The Pewter Plank
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The Buccaneers must end the Vernon Hargreaves era now

By Cory Kinnan

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 27: Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans grabs the facemask of Vernon Hargreaves III #28 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game at Nissan Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Bryan Woolston/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 27: Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans grabs the facemask of Vernon Hargreaves III #28 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game at Nissan Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Bryan Woolston/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 13: Vernon Hargreaves of Tampa Bay Buccaneers jumps as he runs out prior to the NFL match between the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 13, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Burstow/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 13: Vernon Hargreaves of Tampa Bay Buccaneers jumps as he runs out prior to the NFL match between the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 13, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Burstow/Getty Images) /

While the 2019 season started out promising for Vernon Hargreaves III, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers must finally bench him and end the VHIII era.

“With the 11th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Vernon Hargreaves III, cornerback, University of Florida.”

These words will go down in infamy as the first pick in a horrendous 2016 draft class for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Noah Spence, Roberto Aguayo, Caleb Benenoch, Devante Bond, Danny Vitale all gone; only two picks remain from this class: fourth round pick Ryan Smith and Hargreaves.

In today’s edition of words I thought I’d never say, Smith has actually been the better player of the two who remain and the best pick from this draft class. While Smith has lost all of his opportunities to play on the defensive side of the ball, especially after getting torched by Christian Kirk on a long touchdown, he has been a special teams ace for the pewter and red.

If it had not been for his suspension for use of performance enhancing drugs, Smith would be a top candidate to go to the Pro Bowl as a special teamer. This background on Smith is just the long road to saying that the Bucs must finally sit Hargreaves down and give the young cornerbacks more of an opportunity so the team and front office can see what they have in them.

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