Tag: Kindle Vildor

Bears 2023 NFL draft preview: Where does Chicago stand at CB?

Up next in our Bears draft preview is cornerback, which features a pair of solid young players but could still be improved.

The Chicago Bears have had a busy offseason, working to improve the team following their historic 3-14 run during the 2022 season during general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus’ first year with the team. Now going into Year 2, Poles and Eberflus are working to get the Bears back to relevancy and build a foundation that will eventually lead to postseason success.

Following their free agency frenzy, the Bears are setting their sights towards the 2023 NFL draft, which is quickly approaching. After initially winding up with the No. 1 overall pick, the Bears moved down to No. 9 following a lucrative trade with the Carolina Panthers. They will look to shore up certain positions such as offensive tackle and defensive line that still have glaring holes.

Here at Bears Wire, we’re going position by position to break down where Chicago stands entering the NFL draft. Up next is cornerback, which appears set at two spots but could still use an upgrade in the draft.

Bears 2022 CB review: Jaylon Johnson and young players make strides

Our next Bears position review focuses on the cornerbacks, a group of young players who were tested all season but showed progress.

The Chicago Bears wrapped the 2022 season with a 3-14 record, which culminated in a 10-game losing streak. But there’s still reasons to be optimistic about the future, including a boatload of salary cap space, the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft and the emergence of quarterback Justin Fields.

Here at Bears Wire, we’re going position by position through the 2022 Bears and grading every player. Up next is cornerback, where young players such as Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon made strides throughout the season.

Bears place Jaylon Johnson, Kindle Vildor on IR, activate Khalil Herbert

The Bears are down two top cornerbacks as Jaylon Johnson and Kindle Vildor’s seasons are done.

The Chicago Bears announced that they’ve placed cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kindle Vildor on injured reserve, ending both of their seasons.

The good news? Running back Khalil Herbert has been activated from IR, and he’s expected to make his return to the lineup Saturday against the Buffalo Bills.

Vildor has been battling an ankle injury over the last couple of months, so it’s not a huge surprise. But Johnson landing on IR is a surprise considering he had been saying this week that he expected to play against the Bills, and that appeared to be the indication.

But with Chicago eliminated from postseason contention and nothing at stake, it’s a move that makes sense. And it could certainly help the Bears secure the No. 2 overall pick.

Chicago has now lost its top two defensive backs in Johnson and safety Eddie Jackson, who was placed on season-ending IR with a foot injury a few weeks ago.

With Johnson and Vildor done for the season, that leaves the Bears with rookie Kyler Gordon and undrafted rookies Jaylon Jones and Josh Blackwell. Harrison Hand and Breon Borders, who have been practice squad mainstays, have been signed to active roster.

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Bears stock watch: Who’s up, who’s down following Week 5 loss vs. Vikings

Here’s a look at which Bears players are trending up or down following Sunday’s Week 5 loss against the Vikings.

The Chicago Bears were defeated by the Minnesota Vikings, 29-22, on Sunday, where they dropped to 2-3 on the season.

It was far from a demoralizing loss, especially considering how the Bears battled back from an 18-point deficit to take the lead in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, a fumble prevented Chicago from a chance at victory for the second straight week.

But there were some encouraging (and not-so-encouraging) outings coming out of this game.

Here’s a look at which Bears players are trending up or down following Sunday’s Week 5 loss against the Vikings.

7 Takeaways from the Bears’ close loss to the Vikings

From Justin Fields’ development to the disappearance of the Bears defensive vets, here are our takeaways from Sunday’s loss to the Vikings.

The Chicago Bears played two games in one on Sunday when they faced off against the Minnesota Vikings. The first half felt like going back in time to the Marc Trestman days as the Vikings drove up and down the field, playing perfect offense to score 21 points and seemingly bury the Bears 21-3 late in the first half.

But Chicago dug out of a deep hole, clawing their way back to make things interesting thanks to a rejuvenated offense led by Justin Fields and a defense that finally clamped down on the Vikings. The Bears scored 22 unanswered points to lead 22-21, but a late Vikings score and a costly turnover ended any hope of sealing the comeback win. Minnesota won 29-22 to improve to 3-1 while the Bears fell below .500 for the first time this season at 2-3.

It was a roller coaster of a game that elicited strong emotions, both positive and negative. Here are our takeaways from Sunday’s game.

7 Takeaways from the Bears’ preseason finale victory vs. Browns

From Justin Fields’ return to Cleveland to Kindle Vildor’s surprising play, here are our takeaways from the Bears’ preseason finale win.

Preseason games usually leave football fans wanting more, but it’s fair to say Chicago Bears fans are happy with what they saw from their team as they put a bow on the offseason. The Bears defeated the Cleveland Browns 21-20 but it’s what the starting offense showed that has people talking.

Quarterback Justin Fields was masterful in his return to Cleveland, completing 14-of-16 passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns. His quarterback rating was 146.9, just shy of perfection. The Bears jumped out to a 21-0 lead and held it until the final seconds after the Browns reserves made a late comeback that fell short.

This game was a dress rehearsal for head coach Matt Eberflus and it appears his team is ready for opening day in two weeks. He should have a lot to be happy about when looking at the tape because there was a lot to takeaway from this game. Speaking of takeaways, here are ours from Saturday’s preseason finale.

Bears injury, absence updates from Day 9 of training camp

The Bears had a laundry list of players sidelined for Saturday’s practice, including Byron Pringle, Kyler Gordon and Velus Jones Jr.

The Chicago Bears returned to the practice field on Saturday for their ninth training camp practice, and there were a number of notable absences.

Let’s start at wide receiver, where some of the team’s top wideouts are nursing injuries. Byron Pringle is dealing with a quad injury that’s considered more than day-to-day. Matt Eberflus said there’s no timetable for his return, but he doesn’t expect it to carry into the regular season.

Wide receiver N’Keal Harry left Saturday’s practice early with an apparent left leg injury. Harry was tackled by safety Eddie Jackson and linebacker Nicholas Morrow during the start of a team period. He had difficulty putting any weight on his leg and was helped to the locker room.

Now, on to the rookies. Cornerback Kyler Gordon, wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. and offensive tackle Braxton Jones are sidelined with undisclosed injuries that are considered day-to-day.

The Bears were already without cornerbacks Gordon, Kindle Vildor and Duke Shelley on Friday, and they remained sidelined on Saturday with undisclosed injuries. Also sidelined was defensive tackle Angelo Blackson, wide receiver Dante Pettis and tight end James O’Shaughnessy.

Offensive tackle Teven Jenkins did return to practice after missing seven straight practices with an undisclosed injury. He participated only in individual drills as he’ll look to ramp-up before getting back into the competition for a starting tackle job.

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Bears injury, absence updates from Day 8 of training camp

Bears rookie CB Kyler Gordon is among the players not practicing on Friday. And, surprise, Teven Jenkins missed his seventh practice.

The Chicago Bears returned to the practice field on Friday for their eighth training camp practice, where the pads on are for the third straight workout.

While offensive tackle Teven Jenkins has missed his seventh straight practice, there were some other notable absences and apparent injuries.

The Bears have a long list of players who aren’t practicing on Friday, including several cornerbacks. Rookie Kyler Gordon, Kindle Vildor and Duke Shelley aren’t participating, which is concerning given the team is already without Thomas Graham Jr., who’s nursing a hamstring injury.

Defensive end Robert Quinn, defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga, tight end James O’Shaughnessy, wide receiver Dante Pettis and linebacker C.J. Avery were also not practicing.

Center Lucas Patrick remains sidelined with a right hand injury, and linebacker Roquan Smith remains on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

The good news? Defensive tackle Angelo Blackson and rookie tight end Chase Allen returned to practice after missing a few days.

Follow along with live updates from the eighth practice of Bears training camp below:

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Winners and losers after first week of Bears training camp

The Chicago Bears have already completed over a week of training camp and a few players are standing out, both positively and negatively.

The Chicago Bears have already completed over one week of training camp at Halas Hall and a few players are standing out, both positively and negatively.

There’s still a long way to go until the final roster is set and preseason games have yet to get underway, but here are the winners and losers at this point during camp for the Bears.

Bears experimenting with different cornerback combinations

Are the Bears better with Jaylon Johnson-Kyler Gordon-Tavon Young or Johnson-Kindle-Vildor-Gordon? That’s what they’re trying to figure out.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus has made it clear that he’s experimenting with different combinations at multiple positions. While the offensive line has dominated headlines, we’re starting to see the same happening in the secondary.

At this point, it’s clear that cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and rookie Kyler Gordon will be starters when the season kicks off. Johnson will be CB1 on the outside, but it’s Gordon’s role that’s still being determined.

Since the start of training camp, Gordon has been splitting reps between the outside and in the slot. Given he played both positions in college, the coaches want to see where he fits best — but also how that would impact a starting groping.

According to The Athletic, Gordon played almost exclusively at nickel cornerback during Monday’s practice. The combination featured Jaylon Johnson and Kindle Vildor on the outside with Gordon in the slot.

For Eberflus, he’s trying to find the right combination of players — which goes for every position. But the question is whether the secondary is better off with a grouping of Johnson and Gordon on the outside with Tavon Young in the slot or Johnson and Vildor outside and Gordon at nickel.

“It’s like a puzzle,” Eberflus said. “You’re trying to fit it together and put the best guys out there, and is this combination of corners better than this combination? You also have to look up matchup, so that’s a week-to-week thing. Sometimes it might look different week to week, where it’s based on a matchup situation we like, and then by down and distance. You might like a certain matchup better on third down in two-minute than you do on first or second down. So that’s all-encompassing.”

That evaluation should ramp up once the pads come on this week. There are several factors at play. It’s not just a matter of where Gordon fits best — because he’s flashing in both positions. But is the cornerback grouping better with Young in the slot or Vildor on the outside. It’s something the coaching staff will have to figure out over the next several weeks.

Unfortunately, Chicago hasn’t gotten a look at another option in Thomas Graham Jr., who’s missed the last several practices with a hamstring injury.

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