Vildor (ankle) has been participating in the Bears' offseason program, Josh Schrock of NBC Sports reports.
Vildor missed the end of last season with an ankle injury, but his ability to practice of late demonstrates that he has moved past the issue. In 2022, the 25-year-old registered 34 tackles (21 solo) and one interceptions in 11 games while serving as the Bears' starting slot corner and will now compete for the same role ahead of the upcoming campaign.
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Bears' Kyler Gordon: Embracing nickel position
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Gordon said Wednesday that he's fully embracing a role as the Bears' nickel cornerback in 2023, Mark Grote of 670TheScore.com reports.
Gordon had a successful rookie campaign, posting 71 tackles, three interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He rotated between the slot and outside cornerback spots last year, but he looks like he'll be playing primarily inside in Year 2, meaning that rookie second-round pick Tyrique Stevenson may be the favorite for the starting spot opposite Jaylon Johnson. Moving inside will likely put Gordon in positions to make more impact plays, which should bode well for his IDP production.
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Ravens' Angelo Blackson: Reaches deal with Baltimore
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Blackson and the Ravens agreed on a contract Wednesday, Jonas Shaffer of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
Blackson will head to Baltimore after spending the last two seasons in Chicago, with whom he recorded 65 tackles, 2.5 sacks and an interception over 32 games. The 30-year-old will likely slot in as a depth option behind the likes of Michael Pierce (biceps) and Travis Jones as an interior defensive lineman.
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Bears' Jaylon Johnson: Recovered from hand injury
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Coach Matt Eberflus said Johnson (finger) is fully recovered and "good to go" but is not participating in OTAs, ESPN's Courtney Cronin reports.
One would have to assume Johnson's absence from OTAs is contract related, as he's headed into the final year of his rookie deal that is set to pay him just $2.993 million in 2023. Chicago's No. 1 corner, Johnson is likely sitting out the voluntary part of the offseason program while seeking an extension.
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Bears' Eddie Jackson: Not present at OTAs
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Jackson (foot) wasn't present Tuesday at OTAs, but head coach Matt Eberflus said the safety is progressing in his rehab and expected back soon, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.
Jackson continues to rehab from a Lisfranc injury that ended his 2022 campaign and is trending in the right direction. "All I can say is that [Jackson is] progressing along where [he's] supposed to be and it's all positive," Eberflus said. "We expect [him] back soon."
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Bears' Noah Sewell: Goes to Windy City
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The Bears selected Sewell in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 148th overall.
Sewell was a highly touted prospect coming out of high school and led Oregon in tackles both his freshman and sophomore year. The 22-year-old dropped off dramatically his junior year despite never missing a game due to injury. Essentially a throwback, hard-hitting interior linebacker, Sewell should get ample opportunity to compete for a starting spot with Jack Sanborn.
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Bears' Zacch Pickens: Added by Chicago in third round
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The Bears selected Pickens in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 64th overall.
Pickens (6-foot-4, 291 pounds) is big by defensive end standards but light compared to most tackles, making him a bit of a tweener who might fit best in odd-numbered fronts. Pickens' production was lacking at South Carolina otherwise, but his 4.89 40-yard dash and 116-inch broad jump indicate uncommon disruptive potential for one-gap tasks.
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Bears' Tyrique Stevenson: Goes to Chicago in second round
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The Bears selected Stevenson in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 56th overall.
Stevenson (6-feet, 198 pounds) is a very big corner out of Miami (FL), but one whose athleticism ranks high even at his dimensions. In addition to the sturdy frame, Stevenson boasts standout reach (32 and 3/8-inch arms) and 4.45 speed, offering a prototypical combination of size and athleticism that could allow him to potentially emerge as Chicago's eventual CB1.
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Bears' Gervon Dexter: On to Windy City
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The Bears selected Dexter in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 53rd overall.
Chicago opted to pass on Jalen Carter but was able to circle back and get one of the next-best interior defenders in the class in the second round. Dexter was a five-star recruit out of high school and looked the part at Florida. The 310-pounder had over 50 tackles in each of his final two seasons and wowed at the combine by running 4.88 in the 40-yard dash. His size is such that he can eat up blockers and clog run lanes, but the athleticism adds another element to his game and he could make some disruptive plays in the backfield as well.
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Harrison Hand: Waived by Chicago
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Hand was waived by the Bears on Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Hand now will head to waivers, where he'll try and catch on with another team for the upcoming campaign. The 2020 fifth-round pick logged 12 tackles (nine solo) in four games last season, while spending time on both Chicago's active roster and practice squad.
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Bears' Josh Blackwell: Signs tender with Chicago
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Blackwell signed his one-year tender with the Bears on Monday, Aaron Wilson KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Blackwell, who had been an exclusive rights free agent, now will officially return to Chicago for the 2023 campaign. The 2022 undrafted free agent played both on defense and special teams in 16 games last season and registered 23 tackles (16 solo). Blackwell should have a similar role heading into the upcoming season.
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Bears' Andrew Brown: Staying in Chicago
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Brown signed his one-year tender with the Bears on Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Brown was an exclusive-rights free agent and now will return to Chicago, where he spent the 2022 campaign. The 2018 fifth-round pick recorded only a single tackle in five games played last season and hasn't logged more than three tackles in a year since 2019. Brown will likely serve as a reserve in 2023 and might even find himself battling for a roster spot.
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Steelers' Armon Watts: Signing with Steelers
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Watts' agent, David Canter of GSE Football announced Monday via his personal Twitter account that the defensive lineman agreed to a contract with the Steelers.
Watts racked up 35 tackles for the Bears in 2022, appearing in all 17 games and starting 12. In Pittsburgh, Watts will compete with Breiden Fehoko and Montravius Adams for a starting spot at defensive tackle.
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Browns' Matt Adams: Heads to Cleveland
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The Browns signed Adams on Tuesday.
Adams posted 26 tackles across 10 games for the Bears in 2022, but the majority of his production came over the final seven weeks of the season. The 2018 seventh-round pick started his career with the Colts and worked with current Browns special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone, who held the same title during Adams' time in Indianapolis.
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Eagles' Nicholas Morrow: Inking one-year deal with Eagles
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Morrow is signing a one-year contract with Philadelphia on Tuesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Morrow had a career-high 116 tackles while suiting up for 17 games with the Bears last season, and he now joins an Eagles defense that's lost key linebackers to free agency. In IDP formats, Morrow's landing spot in defensive coordinator Sean Desai's scheme makes him an interesting under-the-radar add.
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Bears' Eddie Jackson: Began running three weeks ago
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Jackson (foot) began running three weeks ago, according to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune.
Jackson battled various nicks and dings last season, missing five games, but his season ended for good after Week 12 due to a Lisfranc injury. He didn't require surgery to fix the issue and still isn't back to 100 percent, but Jackson appears to be trending in the right direction ahead of OTAs. Jackson picked off four passes in 2022, his highest total since he compiled a career-high six interceptions in 2018.
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Al-Quadin Muhammad: Let go by Bears
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The Bears have released Muhammad, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Muhammad ended the 2022 season with 29 tackles, one sack and a forced fumble across 17 games. He played an even timeshare with Trevis Gipson, as neither player was ultimately able to earn a larger role. The 27-year-old will now look to bounce back from a relatively disappointing season in 2023 with a new team. He has already played for New Orleans, Indianapolis and Chicago across his six-year career.
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Andre Anthony: Contract with Chicago expires
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Anthony's (undisclosed) contract with the Bears' practice squad expired Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.
Anthony was selected in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, though he was let go as part of the team's final roster cuts in late August before joining up with Chicago's practice squad. The 26-year-old then landed on the practice squad injured list with an undisclosed issue Oct. 2, and he finished out his rookie season on this list. Anthony will look to make his NFL debut heading into the 2023 campaign.
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Bears' Harrison Hand: Set to hit free agency
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Hand didn't post a tackle in the Bears' 29-13 loss to the Vikings in Week 18 and ended the season with three tackles over four games played.
Hand just finished his third year in the league, playing a total of 27 games and recording 25 tackles. He'll be an unrestricted free agent and try to compete for a roster spot in 2023.
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Bears' Breon Borders: No stats in 2022
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Borders didn't see the field for the Bears during the 2022 season.
Borders finished his seventh year in the league, playing 31 games with five different teams and recording 42 tackles. He's now an unrestricted free agent who will hope to battle for a roster spot in 2023.
