Texans Claim Former Bucs CB Vernon Hargreaves Off Waivers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Vernon Hargreaves. Photo by Andrew J Kramer/CSM/Shutterstock (10421091au)

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Vernon Hargreaves didn’t have to wait long to find a new team after he was let go by his old team on Tuesday.

The release comes after Tampa Bay’s head coach Bruce Arians benched 24-year-old corner, a first-round pick in 2016, in Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. Arians explained his decision by saying that Hargreaves “lacked hustle” during the contest.

“After thoughtful consideration over the past few weeks, Bruce and I came to the conclusion that we needed to make this change,” said Buccaneers’ general manager Jason Licht in a statement. “Decisions such as this are always difficult, but I felt it was in the best interest of our team to part ways with Vernon at this time and allow him to explore other opportunities. We are disappointed that it did not work out here for Vernon and we wish him continued success moving forward.”

On Wednesday, Houston Texans, who currently lead the AFC South and look like a lock for the playoffs, claimed Hargreaves on waivers and are expected to add him to their squad for the stretch run.

Hargreaves, a 2016 first-round draft pick, spent 3 and a half seasons with Tampa and was named an All-Rookie First Team selection in his debut season. He established himself as a solid cornerback in the coming years.

Hargreaves is expected to give them a solid option that will help tighten up their problems against opposing passing games, hopefully bolstering their chances for a Super Bowl run.

Buccaneers will now have to rely on mostly inexperienced CB core which includes rookies Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting and second-year players Carlton Davis and M.J. Stewart. Tampa Bay also has Ryan Smith on their roster, but he struggled in 2019 as well.