Tag: Vernon Hargreaves

Texans credit system versatility for fitting in new cornerbacks

Houston Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel cites versatility as a defense for letting Gareon Conley and Vernon Hargreaves fit in.

In Week 1, the Houston Texans’ secondary lacked two prominent names currently in their Week 14 roster, Gareon Conley and Vernon Hargreaves.

Both first-round picks, Conley (2017) and Hargreaves (2016) were discarded by their old teams — the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, respectively — and found themselves in Houston shortly after, via trade and release, respectively.

The Texans’ schematic versatility has allowed each to see consistent playing time with their new team.

“I’m not sure because I haven’t studied them that much in the systems they were in, but I think that the versatility of our system helps them because we do a couple of different things and put them in a couple of different positions. So, I think that has helped them perform,” said Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel on Thursday.

Before rushing both into the system, Crennel had to experiment with them in practice to prep them for the Texans’ defense.

“Probably a little bit more in practice than in the game,” said Crennel. “You look at them and see if they’re better press man, off man, zone guys, and what can they do. As you get a feel for what they can do, then you can ask them to do more, and particularly as they learn the system and understand what’s required from the position by the defensive call. Then when they have success, you feel good about it and you keep calling it.”

Conley and Hargreaves had made plays for the Texans defense.

In four games, Conley, an Ohio State product, has 14 combined tackles and six pass deflections while allowing a 50% completion rate when targeted, per Pro Football Reference.

Meanwhile, Hargreaves, a Florida product, is adjusting to a position change from outside cornerback to inside cornerback. In doing so, he has 11 combined tackles and two pass deflections.

Conley and Hargreaves are playing to stay in Houston. Crennel’s flexibility and versatility as a defensive mind could pay dividends in their efforts to do so.

Vernon Hargreaves feels like he could be with the Texans long-term

2016 first-round selection cornerback Vernon Hargreaves feels like he could be with the Houston Texans long term.

A Florida native, former Florida Gator and Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Vernon Hargreaves should feel foreign in Texas. Yet, the newest member of the Texans secondary feels at home in Houston.

“It’s great. It’s hard to put it into words,” Hargreaves said on Thursday. “It feels good that they want me here. It feels good that I’m playing better. I think I fit in. We’ll see how the season ends, but I feel like I could be here for the long term.”

A first-round pick in 2016, Hargreaves wore out his welcome with the Buccaneers, leading to a release on Nov. 12. The Texans picked him up off waivers.

In two games, including one start, with the Texans, Hargreaves has recorded 11 combined tackles and two pass deflections. According to Pro Football Reference, he has allowed a 117.2 passer rating in coverage. Most of his snaps have come as a nickel cornerback.

Hargreaves is, essentially, auditioning for a spot with the Texans in 2020. With four games left in the regular season, the 24-year-old must show he is worth that $9.594 million fifth-year option for next year. If not, Houston can cut him with no dead cap, if he does not sustain a serious injury.

“We’ll see how it works out. It’s going good right now, and I’m happy,” said Hargreaves.

Texans’ rebuilt secondary impresses in 20-17 win against the Colts

The Houston Texans’ rebuilt secondary, with Gareon Conley and Vernon Hargreaves, impressed in a win over the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday.

With safety Justin Reid (concussion/shoulder), cornerback Bradley Roby (hamstring) and cornerback Lonnie Johnson (concussion) out, the Houston Texans entered Thursday night’s match with the Indianapolis Colts carrying a secondary missing integral pieces across the board.

That didn’t seem to matter.

The Texans defense held quarterback Jacoby Brissett to 129 passing yards and no touchdowns en route to a 20-17 win. The secondary — after allowing 326 yards and four touchdowns to Brissett in Week 7 — held their own.

Brissett finished with a 76.9 passer rating while completing 16 of his 25 attempts for an average of 5.2 yards per. Most of those yards did not come while attacking the secondary. 12 completions and 99 yards came by way of tight ends and running backs.

“They gave up some yards here and there, but at the end of the day they got lined up and they played the next play,” said coach Bill O’Brien after the game while emphasizing the “next-play mentality” and communication as reasons for the secondary’s good play.

While limiting Brissett to a game to forget, the Texans also accomplished the rare feat of containing wide-out T.Y. Hilton. Hilton, otherwise known as “Texans-killer,” brought in three of his six targets for 18 yards.

The difference between Week 7 and 12 secondaries (other than injuries)? Fresh faces. Former first-round picks Gareon Conley and Vernon Hargreaves are now in the mix in Houston, with both seeing snaps on the aforementioned Hilton.

Conley was invisible on Thursday — a compliment. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were unable to call his name, as he did not allow lapses in coverage worth noting. Like offensive linemen, if a cornerback isn’t drawing attention, that’s a good thing. Conley did not draw attention.

“His play has been speaking volumes for us,” said cornerback Johnathan Joseph while comparing Conley to former second-team All-Pro Leon Hall postgame, via SportsRadio 610.

Meanwhile, Hargreaves showed promise in his debut with the Texans, tallying five combined tackles and a pass breakup. He did so all while starting in the slot, a relatively new position for the former Tampa Bay Buccaneer.

“We added Vernon Hargreaves a couple weeks ago,” said O’Brien. “He was able to come in and do some things tonight.”

The Texans’ secondary stepped up amid injuries across the board. Next week, against the New England Patriots, they can build momentum with Reid, Roby and Johnson in-line to return to action.

Defensive grades from the Texans’ 20-17 win over the Colts

The Houston Texans defense earned their fair share of gold stars from their 20-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts Thursday night at NRG Stadium.

The Houston Texans defense may not have had the big stats in the form of takeaways, but holding the Indianapolis Colts down in the club’s 20-17 win at NRG Stadium Thursday night was a great way to start the final six games of the regular season.

There are plenty of gold stars to hand out and some red marks as well. Here are the grades from the victory that improved Houston’s record to 7-4 on the year.

defensive line

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Houston had J.J. Watt the first time they played the Colts in Week 7 and were able to corral the Indianapolis run game, but failed to touch quarterback Jacoby Brissett as he was dropped once. How would they ever generate pressure on Brissett without Watt?

The Texans defensive line was still unable to get to Brissett with just one sack to show for it, but they did produce four quarterback hits. Defensive ends Carlos Watkins and Brandon Dunn had four tackles and three tackles respectively, and defensive tackle D.J. Reader had two tackles and a quarterback hit.

Indianapolis mustered 175 rushing yards, and Marlon Mack’s fill-in, Jonathan Williams, produced 26 carries for 104 yards. Regardless, the Texans’ defensive line held forth at the end of the game to preserve the Houston victory.

Grade: B
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CB Vernon Hargreaves expects to play inside for the Texans

Newly acquired Houston Texans cornerback Vernon Hargreaves is expecting to play inside for his new organization, a new fold in his career.

Newly acquired Houston Texans cornerback Vernon Hargreaves is still getting acclimated to his new employer. While he learns the ropes of the Texans organization, he also is adjusting to playing in a new alignment.

On Monday, Hargreaves said he expects to play inside for the Texans. He previously played the majority of his snaps as an outside cornerback with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Playing nickel corner isn’t new to Hargreaves. In 2017, while struggling outside, Tampa Bay moved him to the inside in Week 7 of the season. The results: positive.

In four weeks playing slot cornerback in 2017, Hargreaves graded in as Pro Football Focus‘ second-highest graded corner. He allowed a catch rate below 37.5% in coverage and 0.41 yards per coverage snap.

Hargreaves is adjusting to getting the Texans’ defensive calls down, which are more numerous while playing nickel.

“Corner is a little bit easier because the calls aren’t as complex as playing on the inside, and I think I’ll be playing inside,” Hargreaves said on Monday. “You know I got to communicate a little more, got to talk a little more, got to see a little more. We’ll see how far I can come along, and then we’ll see how it plays out.”

Despite Hargreaves’ relative newness to the Texans, he believes he has the calls down with his new team. His experience in the NFL has helped him understand what Houston is asking from him in terms of a defensive standpoint.

“Being around it for my fourth year now, I understand what’s going on defensively,” said Hargreaves. “There’s only so much you can do, you know? The terms change, but you know there’s only so much you can do on defense. I’m not nervous or confused about picking anything up.”

Hargreaves and the Texans are looking for redemption. The 11th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, he didn’t work out in Florida as the lockdown outside corner they hoped he’d be. Now, in Texas, he doesn’t have the pressure of being a high draft pick, but he may have a new position that compliments him.

Texans-Ravens inactives: CB Vernon Hargreaves will not make his debut

The Houston Texans announced their inactives against the Baltimore Ravens, and new cornerback Vernon Hargreaves was one of them.

The Houston Texans announced their inactives ahead of their Week 11 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens at 12:00 p.m. CT at M&T Bank Stadium.

Newly acquired cornerback Vernon Hargreaves is among the inactives, even with Bradley Roby missing the game due to a hamstring injury.

The other inactives for Houston included WR Will Fuller (hamstring), ILB Tyrell Adams, OT Chris Clark, DE Joel Heath, and WR Steven Mitchell, which could mean more playing time for WR Keke Coutee.

Baltimore’s inactives include QB Trace McSorley, WR Chris Moore, WR Jaleel Scott, CB Iman Marshall, G Ben Powers, DT Zach Sieler, and DT Michael Pierce

Why are the Texans taking chances on former first-round cornerbacks?

The Houston Texans have acquired former first-round cornerbacks since the opening of free agency. What goes into their decisions?

The Houston Texans have added three former first-round cornerbacks on their roster in Bradley Roby, Gareon Conley, and Vernon Hargreaves. The first was a free agent signing in March, the second a midseason trade, and the third a waiver claim.

Coach Bill O’Brien provided reasons Friday as to why he thinks the Texans are the perfect organization to get the most out of top tier picks who weren’t so stellar with their original draft teams.

“I think part of it is what we’ve seen on film, how we feel like their skill set can fit with what we do, what we know about them relative to Gareon or Vernon or some of the guys that we brought in that we studied in the draft, Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills, when they were coming out,” O’Brien said.

The Texans simply don’t look at the talent and follow through with the glint in their eye developed from watching highlights. The Houston personnel and scouting department goes through extensive homework and coordinates with the coaching staff to determine if the players would finally breakout with the Texans or if they’re truly busts.

“We do have a background with them,” said O’Brien. “We look at a lot of different data points. We look at a lot of different contractual situations, situations relative to where they are in their contract relative to are they still on their rookie deal, is it something where you’re just bringing a guy in for basically six games, do you want to do that, do you not want to do that.”

Ultimately, the Texans seek to make decisions that benefit the club, not add another collection to their cabinet of former college standouts.

“I don’t think it’s anything other than we feel like this guy could fit for our team, is this a good decision for our team, and if we believe it is — the consensus is it is — then we try to execute the deal.”

Texans unsure if CB Vernon Hargreaves will play against the Ravens

The Houston Texans are unsure if newly acquired cornerback Vernon Hargreaves will play against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

The Houston Texans claimed cornerback Vernon Hargreaves off waivers on Wednesday. He walked through the canals of NRG Stadium on Thursday, though, he was not at the media portion of practice.

The Texans are unsure of Hargreaves’ ability to play on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. Being that he found a home in Houston on Wednesday — after his cut by the Buccaneers on Tuesday — he is just beginning to adjust to his new team.

“What’s tough is the acclimation period, because it’s new terminology, it’s new teammates, it’s a new system, it’s new schedules and all of those. So, all of that — that acclimation period, that’s really tough and until he can get acclimated, he’s going to be a little off a little bit,” said defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel on Thursday. “But then once that period is over with, then he kind of falls into step with everybody else.”

Hargreaves’ acclimation to Houston and the Texans’ defensive scheme will depict whether or not he plays on Sunday. His status as a first-round pick in 2016 does not impact the decision to play him or not.

“I know that he was a number one draft choice, but just like anyone new that we bring in, you’ve got to put them out there and you’ve got to see what they can do and get a feel for them, what their personality is and those kind of thing,” Crennel said. “So, we’ll start doing that and then I’ll have a better opinion.”

A former Florida Gator, Hargreaves allowed a 108.6 passer rating in coverage in 2019 before his release. In 35 career games played, 33 starts, he has 19 pass deflections and a pair of interceptions.

It doesn’t matter how talented Hargreaves is, if he doesn’t know the defensive play calls, he is susceptible to looking like a deer in the headlights. Communication is key, not experience in Tampa Bay.

“He’s been a starter and he’s played in the league,” said Crennel. “So, you can take a starter and put him into the game. Now, will he know all the communication that’s necessary and all that?”

Simply put, by Crennel, the Texans are “not sure” if Hargreaves will play on Sunday. If he doesn’t, they will rely on a healthy cornerback group, with Gareon Conley, Johnathan Joseph and Bradley Roby expected to start.

Dolphins pass on claiming CB Vernon Hargreaves

The Miami Dolphins would have had one of the first cracks at claiming recently cut CB Vernon Hargreaves, but elected not to pursue him.

The Miami Dolphins have made a bit of a habit of claiming recently cut defensive backs off of the waiver wire — the team has seemingly placed claims on a corner every few weeks this season. So when the news broke that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had cut former 1st-round pick Vernon Hargreaves, the logical assumption was that the Dolphins would kick the tires on the 1st-round bust and explore if perhaps they had the ability to connect with Hargreaves and help him unlock his potential.

Hargreaves was indeed claimed off the waiver wire yesterday — just not by the Dolphins. ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported that the only NFL franchise to file a waiver claim on Hargreaves was the Houston Texans.

Houston’s situation is a much different one than Miami’s — they’re a team in the midst of pushing for a deep postseason run. But the Texans, as Miami knows all too well, has exhausted a lot of their assets in trading for veteran players (such as OT Laremy Tunsil) — so a low-risk waiver claim does make sense for Houston as well.

For Miami? The team must like the chemistry and blend of talent they’ve got in house. Cornerback Nik Needham played the best game of his young NFL career this past weekend against the Indianapolis Colts — perhaps his transition from a shaky, unconfident player into the player who was arguably Miami’s best defender against the Colts played a part in not wanting to disrupt the cornerback rotation. Miami’s entire objective is to identify players capable of growing with this team as they transition from a rebuilding roster into a contender in the AFC.

For whatever reason, whether it be Needham or otherwise, Hargreaves didn’t fit the vision despite his low risk.

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Former Buccaneers CB Vernon Hargreaves claimed off waivers by Texans

One day after being cut by the Buccaneers, former first-round pick Vernon Hargreaves was claimed off waivers by the Houston Texans.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers parted ways with cornerback and former first-round pick Vernon Hargreaves yesterday, just two days after he was benched in the team’s win over the Arizona Cardinals for lack of hustle.

Hargreaves had played and started in all nine games for the Bucs this season, and got off to a promising start in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers when he had an interception and return touchdown. But, apparently, Bruce Arians and general manager Jason Licht had seen enough.

Fortunately, for Hargreaves, there are plenty of NFL teams willing to take a chance on a 24-year-old cornerback.

I’m sure Hargreaves is hoping a change of scenery helps his career. He’ll be going to a 6-3 Texans team that sits in first place in the AFC South.

Talk about failing upward.

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