Bruce Arians: Carlton Davis & Vernon Hargreaves Are Outside Cornerbacks
March 26th, 2019
UPDATED 3:01 p.m. – Bucco Bruce Arians made it very clear this morning how high he is on Vernon Hargreaves.
And no, that’s not a marijuana joke about the Bucs’ 2016 first-round pick.
Arians talked about how he and his staff liked Hargreaves in the 2016 draft for the Arizona Cardinals’ blitz-and-blitz-more scheme. Why? Because they thought Hargreaves could cover on the outside.
Enter Mike Smith and his passive defense that didn’t feature Hargreaves in that role much with the Buccaneers, and then Hargreaves was demoted to nickel.
Today at the NFL Owners Meetings in Phoenix, Arians said he has “great confidence” in Hargreaves and Carlton Davis to be his outside cornerbacks.
“If we have to take Vernon and put him at nickel, I don’t know who that is yet,” Arians said. “So let’s find a nickel. Let’s leave Vernon out there where I know he can play and be effective.”
Arians mentioned no other corners.
“I think what we’re going to do with them is going to be more advantageous to them,” Arians said. “Get up. I got you. Beat my ass. We’re not sitting back read-and-reacting, schemes and stuff. We’ll have some of it, but we gotta get in your face and play man-to-man and get after you. I think it lets their personality come out more.”
Arians was specific about Hargreaves stating that the Bucs will need to find a nickel corner to keep Hargreaves on the outside.
March 26th, 2019 at 2:36 pm
All I can add is I hope Bruce Arians is right.
March 26th, 2019 at 2:40 pm
It would be great if VH3 was healthy and played well enough to justify a starting spot, it would make the corner depth look a lot better.
But that’s a HUGE risk considering VH3’s injury history and lack of production.
March 26th, 2019 at 2:40 pm
NFL is 90% coaching. Bucs haven’t had a head coach since Gruden left.
Arians will prove its not the roster that’s been the problem.
March 26th, 2019 at 2:41 pm
Wow, somebody seems to know what they want to do on the gridiron! I am loving the attitude so far.
March 26th, 2019 at 2:42 pm
Gotta admit it would be REFRESHING as HELL to those young defensive players to finally play with some attitude and chip on their shoulders. Good stuff.
March 26th, 2019 at 2:43 pm
813 this is like your wish come true lol
I just hope he can stay healthy all year
March 26th, 2019 at 2:43 pm
Sounds great…
Now if BA can coach the finger wag out of VHIII..
March 26th, 2019 at 2:46 pm
Rod Munch- Amen brother! In a perfect world.
March 26th, 2019 at 2:46 pm
If VH3 can play with the confidence he has in college we’ll be OK….injuries and a serious case of WR’s getting in his head is his record in the NFL so far….just my observation…
March 26th, 2019 at 2:47 pm
Cant wait for Hargreaves to start doing the airplane around the field after an overthrow
March 26th, 2019 at 2:47 pm
VHIII is a brittle little beotch. If this actually remains true come week 1, damn it will be a major mistake. He’s too short, gimmicky, frail and doesn’t have the stature nor personality to play press man coverage….big mistake.
March 26th, 2019 at 2:52 pm
🙂 You simple fools.
VHIII would be a big mistake outside, not to mention his fragile personality and body.
March 26th, 2019 at 3:02 pm
Heartburn is kicking in
March 26th, 2019 at 3:07 pm
Coming out of college he was always pegged as a press man corner.
March 26th, 2019 at 3:16 pm
And day 1 starters.
March 26th, 2019 at 3:17 pm
He was a very confident and cat in college…
March 26th, 2019 at 3:17 pm
we’re screwed. isn’t VH like 5’6″
March 26th, 2019 at 3:18 pm
Feel like I’m listening myself speak every time you quote the man Joe. Can’t for y’all to my vision thru him on draft night.
March 26th, 2019 at 3:35 pm
This is just a sad quote:
“This is the only roster right now. I don’t know because I haven’t seen the young guys. I’ve seen them play Cover 2, Quarters – I never saw them play man-to-man.”
We played SO much off coverage that we didn’t even have much tape of press for Arians / Bowles to evaluate. That’s f*cking insane considering we were drafting press man corners and not zone guys.
Interesting that VHIII was a target of AZ that year. That year I / others wanted Rankins. He’s been solid but not an elite guy or what I was thinking he may have been.
Cards were picking in the 20s so they likely had no chance on him unless he fell. They took Robert Ndemkeich or whatever that year. Lot of busts in 2016 across the league. 1st round more than 50% of picks I’d say have been dissapointments . R2 not much better. That was a weak draft looking back
March 26th, 2019 at 3:37 pm
This will benefit VHIII, he’s a press man corner. This info doesn’t surprise me too much, pretty sure they signed Buccanon to play nickel.
March 26th, 2019 at 3:38 pm
Only Mike Smith would take a man to man cb in college and play him in a soft zone
So glad Smith is gone
Worst Bucs Coordinator in years
March 26th, 2019 at 3:40 pm
No matter what BA thinks you cant fix SHORT,SLOW AND STUPID…. VH3BUST is a waste of time…. i was optimistic 6-10 was achievable but 3-13 might be more optimistic
March 26th, 2019 at 3:43 pm
If Arians takes this same damn roster that Koetter had and wins 10 games, someone is gonna have some answering to do.
March 26th, 2019 at 3:51 pm
@Straightlackofmoney, and that’s why you’re not in the NFL making decisions.
March 26th, 2019 at 3:52 pm
And this tmax guy is a joke too.
March 26th, 2019 at 3:59 pm
J
The only jone is vh3 and the fact ba thinks he can fix that bum…. we don’t have to worry though vh3bust is Fragile and wont factor into Bucs future
March 26th, 2019 at 4:00 pm
I wish VH3 success, but what happens if he presses somebody like Julio and they make a move and leave him in their wake. Lack of speed in the secondary will
hurt us unless we get enough pressure to at least hurry the QB. Hope Bowles has a plan, because Evans is only safety that with enough speed to catch anybody on the returning roster.
March 26th, 2019 at 4:24 pm
He’s too small for the outside receivers in this division so he’s got to dramatically improve ball skills to compensate. My expectations for this team is higher for the coaches than the players at this point in the season because we’ve seen the bad. If the players look the same as last year we know it’s not coaching and licht is finished but if these guys overachieve this will be an exciting season playoffs or not because it’ll mean they may be in the hunt
March 26th, 2019 at 4:35 pm
Arians picks a player for a position……and then goes all-in on him publicly….showing great confidence in him….sometimes that’s all a player needs.
This is exactly what he is doing with Jameis.
March 26th, 2019 at 4:36 pm
Leave Hargreaves in the nickel. Draft Amani Aruwayrie/Penn State in 2nd, or Justin Layne/Michigan State in 3rd, or Isaiah Johnson/Houston in 4th. That oughta do it! Press, length, and speed on the outside!
March 26th, 2019 at 4:37 pm
I can go all day….@Joe schmoe’s. I can go all day.
March 26th, 2019 at 4:40 pm
Not there his nfl comparison coming into league was Joe Haden. Carved out a decent career for himself. VH can play just needs to be used properly. He’s not a baby in the league anymore if shown some confidence I’m confident he’ll rise to the occasion.
March 26th, 2019 at 4:41 pm
And Valrico that’s why Carlton Davis was drafted. To deal with the bigger wideouts. Check his measurables bro.
March 26th, 2019 at 4:45 pm
@ Joel – NFL play is 90% coaching. That is absurd man! You think Deon Sanders was great because of coaching? You think Revis was great because of coaching. 90% of NFL play is due to athletic ability. Was Barry Sanders a great RB due to coaching. Jerry Rice was great because of coaching. Man you guys just say some stupid stuff. Talent trumps everything in professional football. The best athletes simply need to be pointed in the right direction to become hall of famers, pro bowlers, etc, but great players will shine regardless. Bad players lack talent and no amount of coaching will make them excel if they don’t have the skill set.
March 26th, 2019 at 5:20 pm
“Now we truly have Milli Vanilli as our corners
VH3 and Davis our duo with dreads
Not being left out, Kobe has a mop on top of his head while he is posting”
Kobe Faker
March 26th, 2019 at 5:47 pm
TDTB says:
“Talent trumps everything in professional football.”
————
See Patriots. ——————->
March 26th, 2019 at 6:28 pm
Alright, I smell a CB as our 2nd round pick…..who do we look for in that range? Maybe Mullen?
March 26th, 2019 at 6:29 pm
Is this 2016? I almost forget Vernon Hargreaves was on the team.
March 26th, 2019 at 6:36 pm
Well what do you know. Do you have a better idea of what the PLAN is now or are you still lost? The free agent starters they are not buying are because they are going to give the young talent already on the roster every chance to grab the starting jobs. This is true at Cornerback. This is true at Safety. This is true in the Offensive Line. The front seven on defense along with running back are going to be addressed in the draft. Bruce and staff do have a PLAN. Even more importantly they have confidence in both themselves and their PLAN. Free agency is generally being used to provide insurance and depth While the Bus have several players with many years of experience. They also have a lot with five years or less experience. Those player are going to get a chance. Where necessary they are going to be developed and fast tracked. There still may be further changes as they start to see these players on the field. If so, I have complete trust that Bruce and the staff with take the right action to correct it.
March 26th, 2019 at 6:37 pm
TDTB … Preach on brother. You hit a sweet spot. Good stuff.
March 26th, 2019 at 7:05 pm
Bob in Valrico Says:
March 26th, 2019 at 4:00 pm
I wish VH3 success, but what happens if he presses somebody like Julio and they make a move and leave him in their wake. Lack of speed in the secondary will
hurt us unless we get enough pressure to at least hurry the QB. Hope Bowles has a plan, because Evans is only safety that with enough speed to catch anybody on the returning roster.
Evans ran a 4.57 40. Not exactly fast. VH3 ran a 4.5. Smith and Brice are the bucs fastest DBs.
March 26th, 2019 at 7:05 pm
He should be outside. Dude was a #1 pick.
Get him out their and see if he can play in Bowles defense. If he can’t do it then we upgrade his roster spot next year.
Take note. It don’t say anything about him starting…….I’m quite certain Bruce will make him earn it ……..which is something our last staff didn’t seem to do.
March 26th, 2019 at 7:08 pm
Ronde Barber ran a 4.68 40 BTW. It really just matters how fast you can move in pads. Players that can read and react quickly are more important.
March 26th, 2019 at 7:14 pm
OHHHH MYYYYY GOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE BEEN DREAMING OF A BUCS COACH SAYING THIS FOR EV ERRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!
Dirk koetter just said “Yeah I dont get involved in that kinda stuff” Holy crap but some of yall STILL BELIEVE IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH COACHING!!!!!
Since day one vernon was asked yo play off coverage in the good old “read and react” zone coverage. You can make an all pro roster look like a bunch of busts and bad picks with that coaching right there AND THATS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED!!!
SUPERBOWL BOUND BABY!!!!!
March 26th, 2019 at 7:21 pm
But there’s a 6’2 corner has 4.3 speed loves to play press man and comes form the one and only DBU Lsu ( coming from an FSU fan ) . I just really don’t care if he can’t tackle to be quite honest.
March 26th, 2019 at 7:52 pm
J Says:
March 26th, 2019 at 3:52 pm
And this tmax guy is a joke too.
_____________
Sane readers just skip over his comments. I haven’t read his comments in Years.
March 26th, 2019 at 7:56 pm
BucsFIRE Says:
March 26th, 2019 at 5:47 pm
TDTB says:
“Talent trumps everything in professional football.”
————
See Patriots. ——————->
____
Amen, Belicheck takes other teams rejects and UDFAs and wins SBs
March 26th, 2019 at 7:57 pm
Really Joe? Moderation for innocuous posts with no attacks or profanity.
Smdh.
March 26th, 2019 at 8:03 pm
Post my comment around 4:30 pm that you withheld….
March 26th, 2019 at 8:17 pm
All the Ryan Smith truthers must be having a heart attack right now, they told me how well he played last year and how he constantly improved. LOL!
Anywho if Ryan Smith even makes the team it means Licht once again failed the Bucs coaches by not giving them enough talent in the defensive backfield.
March 26th, 2019 at 8:24 pm
Comments Deleted????
March 26th, 2019 at 8:26 pm
@Bucsfire……….you are correct. Belichek’s coaching Maximizes talent.
March 26th, 2019 at 8:27 pm
And to “J”
All sane readers skip over his comments. I haven’t read one in yrs. You get dumber every time you read one
March 26th, 2019 at 8:32 pm
Give me 22 second rounders with Great coaching
You can have 22 first rounders with no coaching.
Who wins?
March 26th, 2019 at 9:04 pm
SB Says:
dude i am always in your head…. you are lying out your arse… you comment at least once or twice a week on my comments therefore lying about not reading the most accurate factual bucs commentary in America… no put that Arron Hernandez jersey back on and relive the glory days of a washed up program… maybe the last great gators prison boyfriend needs a new pen pal…. truth hurts…. vh3 is a joke. he has no business in nfl….
March 26th, 2019 at 9:09 pm
VHIII is faster than Ronde Barber and as big as Ronde too. It took three years til Ronde begin to shine as a CB. This also is VHIII’s third year. One thing that Ronde and VHIII have in common is that both are playmakers. Davis needs to cover the biggest receiver on the other team. So keep an open mind and see with better development from BA and the right scheme if VHIII can blossom. If not we know he is a good slot CB irregardless.
March 26th, 2019 at 9:11 pm
Let’s settle down on the Ronde Barber comparisons and get out of here with the combine stats. Ronde Barber was a special football player….combine stats are for 7 on 7 and soccer players.
March 26th, 2019 at 10:01 pm
Ronde barber the same system specific cb that hung on way to long and never won a single meaningful game in his career without sapp carrying the has beens…. let the has beens go…. acting like mediocrity is greatness is sad and pathetic and is what low standard bucfan lives for
March 26th, 2019 at 10:27 pm
Bucsfire,
“see patriots” .. Lol, how many Billichek’s are in the league? If I’m not mistaken, there’s one.
One exception is considered outlier data and more to the point in this case means nothing.
Well, not nothing. Nothing in the sense that you can t take a single example and draw such broad and all inclusive conclusions. And that’s your entire case…..one single coach, you lose.
Talent wins.
March 26th, 2019 at 10:42 pm
What the buc,
4.5 40yd (combine number) is not in any way slow. 4.2 speed is universally acknowledged as blazing. . The difference between the two is between ..20 to .30…. Couch fans point to that gap as if it was miles apart.
4.5 slow..4.2 blazing… Only one is description is accurate, blazing,. The other made by fans who have zero idea of what a incredibly small difference between those two is and believe that. 10 of second is the “good” or average speed that resides in the middle. Foolishness.
Hint, everyone is fast in the NFL, period. The top and bottom. .is separated by an eye blink.
March 26th, 2019 at 10:55 pm
“we gotta get in your face and play man-to-man and get after you”
I like the attitude, and I agree. But unless the NFL lightens up on defenses this year, Arians will find his team getting a lot of penalties.
The NFL has sucked the joy out of watching good defense.
March 26th, 2019 at 10:56 pm
Joel Says
“NFL is 90% coaching.”
That is so very wrong, lol.
The simple truth is that it is the right combination of coaching and talent that succeeds.
March 26th, 2019 at 10:58 pm
In regard to the article?
Smoke and mirrors.
I honestly do not see how anyone can take anything from and team as serious right now. Every team is lying and misleading as many people as possible.
March 26th, 2019 at 10:59 pm
Rod Munch Says
“All the Ryan Smith truthers must be having a heart attack right now, they told me how well he played last year and how he constantly improved. LOL!”
Rod, is there any chance you can show evidence of that?
March 26th, 2019 at 11:50 pm
No kidding.
March 27th, 2019 at 12:55 am
Bonzai – Go read basically any comment where I talked about Ryan Smith after the end of the season. Seriously, I had multiple people saying Ryan Smith was a keeper.
I know, it’s amazing those people really exist, I too was shocked.
March 27th, 2019 at 12:58 am
tmaxcon – Could you do the world a favor and drink a few gallons of antifreeze, I hear it tastes great.
Thanks, and God bless.
March 27th, 2019 at 3:31 am
All I know is VH3 play a helluva game against one of the most prolific passing teams last year before getting hurt…. and that was under the tutalge of the worst defensive and DB coaching in NFL history
March 27th, 2019 at 7:53 am
You guys put way to much emphasis into coaching.
Do I think coaching is important? Yes
But you guys take it to a whole level….at the end of the day players are the ones throwing the passes and making plays.
March 27th, 2019 at 8:32 am
D1 Says:
“you can t take a single example and draw such broad and all inclusive conclusions. And that’s your entire case…..one single coach, you lose.”
———-
I lose? Really? Ok.
Just because only 1 coach/team is currently proving the theory, does not mean that others could not or that the theory is wrong.
Obviously it is NOT wrong because one team keeps proving it over and over again.
March 27th, 2019 at 8:46 am
Bucsfire
What your not understanding is the Patriots certainly do not lack talent in anyway. I mean, they have the great QB of all time, Edelman, a great running back duo, and key defensive players every year.
What Belichick is able to do is use SOME players as effective plug and play pieces, but the main identity of that team is the core players.
Belichick is a rare coach and no one can gameplan like him, but let’s not act like the Patriots don’t have talent cause that’s ridiculous.
March 27th, 2019 at 8:55 am
^^ I definitely agree with your point Tbbucs3, and in NO WAY meant to imply that the Pats don’t have talent. They certainly do, and I could have made my point a little better.
My point was that the Pats have definitely taken conventional wisdom about talent in general (and maybe what exactly constitutes “talent”) and ripped it into a million pieces. — As an NFL historian, it has just been fascinating to watch.
March 27th, 2019 at 9:05 am
If I’m not mistaken, Whitehead is plenty fast. I don’t see speed being an issue at safety.