Despite completely falling apart down the stretch of last season, the Detroit Lions brought back their defensive core for next season. The front office made a bet that a healthier campaign, especially on the defensive side of the ball, could get them to where they want to be. As a result, the Lions' defense will look largely the same except for replacing Carlton Davis with D.J. Reed.
That doesn't mean, however, that there weren't departures on that end of the field. In addition to Davis, veterans like Za'Darius Smith, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Emmanuel Moseley, and Ben Niemann remain unsigned and will likely not be back in Detroit. Another defender who played significant snaps last season, who is no longer in Detroit, is cornerback Kindle Vildor.
Kindle Vildor May Find Himself the Odd Man Out in Crowded Tampa Bay CB Room
Vildor signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the spring. After having a large role with the Lions amid a sea of injuries last season, Vildor earned himself a new contract in Tampa Bay. Yet, he may be out the door before he even suits up for his new team.
The Bucs made it a priority to upgrade their secondary after registering only seven interceptions last season. In addition to Vildor, they used a second-round pick on Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison and a third-round pick on Kansas State CB Jacob Parrish. Considering that they have Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum as their starters, and Tykee Smith will get the nod at nickel, roster spots quickly run out for Vildor.
In fact, in his 53-man roster projection for the Bucs, USA Today's Jason Kanno didn't include Vildor in the cornerback room. Dean, McCollum, Morrison, and Parrish all get the nods, followed by Bryce Hall and Josh Hayes. In order to crack this rotation and beat out one of these six defenders, Vildor has to show a lot more than he did last season during the mandatory minicamp and training camp.
If he doesn't, the former Lions cornerback may find himself looking for a new team before the season starts.