Back in March at the NFL’s Annual League Meetings, Bucs head coach Bruce Arians raved about cornerback Vernon Hargreaves and all but said the fourth-year cornerback out of Florida would be one of the team’s two starting defensive backs.

Fast forward two months later, and the Bucs are rolling their two rookie cornerbacks, Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jamel Dean in rotation with second-year corners Carlton Davis and veteran Ryan Smith, while Hargreaves watches from the sideline, not practicing with the team.

Following Tuesday’s OTA that took place in the team’s indoor facility due to inclement weather, Arians didn’t seem pleased when asked about Hargreaves’ absence from the field.

When asked why Hargreaves was sitting out, Arians was blunt.

“You’ll have to talk to Vernon. He’s got to get his mind right for practice.”

Asked to elaborate, Arians told the media,”You’ll have to ask him(Hargreaves).”

Hargreaves is no stranger to missing practice – or games. In his first three seasons, the oft-injured Wharton High product has played a full 16-game schedule just once(2016), and has missed 22 games over the last two years including 15 in 2018 after suffering a shoulder injury in the season opener against the Saints.