Bears rookie minicamp: Friendship between Gordon, Brisker began before the draft
Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon met several weeks ago when they visited Halas Hall in Lake Forest on the same day.
They were among the Bears' "top 30" visits. During the draft process, each team is allowed to have 30 players visit the facility in the lead up to the draft.
Brisker and Gordon came to Lake Forest on the same day. They didn't know they would soon be teammates in Chicago.
"Having him come in, it's been a lot easier too because I could communicate with him about the plays and then talk to him off the field also," Brisker said.
The Bears are hoping the burgeoning friendship between Brisker, a safety from Penn State drafted 48th overall, and Gordon, a cornerback out of Washington drafted 39th overall, can develop into something that lasts both on and off the field.
It was a little surprising that the Bears drafted two defensive backs with their top picks in last week's draft, but general manager Ryan Poles stuck to his board and took who he viewed as the best players available. Both Brisker and Gordon should be starters come September.
They and all the Bears' rookies were in Lake Forest on Friday for the first practice of their rookie minicamp. The camp runs through Sunday. The roster for the weekend includes all 11 draft picks, 16 undrafted free agents, plus several dozen rookie tryout players.
Head coach Matt Eberflus can already see the potential for his two new defensive backs. Brisker and Gordon will both be key pieces in his 4-3 defensive scheme. He sees it as an advantage that they're coming in and learning the defense together.
"Those guys will have that special bond with each other and they're going to learn it as they go," Eberflus said. "They're certainly both smart guys. They're very intelligent and they're going to work together as they get through the defense. That's going to be exciting to watch."
The veterans are not present for this week's camp, but Gordon said third-year cornerback Jaylon Johnson has reached out to him. They're excited to get to work together in those cornerback spots. Those three players, plus safety Eddie Jackson, figure to be the starting defensive backs in the base defense.
Officially signed: The Bears officially signed 16 undrafted free agents Friday.
That list includes Purdue LB Jaylan Alexander, Iowa State TE Chase Allen, Louisville LB C.J. Avery, Miami CB Amari Carter, Florida OL Jean Delance, Minnesota DT Micah Dew-Treadway, Missouri CB Allie Green IV, Duquesne WR Cyrus Holder, Ole Miss CB Jaylon Jones, Southern Illinois WR Landon Lenoir, Slippery Rock WR Henry Litwin, Wisconsin LB Jack Sanborn, Utah State WR Savon Scarver, Liberty WR Kevin Shaa, Ohio State RB Master Teague and California TE Jake Tonges.
Injury update: Seventh-round pick Elijah Hicks, a safety out of California, was a limited participant during camp Friday and is still recovering from an injury suffered during the college season.
Gordon was dealing with cramps and was limited during the later portions of practice, but is expected to return to action Saturday.
Peanut visits: Legendary Bears cornerback Charles "Peanut" Tillman visited with the rookies Wednesday.
Gordon in particular appreciated the visit. He watched plenty of Tillman's tape when he was at Washington. Defensive backs everywhere study the "Peanut punch" that Tillman was known for. Tillman forced 44 fumbles over the course of his career.
"We always practiced the Peanut punch and then he walked behind us and I was like, 'Damn, that's him,' " Gordon said. "That was cool."
The rookie defensive backs did a punching drill during practice Friday, too. One player punched the ball free and a second defensive back was there to scoop up the fumble.
"I told Charles, pass the word around," Eberflus said. "Talk to the guys. As you know, I texted a bunch of (former Bears) when I got the job. I've talked to several of them. They're all welcome to come in. We would love to see them. And we're excited about having guys like that around in the future."