The New England Patriots announced on March 23 that they have signed tackle James Hudson III as a free agent and cornerback Kindle Vildor as an unrestricted free agent from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team also reported the release of quarterback Joshua Dobbs. Terms of the contracts for Hudson and Vildor were not disclosed.
These roster changes are significant for the Patriots as they adjust their lineup ahead of upcoming games. The addition of two experienced players is expected to bolster both offensive and defensive positions.
James Hudson III, age 26, has played five seasons in the National Football League with teams including the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants. He entered the league as a fourth-round draft pick by Cleveland in 2021 after playing college football at Cincinnati. Over his career, he has appeared in 60 games with 19 starts—14 at right tackle and five at left tackle. Last season with the Giants, he played in 11 games with two starts at left tackle before being released earlier this month.
Kindle Vildor, age 28, brings six years of NFL experience to New England following stints with several teams: Chicago Bears, Tennessee Titans, Detroit Lions, and most recently Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Drafted by Chicago in the fifth round in 2020 out of Georgia Southern University, Vildor has participated in 80 regular season games (27 starts), accumulating a total of 135 tackles, two interceptions, eighteen passes defensed and one forced fumble. He also brings postseason experience with five playoff appearances (four starts). In his latest season for Tampa Bay he recorded sixteen tackles along with one interception across twelve games.
Quarterback Joshua Dobbs was released after joining New England last year from San Francisco as an unrestricted free agent. Dobbs has spent nine seasons across multiple NFL franchises including Pittsburgh Steelers (his original team), Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans (where he started some games), Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco Forty-Niners before coming to New England for four appearances last season where he completed seven out of ten passes for sixty-five yards.
