Tampa Bay Buccaneers pick up Vernon Hargreaves’ fifth-year option
By Cory Kinnan
On the day before the draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced they have picked up the fifth-year option of cornerback Vernon Hargreaves.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced around 8:40 pm EST they have picked up the fifth-year option of cornerback Vernon Hargreaves. A first round pick in 2016, Hargreaves has battled through scheme change and injuries, and has not lived up to his hype coming out of the University of Florida.
Entering this offseason, however, new head coach Bruce Arians has spoken highly of Hargreaves and expects him to burst onto the scene in 2019. Under former defensive coordinator Mike Smith, the Buccaneers played a soft coverage, zone scheme; this was outside of the comfort zone of Hargreaves.
Returning to a hard-nosed, press man coverage under new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, Hargreaves should feel right at home and have his best opportunity to succeed yet. As the draft approaches in less than 24 hours, this move may push the Buccaneers away from using a draft pick on a cornerback in the first three rounds.
Hot. 2019 NFL Mock Draft: Kinnan’s final first-round projection. light
However, if the Buccaneers view Hargreaves as a nickel corner, stating he will have every chance to win the job outside the numbers though, a corner could still be on the radar in Tampa Bay. Opposite last year’s second rounder Carlton Davis, this new regime is hoping to have a young tandem for at least four more years to come.
Throughout his career, Hargreaves has tallied just one interception as a rookie, and has not played a full season since that year. Over the last two years, Hargreaves has missed a total of 22 games, including all but one game a year ago. At just 24 years old, however, Hargreaves has plenty of time to prove he was worth a first round pick and the fifth-year option just picked up.
dark. Next. Buccaneers: One safety for each day of the draft
With no cap space moving forward to sign free agents, it makes sense for the Buccaneers to keep around their own young talent and seek to get the most out of them. Hoping for a bounce back year out of Hargreaves, he is now under contract through the 2020 season for the Buccaneers.