Tag: Vernon Hargreaves

10 best remaining free agents the Eagles should target after NFL draft

10 best remaining free agents the Philadelphia Eagles should target after the NFL draft

The NFL draft is a wrap and as the Eagles work towards building for the 2022 regular season opener, there are still holes to be filled on the roster.

Defense headlines the list, with several guys making the group that would allow Jonathan Gannon to display even more versatility with his defensive packages.

The only position lacking an immediate starter is the cornerback spot opposite Darius Slay, and as Philadelphia waits for high-value free agents to sign for less, we’ve identified 10 players that shouldn’t break the bank, nor disrupt the growing culture being built by Nick Sirianni.

Vernon Hargreaves came off the bench to illegally celebrate Bengals Super Bowl touchdown and fans had jokes

Fans couldn’t resist giving Hargreaves some good old-fashioned grief.

The Bengals got back into Super Bowl LVI with a nifty touchdown pass from Joe Mixon to Tee Higgins. A fun play and a 13-10 margin.

They soon followed that with a Jessie Bates interception of Matthew Stafford. All was well and good in the Queen City’s visit to L.A.

Vernon Hargreaves even came onto the field to celebrate with his teammates. At the Super Bowl? How nice! There was one problem: He’s injured and not in uniform. The Bengals would be assessed a 15-yard “taunting” (generous definition) penalty for Hargreaves’ misstep on the ensuing possession. And NFL fans had fun making light of the cornerback’s Casual Sunday mistake.

Here are some of the very best jokes we could find at Hargreaves’ expense. Whoops, I mean, we’re totally laughing with him, not at him.

Soon-to-be-former Bengals CB commits most memorable first penalty in Super Bowl history

What was he thinking?

The Cincinnati Bengals were pacing to hit halftime of Super Bowl LVI against the Los Angeles Rams without a single penalty called against them.

Then Vernon Hargreaves came onto the field in a hoodie to celebrate.

No typos there. Hargreaves, inactive and on the sidelines, ran onto the field to celebrate with teammates after a Jessie Bates interception. Problem is, a player coming off the sideline to celebrate is a taunting flag, even in group celebrations.

Tick-tack call? Sure, but the players have to know better and head coach Zac Taylor lit into him after the flag went out.

The gaffe was especially damning because the Bengals had a chance to put more points on the board while down 13-10 before getting the ball back after halftime.

Instead, the drive fizzled and Hargreaves goes down in the history books as having one of the silliest Super Bowl penalties ever.

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Inactive Vernon Hargreaves costs Bengals after interception

Vernon Hargreaves with a foolish appearance in Super Bowl 56

There probably wasn’t a pro bet for someone not in uniform being penalized.

However, it happened in the second quarter of Sunday’s Super Bowl 56 between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals.

Jessie Bates made a nice interception of a Matthew Stafford pass intended for Van Jefferson in the end zone.

The Bengals, not content just to have a turnover, had to go into celebratory antics.

Unfortunately for Cincinnati, one of the people who decided to join the party was inactive DB Vernon Hargreaves.

That’s a no-no and Cincinnati had to start its next drive at the 10 instead of the 20.

The Bengals wound up having to punt after starting deep in their territory.

The penalty was half the distance, for 10 yards, not 15.

 

Bengals anticipate more practice reps for CBs Tre Flowers, Vernon Hargreaves

The Bengals see new names having a bigger impact soon.

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The Cincinnati Bengals have been busy adding to the cornerback room in recent weeks on the waiver wire.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor made it clear over the bye that he’s thrilled with the additions of Tre Flowers and Vernon Hargreaves too because of the importance depth at that position plays in December and January.

As if to confirm that, on the Monday right after the bye, Taylor told reporters he expects Flowers and Hargreaves to see an uptick in practice reps this week as they seriously compete for playing time, per CLNS Media’s Mike Petraglia.

That means there’s some possible heat on Eli Apple, who continues to start in place of Trae Waynes and so far has a 46.4 PFF grade with serious ups and downs.

If not that, reps behind Apple for the likes of Darius Phillips remain under the microscope. Flowers, by the way, already played a huge role in one game in a hybrid spot.

Keep in mind Waynes might be back within the next few weeks as well, though the fickle nature of his continual hamstring injuries is nearly impossible to project.

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Bengals claim former Texans CB Vernon Hargreaves III on waiver wire

A big roster move for the Bengals.

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The Cincinnati Bengals have again used the waiver wire to shore up a weak area of the offense by claiming former Houston Texans corner Vernon Hargreaves.

Hargreaves, a first-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2016, is now 26 years old and spent three seasons and change with the Buccaneers before going to Houston.

So far this year, Hargreaves has a 54.3 overall PFF grade. He’s had problems in coverage for a few years but joining a team like the Texans wasn’t a change of scenery likely to bring out his best.

Hargreaves is solid depth, if nothing else as the Bengals again await the return of Trae Waynes. The team had some huge success with recent waiver claim Tre Flowers, so they’re surely hoping that good luck continues.

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Texans S Justin Reid laments losses of DE Charles Omenihu, CB Vernon Hargreaves

Houston Texans S Justin Reid wishes DE Charles Omenihu and CB Vernon Hargreaves didn’t have to go, but understands it is part of the business.

The Houston Texans made moves surrounding the Nov. 2 trade deadline to better position their roster for the future.

The Texans traded defensive end Charles Omenihu to the San Francisco 49ers for a conditional 2022 sixth-round pick just before the deadline. Houston also released cornerback Vernon Hargreaves a day later.

For safety Justin Reid, the release of Hargreaves and the trading of Omenihu hurt.

“Vernon’s a good friend of mine, I hate to see him go,” said Reid. “He’s going to have an opportunity to play somewhere because he’s a good player. We’re just trying to figure it out on the back end, find the best combination to eliminate those missed tackles, stop the big plays and find a way to play a tighter defense.”

Omenihu was the Texans’ 2019 fifth-round pick from Texas and brought some energy to the locker room, according to Reid.

“He came from Texas, he was always a ball of energy, too, when he was in the locker room; a good personality, a good character guy,” Reid said. “But like I said, this is a business.”

The Texans got the ball rolling on personnel moves earlier in the season with the trading of cornerback Bradley Roby to the New Orleans Saints. Houston traded running back Mark Ingram in late October.

Nevertheless, for Reid, it is part of life in pro football.

“Those are all great guys, but that’s just what the NFL is,” Reid said.

Texans part ways with CB Vernon Hargreaves

The Houston Texans have parted ways with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2016 first-round cornerback Vernon Hargreaves.

The Houston Texans and Vernon Hargreaves are going in opposite directions.

According to Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790, the Texans have cut the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2016 first-round cornerback.

The release isn’t the first time the Texans have cut Hargreaves. In the 2020 offseason, the Texans released him only to bring him back.

As the Texans continue their commitment to building a culture and with the NFL trade deadline passed, the organization may be getting down to having players general manager Nick Caserio likes on the roster.

Hargreaves played in eight games for Houston, starting in five of them, and picking off a pass, deflecting three others, and providing 27 combined tackles. The 26-year-old played 319 snaps, representing 60% of the defensive snaps through eight games in 2021.

WATCH: Texans CB Vernon Hargreaves returns from knee injury, picks off Trevor Lawrence

Houston Texans cornerback Vernon Hargreaves picked off Jacksonville Jaguars rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence, his second turnover of the game.

HOUSTON — Starting cornerback Vernon Hargreaves sustained what appeared to be a knee injury during the second quarter of the Houston Texans’ season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He came back into the game and recorded the Texans’ second interception of the game.

Hargreaves was defending a pass attempt by Trevor Lawrence to Marvin Jones Jr. when he went down with the injury. Tremon Smith made the substitution for the injured Hargreaves who limped off the field.

Prior to the Texans’ Week 1 battle against the Jaguars, Hargreaves said his goal was to remain healthy and play every game of the 2021 season, similar to last season.

“Just getting a full 16 (games) in and staying healthy, and knowing that I can stay healthy,” he said following Thursday’s practice. “You know that I’ve had little injuries in the past that I’ve been dealing with, but staying healthy was my biggest concern for last year. I did that, and that’s my concern this year. Be available for all 17 games.”

Hargreaves got the interception and returned it all the way to the Jacksonville 7-yard line. Houston ultimately settled for a 26-yard field goal attempt that kicker Joey Slye nailed for a 20-7 lead with 0:59 until halftime.

Texans CB Vernon Hargreaves ready for new opportunity with Bradley Roby gone

Houston Texans cornerback Vernon Hargreaves says he looks forward to stepping up, taking on new opportunities with Bradley Roby traded.

HOUSTON — The Houston Texans already had Vernon Hargreaves set to be one of two starting cornerbacks for their season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Hargreaves was the aid filling in for Bradley Roby as Houston’s top cornerback, who will be serving the final of his six-game suspension during Week 1 of the regular season.

But what was deemed temporarily became permanent for Hargreaves when the Texans dealt Roby to the New Orleans Saints on Wednesday. In exchange, Houston received a 2022 third-round pick and a conditional sixth-round pick in 2023.

The trade caught players by surprise, including Hargreaves, who stated Roby’s departure as the “business” of the NFL.

“I’m always ready, always staying ready,” Hargreaves said. “I’ve been in the league long enough to know that anything can happen and you got to stay ready. It wasn’t no different of a year for me, after the trade, as far as me handling my business.”

Hargreaves isn’t foreign to the business of the league. He arrived in Houston amid the 2019 season when the Texans claimed Hargreaves off waivers. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers waived Hargreaves that same year after he produced four subpar seasons. The Buccaneers selected Hargreaves with the No. 11 pick during the 2016 NFL Draft.

Hargreaves has had a jarring start to his career in Houston. But as he enters his third season with the Texans, Hargreaves has an improved understanding of the mental aspect of the game.

In 22 career games with the Texans, Hargreaves has recorded 72 tackles and nine pass deflections while allowing 68.6% of completed passes thrown his coverage.

“It’s kind of hard to explain, but you go through things, and you have to be mentally tough or that can run you out of here,” he said. “Just understanding how the game works, understanding how the business side of this whole football thing works, and understanding that you got to handle your business every day, one day at a time.”

Durability is the only attribute Hargreaves would like to carry over from the previous season. For the first time since his rookie year, Hargreaves played all 16 games.

Hargreaves’ first task as Houston’s primary cornerback will be against Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence. The NFL’s top draft prospect will make his debut inside NRG Stadium, and as a rookie quarterback, Hargreaves says there are “a lot of unknowns” when preparing for Lawrence.

But one way the Texans’ secondary are preparing for Lawrence is by executing Lovie Smith’s defensive scheme. In addition to Hargreaves, Smith announced on Thursday that Terrance Mitchell will start alongside the Florida prodigy.

“A lot of zone coverages, a lot of eyes on the QB,” Hargreaves said. “Read and react type defenses. Not so much man-to-man where you’re back is turned and you can’t really see the ball all that much. It gives everybody a chance to break on the ball, react on the quarterback, get to the ball and cause turnovers. It’s a whole defensive thing. It’s going to help everybody. Everybody is going to be able to read and react, play fast and get to the ball.”

Since the start of OTA’s during the summer, new cornerbacks coach Dino Vasso says the Texans value Hargreaves’ versatility on defense.

The trade of Roby to New Orleans opened the door of a new opportunity for Hargreaves. And with the help of the Texans’ defensive coaching staff, the 23-year-old defensive back could be in line for a breakout season. A career year could award Hargreaves a new contract with a pay raise — given him the chance to experience the good side of the NFL’s business.