Tag: Kindle Vildor

Snap count notes from the Lions win over the Broncos

Lions snap count notes from the win over Denver, including DB and RB splits and an intact offensive line

One of the first things that jumps out from the Detroit Lions’ snap count notes in the Week 15 win over the Denver Broncos is the continuity of the starters. It’s especially true on offense.

The entire starting offensive line played each and every one of the 66 offensive snaps. It was the first time since the Week 10 win over the Chargers that the team’s top five — Taylor Decker, Jonah Jackson, Frank Ragnow, Graham Glasgow, Penei Sewell — started and finished a game together. And it showed on the field, with the Lions rolling to almost 200 rushing yards.

Those rushes came from David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs in an almost even split of snaps. Montgomery played 34, while Gibbs got 32. No other RBs played. The Lions also did not use a fullback, though Dan Skipper played eight snaps as an extra tackle and blocking tight end James Mitchell was on the field for six. Mitchell still doesn’t have a single passing game target in his second season.

The wide receiver splits:

Amon-Ra St. Brown – 61

Jameson Williams – 45

Josh Reynolds – 38

Kalif Raymond – 20

Donovan Peoples-Jones – 11

On defense, LB Alex Anzalone was the only Lions player on the field for all 64 defensive reps.

The starting lineup changes in the secondary were definitive. Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu got the nod over Tracy Walker for the second straight game, and Melifonwu played 62 of the 64 snaps. Walker didn’t play on defense. The same was true at cornerback, where Khalil Dorsey replaced Jerry Jacobs. Dorsey (44 snaps) and Kindle Vildor (18) split the outside CB duties, while Jacobs only appeared on special teams.

Aidan Hutchinson’s heavy workload continues. The standout DE played 59 of the 64 snaps, another week over 90 percent participation. Some of that could be a function of the Lions deploying John Cominsky (46) and Josh Paschal (43) with more reps inside as part of a lighter front. Hefty DTs Benito Jones (30), Isaiah Buggs (23), Levi Onwuzurike (14) and rookie Brodric Martin (11) split more reps than usual with the lighter linemen.

Romeo Okwara (18) and Bruce Irvin (11) saw limited action. The Lions used rookie LB Jack Campbell in the SAM role a little amongst his 33 snaps. Derrick Barnes briefly left the game with a shoulder injury, and that held down his snap count to 35. Jalen Reeves-Maybin played 10, while Malcolm Rodriguez returned to the defensive lineup with five. Anthony Pittman played on defense for the first time in 2023, seeing action on four snaps.

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Expect more Kindle Vildor in the Lions secondary

Expect more Kindle Vildor in the Lions secondary after a solid Detroit debut against his old team, the Bears

Kindle Vildor made his Detroit Lions debut in Week 14. The cornerback, freshly signed off the practice squad, saw some action at outside cornerback against one of his old teams, the Chicago Bears.

Both his head coach and coordinator indicated they want to see more of the 26-year-old after his solid outing. He outplayed starter Jerry Jacobs, who has been struggling with his coverage assignments of late.

Head coach Dan Campbell isn’t ready to bench Jacobs in favor of Vildor, but Campbell did say to expect to see both of them in the Week 15 game against the Denver Broncos and their talented receiving corps.

“I still see him and Jerry kind of working in there a little bit together,” Campbell said this week.

Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn mentioned Vildor’s experience and intelligence in also reinforcing that both players are set to get action going forward.

“Well, I would say this about him, he’s played a good amount of football. In Chicago, actually, he played, I think he started there a couple of years, so he’s a common presence,” Glenn said. “He’s very smart and he understands exactly what we’re doing. So, we want to continue to try to utilize that.”

Vildor spent his first three NFL seasons in Chicago, playing over 1,500 snaps primarily as an outside cornerback. He’s been a player who allows completions but tends to terminate them quickly and not get burned for big plays, qualities which were on display in Week 14.

In the next breath, Glenn took up for Jacobs

“Listen, Jerry’s not a guy that we’re throwing away and I don’t want anybody to think that. Listen, there’s still skins on the wall with that player also, alright? And he’s done some good things for us, but the thing is, man, we’ve got to do everything we can to play at a high level and we’re going to continue to find the guy that’s going to do that for us.”

Lions place DT Alim McNeill on I.R. in series of roster moves

McNeill is out for at least the next four games, and the Lion shuffled some practice squad players to help replace him

The Lions escaped New Orleans with a close victory, but Detroit lost one of its best defensive players in the win.

Defensive tackle Alim McNeill left the game on three separate instances and sought attention from trainers. It turned out to be worse than head coach Dan Campbell had hoped after the game. The Lions placed McNeill on the injured reserve list on Tuesday.

The team’s top interior player will miss the next four games at minimum, with just five regular-season games remaining.

The Lions filled McNeill’s spot on the 53-man roster by signing CB Kindle Vildor from the practice squad. As for the vacancy on the defensive line, Detroit officially added veteran Tyson Alualu to the practice squad. They also added offensive lineman Matt Farniok to the practice squad and released LB Raymond Johnson off the squad to make room.

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Eagles sign DB Kindle Vildor to the practice squad, release LB Brandon Smith

The Philadelphia #Eagles are signing DB Kindle Vildor to the practice squad after a Thursday workout

The Eagles are dealing with injuries in the secondary, and ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Dolphins, they’re adding Kindle Vildor to the practice squad.

Philadelphia released linebacker Brandon Smith from the practice squad in a corresponding move.

The Eagles have multiple players dealing with injury, including safety Reed Blankenship (ribs) and nickel cornerback Bradley Roby (shoulder), among those who did not practice on Thursday.

Eagles worked out former Bears CB Kindle Vildor

The Eagles hosted former Bears CB Kindle Vildor for a visit Thursday.

The Philadelphia Eagles are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to finding help in the secondary, which includes hosting former Chicago Bears defensive back Kindle Vildor on Thursday.

KPCR 2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson first reported the news.

Vildor, 25, was a fifth-round draft pick of the Bears in 2020 and appeared in 46 games, including 22 starts, in his first three seasons. The Georgia Southern product collected 97 tackles, three tackles for loss, and one sack during his time in Chicago.

Prior to the start of the 2023 season, the Bears placed Vildor on waivers, and he was claimed by the Titans the following day. In Tennessee, he played in two games, picking up one tackle before he was released earlier this month.

Eagles hosted former Titans DB Kindle Vildor for a visit

Former Titans CB Kindle Vildor was brought in for a visit by the Eagles on Thursday.

Former Tennessee Titans cornerback Kindle Vildor visited with the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, according to the league’s transactions wire.

As injuries have mounted in the secondary, the Eagles have been scrambling to find reinforcements.

Having lost two cornerbacks within the first two weeks to injuries, safety Reed Blankenship (ribs) and nickel cornerback Bradley Roby (shoulder) were among those who did not practice on Thursday.

The Eagles recently brought back versatile defensive back Josiah Scott to the 53-man roster. By bringing in Vildor, it appears they are looking to provide some depth at the position.

Vildor, 25, was a originally a fifth-round draft choice by the Chicago Bears in the 2020 NFL draft. But prior to the start of the 2023 season, the Georgia Southern product was placed on waivers.

The Titans claimed Vildor the following day, and he suited up for two games before being released earlier this month. Vildor accounted for 16 snaps during his time in Nashville, including seven on special teams.

He amassed one tackle in Tennessee’s 16-15 loss to New Orleans back on Sept. 10.

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Kindle Vildor talks joining Titans, calls Trevis Gipson ‘dominant’

Kindle Vildor said he knew the Titans were interested in him before he was claimed, and apparently the feeling was mutual.

One of the additions the Tennessee Titans made since putting together their initial 53-man roster was cornerback Kindle Vildor, a 2020 fifth-round pick of the Chicago Bears who was claimed off waivers on Wednesday.

Vildor, who brings versatility with his ability to play inside and out — he’s played mostly outside corner during his career, though — said he knew the Titans were interested before he was claimed.

And, the interest was apparently mutual.

“When I was waived, my agent was telling me that Tennessee was heavy on me,” Vildor said, per Sam Phalen of AtoZ Sports. “He told me that they put in a claim for me so we were just hoping that nobody else was able to grab me.”

When asked about what he brings to the table, Vildor explained in his answer that “I take pride in my technique,” which is something head coach Mike Vrabel will surely love to hear.

“I feel like I’m a very typical sound corner, I take pride in my technique,” he said. “Playmaker able to make plays on the ball and everything like that. So, whenever the time comes I’m just ready to showcase my talents, sharpen up my tools in practice and learn the defense so I can feel comfortable out there.”

Vildor isn’t the only former Bears player to join the team this week. The Titans also added edge rusher Trevis Gipson via free agency.

The 25-year-old corner described his former Bears and now-current Titans teammate as “dominant” while also mentioning how Gipson thrived in 2021 in a similar scheme he’ll be playing in upon arriving in Tennessee.

“I feel like he’s a dominant D-end,” Vildor said of Gipson. “He had seven sacks when we had Khalil Mack out (in 2021) and this is a similar defense, so I know he’s ready to come in a similar defense and thrive and make plays.”

It’s been well-documented that Gipson saw a drop off in sack production in 2022, but that also coincided with the Bears’ switch to a 4-3 defense under new head coach Matt Eberflus. It’s also worth noting that Gipson faced among the highest double-team rates that season.

In Tennessee, both Vildor and Gipson will be joining a defense with a ton of talent surrounding them (especially in the front seven), which should help both thrive in their respective roles during the 2023 campaign.

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Former Bears Trevis Gipson, Kindle Vildor land with Titans

Former Bears Trevis Gipson and Kindle Vildor reunite with the Titans.

Two players from the Chicago Bears’ 2020 draft class have already found a new home in the league.

Former Bears defensive end Trevis Gipson and cornerback Kindle Vildor have landed with the Tennessee Titans. Vildor was claimed off waivers, per the wire, while Gipson announced he was signing with the Titans on social media. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirmed the move.

Gipson and Vildor were both former starters in Chicago, but the writing was on the wall after general manager Ryan Poles overhauled both defensive end and cornerback this offseason.

Gipson, a fifth-round pick by the Bears in 2020, had a career-best seven sacks in 2021. Unfortunately, he fell short of those expectations as part of the NFL’s worst pass rush, which totaled just 20 sacks in 2022. Gipson had 31 total tackles, four tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and three pass breakups.

Reports indicated that Chicago attempted to trade Gipson ahead of Tuesday’s roster cut deadline, but a deal wasn’t able to materialize. Instead, the Bears parted ways and Tennessee later landed him. Now, Gipson returns to a 3-4 defensive scheme.

Vildor started nine games last season with Chicago before he finished the 2022 season on injured reserve. After the additions of rookies Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith, Vildor seemed like the odd man out in the cornerback room. In his career, Vildor has played in 44 games and has 10 pass breakups and one interception. Now, he gets a fresh start with the Titans.

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Titans claim DB Kindle Vildor off waivers from Bears

The Titans have claimed DB Kindle Vildor off waivers from the Bears.

The Tennessee Titans put in a successful waiver claim on Wednesday, the day after they cut their roster down to the initial 53.

According to the league’s transactions wire, the Titans claimed cornerback Kindle Vildor off waivers from the Chicago Bears, which means he’ll be added to the 53-man roster.

The Titans will need to make a corresponding move, which could come in the form of them simply cutting someone off the roster. Another avenue is placing wide receiver Kyle Philips on injured reserve, if necessary.

A former fifth-round pick of the Bears in 2020, Vildor appeared in 44 games (22 starts) over three seasons, tallying 97 tackles, one sack, 10 passes defensed and one interception.

Vildor surrendered a completion rate of 65.8 percent and a passer rating of 110.1 in coverage last season while posting Pro Football Focus grades of 63.5 in run defense and 58.8 in coverage.

While he has experience playing in the slot, Vildor has mostly lined up outside during his career.

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7 best Bears players who aren’t going to make the 53-man roster

With final roster cuts upon us, here are the best players who probably won’t make the Bears’ initial 53-man roster.

Preseason is in the rearview mirror, and the NFL regular season is less than two weeks away. The small amount of time between is a period of speculation, predictions, and building anticipation for a long 17-game year.

Before we reach that point however, every NFL roster has to be trimmed down to 53 players before the season starts. That means the Chicago Bears have many hard decisions to make in the next 24 hours, as Tuesday is the deadline for roster cuts.

Both the young, talented, but unproven, players and the hardened veterans of the team are not invulnerable to cut day, and players across the spectrum will be bidding Chicago farewell.

With that being said, let’s discuss the seven best Bears players who will be cut on Tuesday.

Note: This list includes players who have already been released.