Texans Free Agent Profile: What to do with CB Vernon Hargreaves?

The Houston Texans have a bevy of decisions to make when it comes to their free agents.

One player without a contract is cornerback Vernon Hargreaves, who played 16 games for the Texans in 2020.

Hargreaves, 25, will be an unrestricted free agent when the new league kicks off and free agency begins.

Pros of keeping Hargreaves

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The former Tampa Bay Buccaneer saw an increase in playing time with Houston in 2020 with 16 games started. Hargreaves collected 72 combined tackles, a tackle for loss, seven pass breakups, and an interception. The 5-10, 204-pound cornerback took advantage of a situation that saw intended starter, Gareon Conley, miss the entire season recovering from an ankle surgery. In Tampa Bay, Hargreaves spent the first three and a half seasons of his career playing in a comparable scheme to what defensive coordinator Lovie Smith intends to deploy in Houston.

Cons of keeping Hargreaves

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The reality is Hargreaves was a part of the problem with the Texans' secondary, which allowed a combined 109.6 opposing passer rating, the second-highest in the NFL. Hargreaves also didn't have as many splash plays one would hope from a starting cornerback.

The Verdict

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Bill Parcells said there were guys on the roster who were there to "hold down the fort." Hargreaves is at that stage in his career. Certainly the former 2016 first-round pick from Florida isn't as abominable as Phillip Gaines, but his time as an impactful starter may have passed him by. However, he can still provide quality depth on the roster as one of the guys or a transition piece as the Texans solidify their cornerback situation.

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