Q. Vernon, you've been on this team for a few years. How much different does it feel this year with the roster composition with so many guys on one-year deals and stuff like that?
VERNON HARGREAVES: It's like going to a new school. Bunch of new players, got to learn everybody's name. But it's fun out here. A bunch of guys who have been here, done that before. We're keeping it rolling. We're all just trying to come together and get ready for the first game.
Q. How do you learn people's names?
VERNON HARGREAVES: By calling them. By calling them like on the practice field. Like, hey, I'm going to get you. I've got to know his name. What's his name? And that's how you learn it?
Q. Vernon, kind of what you said, so much turnover, but with the right guys in the locker room and it's a good feel. Do you come together well?
VERNON HARGREAVES: I think so. They've definitely brought in guys who have done this at a high level before, guys that stay out of trouble. Good guys to have in the locker room. I definitely feel that. I definitely see that. Like I said, it will all come together when the season starts, and we'll see how that goes.
Q. Do you feel like with Bradley suspended for the first game, that you can step in and do that?
VERNON HARGREAVES: I'm ready for anything. I've been a starter the whole time I've been in the league, so I'm ready for whatever comes my way.
Q. How do you feel you've grown since you came to the Texans?
VERNON HARGREAVES: It's the mental aspect. Learning how to play football, learn the position, learning how to play corner. It's more than going out and covering people. Understand what's to come. Understand who you're covering. That's where I've grown the most.
Q. The new coaching staff, what kind of influence did they have on kind of the culture, and also what you guys do...
VERNON HARGREAVES: You know, they're understanding. They came in and didn't try to make it a dictatorship. They're new, and a lot of times it does go that way, but they let us do our thing, they let us be pros. They let us have fun, hang out. We appreciate that as a team.
You know, like I said, all this is just getting forward to September 12th.
Q. What have you noticed that Lovie likes to see from the corners, how they play?
VERNON HARGREAVES: He likes physical corners, rewound guys, and turnovers. That's all he wants is a turnover.
Q. He talked about the energy on the sideline and things like that the other day. How do you all approach that this year? Is it different?
VERNON HARGREAVES: It's easy. We're all pros. We've all been here before. We know what turnovers do for our game. We know what it can do for the team. We've got to show that energy when somebody gets one.
Q. Does he give you a hard time about turnovers versus take-aways?
VERNON HARGREAVES: Not so much. I didn't realize he did it with you all. As long as we get the ball with Lovie, we're good.
Q. How much pride do you take in starting 16 games last year?
VERNON HARGREAVES: It is what it is. That's last year, though. Can't really count too much on it. We'll see how this year goes. Hopefully we can win more games this year, and that's what we'll talk about.
Q. Speaking of Lovie Smith, how much do you think you'll benefit playing in his system?
VERNON HARGREAVES: I think I benefit a lot. It's a lot of zone, a lot of eyes on the quarterback type stuff, breaking and reacting kind of stuff, and that's kind of what I do. We'll see. It's too soon to tell right now, but when the season gets going, we'll figure it out.
Q. Who are some of the cool new kids in the school?
VERNON HARGREAVES: Let's see, T.T. Taffier, that's my boy. I'm going to say all the DBs. All the new DBs, they're the coolest on the team right now.
Q. Do you think because of all the new faces, it makes preseason for this team maybe more important than for others?
VERNON HARGREAVES: I don't think it's more important for any other team. It's preseason is just as important for every team as it is for us. We've got new guys. Every other team has new guys. We might not have those stable guys that some teams have, but we know who they are. Like I said, it's preseason. We're all just trying to get better. We're all just trying to work and get ready for that first game.
Q. Kind of along those lines, is it building habits? When you're talking about turnovers and you produce turnovers in the preseason no matter who's out there, so does building happen in the preseason? Does that happen?
VERNON HARGREAVES: Of course. You are what you repeatedly do. If you can get them in practice and get them in practice every preseason game, it's going to transport over to the game.
Q. What do guys like Justin Reid and Lonnie Johnson say about the safety in this defense?
VERNON HARGREAVES: They've got a lot of free range. They've got a lot of free range. Coach trusts them to make plays on the ball. That's what they do. They're long guys. They can run. They can get to the football. That's what we're counting on.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports