel is an example.
“You want guys being comfortable in the position, and also be able to play the position,” he said.
It’s somewhat ironic that it was Mike Smith who relocated Hargreaves to the part-time role of nickel midway through the 2017 season. And there were Dirk Koetter’s famous words about Hargreaves and nickel. Arians and Todd Bowles pegged Hargreaves as an outside guy, but it seems they’re coming back toward the Smith-Koetter line of thinking.
Yeah, the Bucs are a strange team.
October 30th, 2019 at 8:02 am
He could have played corner on the and with the Bucs SB team….but not this one…he is too slow on this defensive roster
October 30th, 2019 at 8:04 am
Now they can ask him to tackle.
October 30th, 2019 at 8:06 am
Further proof Licht needs to go. The Bucs are going nowhere as long as that inept tool is picking our players.
October 30th, 2019 at 8:09 am
Can we just ask him not to suck?
So many bad draft picks.
October 30th, 2019 at 8:20 am
Should have asked him to go play for another team.
October 30th, 2019 at 8:20 am
Eventually our best two corners will be Bunting and Dean. They couldn’t get there starting Vernon and Davis. BA was brilliant to move Vernon to play the Slot CB. He proved last year he could do that. Vernon is a playmaker which was why Vernon got us our only interception last week. Keep him there and next year he will have to take a cut in pay or be traded for a lower draft pick. Nobody will pay him 1st pick money to play for them, so he may as well stay with the Bucs.
October 30th, 2019 at 8:29 am
If Andrew Adams keeps improving as our starting Free Safety, and he looked good to me last week (and remember he got us 3 interceptions in one game last year so he definitely is a good playmaker too) and he got some good experience last year playing for us and he can tackle well too, then if Vernon gets hurt this year, BA can move Edwards to play the slot and he is faster than Vernon and Stewart both, and very instinctual.
October 30th, 2019 at 8:45 am
Licht’s 11th pick in the first round doesn’t even belong on a football team. What’s he making in his fifth year option 9 million, to play nickel? Every outside corner Licht drafts ends up becoming a nickel, or safety. BA, he was solid, gave up a couple of third downs, but was solid. Duh, third is the money down. Give that up you’re as useless as teets on a bull.
October 30th, 2019 at 8:52 am
The GENIUS of Koetter strikes again! His only fault was his loyalty to his old HC Mike Smith. Koetter would have benched wINTston by now for Tampa Bays QB, Ryan Griffin. OJ Howard wouldn’t be floating trade rumors.
The downfall of the secondary last year was due to a toxic locker room with Grimes pouting all season and VH3 injured game 1. Koetter was Lichts scapegoat but Licht doesn’t have that luxury today, especially with the team playing WORSE under savior coach Bruce Arians.
October 30th, 2019 at 8:54 am
No picks vs. Tennessee for VH. One pass defenses.
4 tackles after the receivers had made the catch. For first downs.
October 30th, 2019 at 9:10 am
VHG played outside and slot sunday….
his versatility is something this staff can use….
SMB played well too….
JPP improved the secondary and pass rush…..
GO BUCS!!!!
October 30th, 2019 at 9:12 am
You can’t win with short slow and stupid defenders. Vh3bust is a convenience store clerk at best. not a nfl player regardless of BS his husband 813 try to sell us….
October 30th, 2019 at 9:25 am
I sure hope VH3 is handy with a bucket and mop.
He’s gonna need those skills in his position.
Backup janitor at Taco Bell.
Peace, out
October 30th, 2019 at 9:26 am
He is actually better suited for the nickel position. The problem is his contract is too large for a nickel cb
October 30th, 2019 at 9:29 am
Maybe he should play for a nickel.
October 30th, 2019 at 9:30 am
I re watched the game last night on DVR. Jameis and Jameis alone is the reason we lost that game. The Defense only allowed 70 Flippin yards and 3 points in the first half. The other 14 were on Jameis Turnovers. The D was Constantly in the backfield pressuring the QB.
You CAN’T Blame the D when your QB gives the other team TEN TOs in two games.
October 30th, 2019 at 9:31 am
slugg
2PIs and 2 TDs given up vs TENN for CD….
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 30th, 2019 at 9:32 am
buc15
No sir his only future is slinging juuls and energy drinks at his neighborhood 7 eleven…. oh wait 7 eleven has an intelligence requirement he will have to rock an independent quicky mart instead
October 30th, 2019 at 9:35 am
If jpp doesn’t blow all his coin doing stupid crap maybe he can throw the little fella a bone and buy him his own quicky mart
October 30th, 2019 at 9:37 am
813bucboi
Deflecting does not justify tour hubby’s bad play sir…. just because another clown in the secondary makes a mistake it does not justify the little fella getting embarrassed more times than not…
October 30th, 2019 at 9:47 am
Vh3 is garbage and the main reason we lose on Sundays. That’s with JW turnover antics
Vh3 is a problem we lost to 3 straight back up Qb is saying something. No JW needs to make that up too?.
GET THIS FL GAYTOR OFF THIS TEAM NOW!!!!!
October 30th, 2019 at 9:49 am
Licht you done it now
You drafted VH3 11th overall and turns out he is a average nickel? Just cut him already
October 30th, 2019 at 9:52 am
813
Let me remind you America’s Quarterback owns all the franchises qb records and your little buddy is a key contributor on some of the worst pass defensive units in NFL history…. i get you not liking jw but he is joe Montana compared to vh3bust….
October 30th, 2019 at 9:55 am
Did he say Hargreaves was playing the Nickel,
Or that Hargreaves wasnt worth a nickel?
Great draft that year. Top two picks, Hargreaves and Noah Spence.
Licht must have thought that small and slow would be the New trend in the NFL
October 30th, 2019 at 10:12 am
Uh gtfoh since when did koetter do anything related to f-ing defense he gets credit for nothing he was hot garbage and it’s a classic example having the top 5 offense in terms of yards yet again and still only winning one game so far.
Cant be getting on the coaching staff for davis and BA unless they had decided to not draft corners and do what they did for the o line. The world knows VH3 ain’t getting a second contract here and hes better in the slot so yea hes looking at next year, as a free agent who in the nfl will sign him as an outside corner? He knows without a doubt when he suits up next year it will be as a slot corner somewhere so might as well show your good at it and audition for free agency. He sucks but hes not dumb
October 30th, 2019 at 10:13 am
Lol Tmaxcon
October 30th, 2019 at 10:17 am
With Ryan Smith suspended, Jamel Dean hurt & SMB apparently not ready for the big-time in time for Game 1, what choice did Todd Bowles have except to start VHIII outside? And VHIII asking to move to nickel is just him recognizing that he’ll have a real short career as an outside corner. No sense wasting any more defensive snaps on him IMO … he’s gone next year. Get Dean or Ryan Smith more experience this year so they can contribute next year.
October 30th, 2019 at 10:19 am
SO essentially Jason Licht picked Leonard Johnson in the 1st round……..
Doesnt suprise me
October 30th, 2019 at 10:26 am
LOL at SB saying Jameis is the sole reason we lost. So Jensen didn’t snap the ball prematurely when JW was scanning the defense? BA didn’t put from the 43 when we have a kicker w/ a big leg? BA didn’t allow bad plays to be called. Carlton Davis didn’t have a read on the ball in the back of the end zone and whiff. The refs didn’t blow a play dead before letting it play out. JW errors are just magnified as bad as JW is just remember the Defense is dead last in the league.
They had a good game this past Sunday but will they this week. When Tampa plays complimentary football they will win games. When the defense shows up the offense doesn’t. When the offense shows up the defense doesn’t.
Clearly you’ve never played sports their is never one sole person who is responsible for a loss. The team has a lot of issued and Bucs beat themselves weekly.
October 30th, 2019 at 11:22 am
I agree with sleepy.
Not a lot of QBs can play and win for this team the way its currently constructed. So now it’s like if JW isn’t Superman we don’t win? That’s too much for an average or below average QB.
Our best odds, and all teams in the NFL, is to build a good team which include defense!
Brady has won all but 1 SB with a top 5 defense. Let that set in..
October 30th, 2019 at 11:25 am
Shoot, we won our only SB with one of the best defense assembled and the best defense that year!
How is history not enough to convince everyone Defense wins SBs!
I
October 30th, 2019 at 11:46 am
I mean what kind of genius GM doesn’t draft a nickel cornerback #11 overall?
That’s what his alter ego burner account, I mean jameis1of1, told me.
LOLOLOLOL the dumpster fire continues!!!
October 30th, 2019 at 12:06 pm
Amature refering done us in. 2 games gone. Ny even has it out for us. Is it Winston they dont like? Or the Glazers? Or is it are alarm clock uniforms?
October 30th, 2019 at 12:29 pm
If they ask him to drive the bus to the airport, he better do it and say thank you for the opportunity
October 30th, 2019 at 12:33 pm
Knowing that one player doesn’t lose a game. Its a team effort, although some players have more to do with losing than others. In the Bucs case its not just the players & coaches, its the whole stinking organization. Glazers do the fans a favor & sell the team.
October 30th, 2019 at 12:38 pm
I’m am so tired already at BA’s BS. Blame the DB’s, blame the OL, WR’s & coaches but whatever you do don’t blame JW. God this team stinks so bad. Oh and by the way don’t make any trades because we don’t want to break up our playoff team. What nonsense.
October 30th, 2019 at 1:24 pm
Koetter and Smith have solid resumes. Same for Arians and Bowles. The guy that has ZERO history of success is Licht. This roster is a reflection of that…particularly the secondary.
October 30th, 2019 at 2:14 pm
Clearly you’ve never played sports their is never one sole person who is responsible for a loss. The team has a lot of issued and Bucs beat themselves weekly.
……….
Clearly you are an idiot.
If Jameis doesn’t turn the ball over three times, ( Not counting Jensens screw up)
The Titans only scored 10 points that weren’t off of turnovers. Keep assuming sir, you know what that does.
October 30th, 2019 at 2:46 pm
So he asked to play nickel, cuz he was sucking so bad outside…
Then he can’t cover Hump he n the slot and “gives up a couple third downs”
But he was “on his guy pretty tight”
What a load of crap from BSA.
The guys behind Vern either suck more than he does, or BSA is in full Licht protection mode. No reason not to bench this clown
And I’m a Gator, for those who take those kind of things into account.
Suck is suck, no matter where you went to school.
October 30th, 2019 at 2:47 pm
If we work and get the trenches solid, give RoJo more plays and stop targeting Perriman and Miller and use the TEs instead of that other RB who shouldn’t even be on an NFL team this offense would be humming. I watched the game again and can’t understand what Donovan Smith was doing on the 2nd fumble. He’s just waited too long to engage his defender and allowed him to beat him around to get to Winston’s arm before the throw. Someone on that Oline needs to kick him and Dotson square in the a$$ for the way they get beat week in and week out. Fix the trenches and watch this team take off.
October 30th, 2019 at 3:50 pm
Boy, that 813 guy really gets a stiffy for a CB that couldn’t cover a wall with paint.
Probably should remind him Davis had two picks nullified by the refs.
October 30th, 2019 at 7:11 pm
With all of the coaches we have, it took VH3 to ask to play the nickel to figure out he’s not an outside CB? Granted, we might not have anyone better right now, but we don’t trade for anybody better, either. I read where a Tampa Bay reporter thought we’d already used enough draft resources on the secondary. NO, not if it’s STILL broken, which it obviously is.
October 30th, 2019 at 7:23 pm
Joe in Michigan
Vern asked to play nickel, IN GAME, then let Hump beat him twice , I think.
Why won’t BA bench him. When someone is playing badly they get benched. In any sport.
October 30th, 2019 at 7:39 pm
That idiot light should’ve traded for Trent Williams at the deadline and then moved Donovan Smith to the right side, he sucks at left tackle, the guy is lazy. He can’t handle the best edge rushers in the league.
October 30th, 2019 at 9:16 pm
You know it’s bad when most of the Gator Nation s response was 🤭 Nooooo !!!!! when he was drafted !!!!
October 31st, 2019 at 9:19 am
jmarkbuc: Agreed on benching VH3. We might not have anybody ready to take over and play well, but I’d rather take our lumps with someone with an NFL future. I’m not a Licht hater, but with all of the picks used on the secondary and very little sticks to the wall, that’s bad news.