Switchup at Corner in Order for Bears?

Second-round draft pick Kyler Gordon didn't play left cornerback in rookie minicamp, as was expected, and it could mean the Bears have something else in mind for him.

The Bears could have more in mind for their secondary besides plugging in first draft pick Kyler Gordon at the left cornerback spot where Kindle Vildor played much of last year before being benched.

At the first rookie minicamp practice Friday, the second-round pick from Washington lined up at right cornerback. This is where Jaylon Johnson has played the past two years.  

If they were planning on playing Gordon at left cornerback, a rookie minicamp where Gordon was easily the best cornerback on the field seemed a good time to start him out learning the position he'd  eventually be playing in theNFL.

"I'm cool to play wherever, really," Gordon said.

Perhaps the Bears could continue moving Johnson around to the side where the opponent's top receiver lines up, as they did frequently in the second half of last season. Or they could just line Johnson up at left cornerback.

They could even consider playing one of those two in the slot because both have good quickness. Gordon has some experience with this, but either way he says he's ready.

"I feel pretty prepare, very prepared coming from Washington just like everything that they taught me in the way that I prepare myself game to game and person to person and just every, every category," Gordon said. "So I just know that that transition from my preparation, transition is the same thing I'm going to carry over to the NFL, and then while adding more tools and more stuff that I can learn so I feel pretty good about going in there, and shaking things up for sure."

Slot would be a different challenge but not necessarily physically.

"I guess just learning the terminology, but that's going to come quick, I feel like, or know," Gordon said. "I like nickel, so I don't find it very challenging. I just gotta do my job really. So, I'm just excited."

If they did this, it might call into question what they plan to do with veteran Tavon Young. It was Young who signed as a free agent from Baltimore, after he had been a slot cornerback most of the time. He did play on the outside a bit, as well.

Young had been plagued by injuries throughout his Ravens career.

"When the guy has history, you always worry about certain things," coach Matt Eberflus said. "But I do believe that he's a true pro and he takes care of himself and I think that health is ... sometimes things happen in the course of a game that you can't control. You have to control the things you can, right? So getting your body right in practice, getting your body right through the games. He has to continue to do that."

Gordon had to leave the field in his first Bears practice but only because of leg cramps that started to bother him after a pass breakup over the middle. Eberflus expects him back for Saturday's practice.

He wasn't the only defensive back with a health issue.

Seventh-round draft pick Elijah Hicks was on the field for a slower drill in practice without a helmet on, and then didn't participate in the seven-on-seven or 11-on-11 portion.

Eberflus didn't want to disclose his injury but mentioned it.

"We're not going to really get into injuries this time of year," Eberflus said. "With Elijah, when he's ready to go, he'll get back in there. I'm not going to put timetables on it and all that. He'll work through that."

The biggest defensive plays of the first practice were made in the secondary but with the second group on the field. 

Ohio State's running back-turned-undrafted cornerback Demario McCall did a pick-6 against quarterback Drew Plitt on a slant route. 

The secondary couldn't prevent Liberty's Kevin Shaa from making the catch of practice, as  he pulled down a deep ball from Ryan Willis against a double-team.

However, undrafted Missouri cornerback Allie Green IV showed up big with a couple of pass breakups.

"I liked him," Eberflus said, after being reminded who wore jersey No. 31. "I liked him. I wrote his number down a bunch today.

"We're evaluating a bunch of guys, but we'll keep evaluating his skillset, you know? We'll look at it and he's certainly somebody we've got our eye on, for sure."

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