The Patriots went into this year's free agency not needing much help in their secondary, as cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III are expected to remain the 1-2 punch, and the team already signed Kevin Byard III in the first wave of free agent signings. What was lacking, however, was depth, especially after Alex Austin and Jaylinn Hawkins signed with other teams.
That inevitably led Mike Vrabel to reunite with a player from his days as the Titans' head coach to bolster the remaining weak point in the secondary.
Cornerback Kindle Vildor was announced to have signed a one-year deal with New England on Thursday, adding the depth needed in the secondary, while also adding more special teams experience, which has become a bigger priority this offseason.
The Patriots are attacking their roster at all angles through free agency so far
While there are certainly bigger voids on the Patriots' current roster than at cornerback, adding depth is almost as crucial as finding your next starting. Not having the proper backups has become a problem for the team over the last five years, across all positions, and they certainly can't afford to lose out on solid depth pieces to adequately prepare for all potential scenarios.
They'll now have Vildor added to the cornerback room, which is significant, but his special teams experience might become more valuable.
They are far from having an established special teams group, particularly at returner, and although that's not something Vildor does, he can provide stability that they're currently lacking on the third team.
His versatility makes him the ultimate Patriot, and his familiarity with not only Vrabel but also Terrell Williams from his time in Detroit makes Vildor an even more intriguing addition. He has the experience to help boost the cornerback group and the secondary, while also bringing a veteran voice to an improving special teams unit.