Vernon Hargreaves’ Tampa Bay Buccaneers career did not work out. A 2016 first-round pick from Florida and a Tampa Wharton High School product, Hargreaves did not live up to the Bucs’ expectations. Tampa Bay parted ways with the cornerback in mid-November.
The Houston Texans took a shot in Hargreaves after a slew of injuries hit their cornerback group. Now, Hargreaves will have a chance for retribution as his new team is a win away from a playoff berth while his draft team can only play spoiler to the rest of the playoff field.
While the Buccaneers may not have wanted Hargreaves — citing a lack of “hustle” before his release — the Texans are delighted to have him.
“Vernon is doing a good job. He’s practicing hard, he had a real good week of practice,” said Texans coach Bill O’Brien on Monday. “So, Vernon has done a good job so far.”
Hargreaves has shifted to a slot cornerback role in Houston, as opposed to the outside spot he manned in Tampa Bay. In four games with the Texans with one start, the 5-10, 204-pound corner has 17 combined tackles and two pass deflections.
