The Bucs needed to address the cornerback position in free agency and did so on Thursday, the second official day of free agency, with the signing of Kindle Vildor, who played last season with the Lions. But Vildor is not a contender to start. Instead, he’s a veteran reserve cornerback who will play on special teams and challenge the likes of Josh Hayes and Tyrek Funderburk for a roster spot.

The addition of Vildor was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Vildor signed a one-year deal for the veteran salary benefit at $1.17 million, which helps Tampa Bay’s salary cap for the 2025 offseason as his full salary does not count towards the cap. Only $1.03 million counts against the cap and Vildor’s signing bonus is capped at $167,500.

While this is far from the splash signing that fans wanted at the cornerback position, the depth at cornerback was weak and needed to be addressed. Hayes and Funderburk played too far too many games last year when Jamel Dean was out due to injuries, and the coverage in the secondary suffered as a result.

The Bucs also lost reserve defensive back Tavierre Thomas to the Vikings on Wednesday. Thomas was a quality coverage specialist on special teams.

Kindle Vildor Has A History Of Being A Ballhawk, Which Is What Bucs Need

Bucs CB Kindle Vildor – Photo by: USA Today

Bucs head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles has said he wanted more ballhawks on defense this year, especially after the secondary only produced six interceptions in 2024. New cornerback Kindle Vildor only has one interception in the NFL, which came with the Bears, the team that drafted him in the fifth round in 2020. But Vildor had nine interceptions and 24 pass breakups in three seasons at Georgia Southern.

After three years with the Bears, the 5-foot-11, 189-pound Vildor moved on to Tennessee in 2023 but was cut during the season and signed to Philadelphia’s practice squad. After a short stint there, Detroit signed him for the rest of the 2023 season and also again 2024.

Vildor has 30 career starts over his five-year NFL career and is widely regarded as a strong, tough, competitive cornerback. He has totaled 124 tackles, five tackles for loss, 15 pass breakups, one interception, one sack and two forced fumbles in his career.

Vildor has played outside cornerback and special teams during his time in the NFL and will help the Bucs in those areas. Vildor is considered a good tackler and is aggressive and physical in press man coverage at the line of scrimmage.

The addition of Vildor is similar to the signing of Bryce Hall a year ago in Tampa Bay. This is a depth signing meant to improve the talent and competition at the back end of the cornerback position. The Bucs aren’t done at cornerback and could make another signing or two in free agency, and will likely select a cornerback or two in this year’s draft.