Vernon Hargreaves Cut By Tampa Bay, Hopes To Have A Second Chance In The NFL

By Jordan Long

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are preparing to host the New Orleans Saints this Sunday.   Tampa Bay is seeking a 2nd straight win.   They will do it without cornerback Vernon Hargreaves who they decided to cut.

                Hargreaves was selected in the 1^st  round, 11th overall in the 2016 NFL draft.  Tampa Bay was hoping he would be the cornerback of the future.  Hargreaves showed flashes of what he could do.  In his rookie season, he batted 9 passes away, forced 1 fumble, and totaled 1 interception. Hargreaves also had 68 tackles.  The Buccaneers were anticipating more from him.

                Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.  In 2017 Hargreaves appeared in only 9 games but was still productive with 42 tackles and 5 passes defended.  He didn’t record an interception.  Last year was his worst as a pro, appearing in 1 game.  He missed most of the season due to a torn labrum in his shoulder.

                This season there were high expectations on Hargreaves to be back in his 2016 form.  In 9 games, Hargreaves totaled 40 tackles and 4 passes defended.  Not bad numbers, but not great either.

                The last straw was this past weekend against the Arizona Cardinals. Hargreaves gave up a 55 yard pass on the 1st play of the 2nd half.  Head Coach Bruce Arians thought Hargreaves was not hustling and gave up on the play. He was benched for the rest of the game.

                According to ESPN, Arains said, “He didn’t look like he was hustling to go in for a tackle. He was chasing somebody across the field and he wasn’t running fast enough.”

                Tampa Bay decided it was time to release Hargreaves. Hargreaves had one more year left on his contract but it was guaranteed if he made the team and was injured. Tampa Bay had seen enough and he was not growing in the system.   Hargreaves is now free to find a new team.  It might be a while because franchises are set with their roster.  He could be signed when a team suffers an injury to their defensive backs.   When Hargreaves is on a team, he can’t give up on a play like he did in Tampa.  If he is not hustling towards the receiver to tackle him, he won’t be in the NFL long.