New England Patriots Rumors: 3 cornerback trade targets at the deadline

New England Patriots trade target No. 3: Vernon Hargreaves III

The Houston Texans probably aren’t going to be contending for a championship anytime soon, and it seems like they may be on the verge of a full-on firesale at the deadline. They already sent Mark Ingram to the New Orleans Saints, and Deshaun Watson is reportedly close to being traded to the Miami Dolphins. Another name that could be added to that list is Vernon Hargreaves III.

Hargreaves, who was the 11th overall pick in the 2016 draft, began his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and struggled to stay on the field. He was eventually released and picked up by Houston, where he had his best season as a pro in 2020. He started all 16 games as Houston’s slot corner, and picked up 72 tackles, seven pass deflections, and one interception.

Hargreaves hasn’t picked up from where he left off last season, and has only seen the field sparingly in recent weeks for the Texans. He’s come off the bench in three of the last four games, and even then he’s barely been used. Houston’s usage of Hargreaves has been odd, and if they don’t intend to use him down the line, they may look into moving the underrated corner.

If the Pats were to move for Hargreaves, he would slide right into the slot corner spot left vacant by Jones. Hargreaves proved last season he can hold his own when called upon, and the Pats really don’t have a true replacement for Jones in the slot.

Considering the state of Houston and the fact that Hargreaves hasn’t really been utilized much of late, New England could probably pick up Hargreaves for a late round draft pick. Hargreaves certainly has a lot of untapped potential, and even if the move doesn’t pan out, the Pats would only lose a lower level pick. Of the corners that could be available, Hargreaves is probably one of the safer options out there.