Hargreaves’ Fifth-Year Exercised

April 24th, 2019

Big payday set up.

UPDATED 9:28 p.m. – For those hoping the Bucs would draft a cornerback at No. 5 tomorrow night, well, those hopes just took a major hit tonight.

The Bucs announced they have exercised the fifth-year option on Vernon Hargreaves, which means he is under contract with the Bucs in 2020 if the team doesn’t release him before the new league year begins next March.

Terms were not disclosed. However, the salary rate for a fifth-year option can be calculated per a formula published by Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com, “[p]layers selected outside the first 10 picks of the first round get the average of the third through 25th-highest salaries at their position.”

Hargreaves was the 11th pick in the 2016 draft. Based on 2015 draft picks and their fifth-year options calculated by CBS, Hargreaves could be pulling in close to $10 million next year. In 2019, Hargreaves’ salary-cap hit is about $4.5 million.

Joe, of course, has a few thoughts: 1. It sure seems as if the Bucs really do believe their corners were simply not developed by the previous defensive staff, which is something Joe’s been harping on for years. 2. The Bucs sure have faith that Hargreaves can stay healthy, something he has struggled to do the past two seasons. 3. Joe is just going to guess the Bucs are not planning on spending cash to retain Hargreaves to play part-time/nickel corner.

34 Responses to “Hargreaves’ Fifth-Year Exercised”

  1. First Down Tampa Bay Says:

    Hargreaves + Outside Press Coverage = Success.

  2. Pryda...Sec 147 Says:

    I’m happy I really like VHG I think he like a few of our players have a high ceiling talentwise and BA being the Great coach that he is, will get the most out of his players.

  3. Brandon Wyche Says:

    I hope his underwear workouts these past two weeks were not deserving of the 5th year contract lol.

  4. Jackwagon Says:

    Another hack decision gone awry but playing out from one exclusive culprit. Doofus Licht. No one else deserving of exclusive blame.

    One…you don’t pick stooges from FLA.

    Two…you don’t pick short dwarfs from FLA that are best in nickel at #11 overall, much less in the first round.

    Combine the two.

    Stooges a$$ Licht. The culprit.

  5. Lunchbox Says:

    I think there’s gonna be a big difference in the play of our defense, as well as the development of the players compared to the last few years. The new coaching staff is going to make a big difference, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few relative unknowns flourish in the new defense.

  6. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    Slot coverage is full time these days, but regardless, he’ll probably play outside.

    I’ve been saying for years our CBs needed to play press, and that they were fine. So get ready for some bragging once he plays.

    HOWEVER, I do not believe this prevents from drafting a CB. It takes a couple years to develop a cornerback.

  7. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    Jackwagon, Licht isn’t the one to decide to exercise the option. BA did it.

  8. Buccaneerscotty Says:

    10-4 Bonzai it takes a couple years for developing a lot of players good luck getting Joe or anyone else to understand that …

  9. DooshLaRue Says:

    @Jack wagon

    Short dwarfs?
    Are there tall ones?

  10. Duthsty Rhothdes Says:

    Ol jason gump up to his ol tricks again, signing the scrubs he drafted & putting the team in more cap hell in the future. Bucs need to clean house w licht and the front office, not sure BA is guy for GM because he left AZ a mess

  11. Defense Rules Says:

    Unless I misunderstand 5th-year options, this just cost the Bucs exactly ZERO, which is what VHIII would get if the Bucs release him before next March. And in the meantime, it gives VHIII LOTS of incentive to have a very good year. Sounds like a win-win … for the Bucs.

  12. El_Buc941 Says:

    My guess is we go pass rusher tomorrow. Hargreaves can hold his own for 4-5seconds,in other words he will shut down his man and cause the qb to hold the ball longer than needed and if hargreaves can do that than we need a pass rusher to compliment JPP because from what we seen last year the opposing qbs had way too much time to throw i meam our corners werent blown out but our pass rush was dormant.

  13. Buc believer Says:

    I’m seeing us going 3-13 with Licht being fired and Arians quitting after one year sighting health problems. Glazers need to sell for the good of the team but they won’t because it’s a cash cow for them.

  14. Greg Says:

    @jackwagon
    It looks like you have a”short dwarf” issue much less from “FLA”. Licht does have past draft questions no doubt. It looks like your ” short dwarf” will be here for a while. I say we give the young man a chance to show what he has with different coaches regardless of your label and school.

  15. Anonymous Says:

    They can still release him and pay him nothing…this is such a non story…they have NOT made any real commitment to VHIII

  16. Not there yet Says:

    Gotta see what you got. You can’t revamp the roster with one draft. It doesn’t mean we won’t draft a corner because he can easily be cut. We will absolutely draft one rather than pay him 9 million if we end up with extra picks. Could be they believe in him and it could also be a smokescreen

  17. D-Rome Says:

    Undeserved. Backstabbin’ Jason Licht trying to go out in a blaze of glory.

  18. Sweet Lou Says:

    Let’s hope it’s on the cheap, like most on the roster we know we can lose with them. BA is not in it for the long run, let’s see some new leadership offer stability and a plan for the long haul. Cap space and picks, go bucs

  19. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    I fail to see why this assures we won’t draft a CB……we were likely not going to draft one in round 1 anyway.

  20. Jackwagon Says:

    @Doosh…

    “Short dwarf”…

    One is an adjective….one is a noun. Grammatically, it’s spot on. The two can co-exist just fine. Dwarfs..are short. It was written with purpose, and spot on 🙂

    My next lesson will commence after Licht (likely) screws up round one, or takes tbe easy way out. (Same thing)… Thursday night.

    Just get Quinnen.

  21. Kobe Faker Says:

    “Going to get cut next year or negotiate

    Not even Gump will pay milli vanilli 10 milli”

    Kobe Faker

  22. Destinjohnny Says:

    I wonder if we will ever have a winning season…

  23. tmaxcon Says:

    Another dumb move….. only the glazers in search of the basement title record would reward a fragile, short, slow and stupid cb…. just further proof the glazers have no intention of fielding a winner.

  24. DooshLaRue Says:

    Redundancy is never ok.

  25. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    Of course, it could be that they don’t actually need to draft a CB, and all of you haters are wrong about the ones we have.

    Maybe.

  26. adam from ny Says:

    good move…

    it means play your ass off this year and be worth the 10 mil next year…or be out…

    just like mccoy and his 13 mil

  27. Magadude Says:

    This is a good thing. VHIII has his problems for sure, and like Winston’s situation this year, it is probably his waning chance to perform. It would be nice if VHIII can break out this year and carry that into year 5. Maybe he can be coached up. Worst case is he’s a backup. Can he be healthy? While I am very skeptical of Arians being this immediate huge impact overall, I’m hoping Bowles and company will get immediate improvement out of the D. That’s NOT such a tall order considering last year.

  28. AlabamaBucsFan Says:

    When VHIII was drafted he had the best footwork I seen for a CB coming out of college in years. The guy could shadow anyone in college. I was clueless to see him did so awful the first two years. Personally I think the Bucs coaching staff ruined him. I am hoping he make that great leap this year with the new coaching staff.

  29. BucEmUp Says:

    Its obvoious our corners were poorly developed. Not even the best corners can stop everyone and eventually give up a big play or two, but an excellent corner in a crap scheme will look like a crap corner. Nobody can keep completion percentages down when they are playing 12 yards back from the l.o.s.

    Hatgraeves, Smith and Davis will do well..I see them taking a long physical corner in the 2nd or 3rd

  30. BucEmUp Says:

    Or trading for patrick peterson if they can create some cap room

  31. Evolvingbucsfan Says:

    He was decent as a rookie and was getting picked on almost every game showed lots of potential, the Mike smith happened and the whole secondary disappeared, look at last year no one looked good every one in the backfield looked lost, this gives him incentive and I bet Bowels won’t lay down like Smith did and maybe actually coach these guys, imagine that.

  32. Bucsfanman Says:

    The only way that I can understand this move is if it is purely from a business perspective. The Bucs are not on the hook for his salary if he is cut, if I understand this correctly. AND, if somehow he is able to turn into a legit corner ie. dogs and cats sleeping together, I get a date with Megan Fox, or tmax and GMC make up, THEN, maybe we keep him!

  33. BucsFIRE Says:

    DooshLaRue Says:
    “Redundancy is never ok.”

    DooshLaRue Says:
    “Redundancy is never ok.”

    DooshLaRue Says:
    “Redundancy is never ok.”

    DooshLaRue Says:
    “Redundancy is never ok.”

    DooshLaRue Says:
    “Redundancy is never ok.”

    ————-

    😉

  34. TexBuc Says:

    Picking up 5th year option is a win-win. If he plays well this year we guarantee ourselves he will be here next year and hope he can put two good years together before a longterm contract. It also gives VHIII peace of mind knowing performing well gives him some contract security for next year.

    Worst case he plays subpar this season and we can part ways with no impact on cap.