The Chicago Bears caught a lot of criticism from draft experts last month when they decided to spend their two highest picks on Washington cornerback Kyler Gordon and Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker. Most of the fuss wasn’t made about the players themselves but the fact GM Ryan Poles didn’t use either pick to help quarterback Justin Fields on offense. Be that as it may, the growing buzz out of Halas Hall is that everybody on the defensive side is elated with the two rookies’ arrival. Linebacker Nicholas Morrow is one of them.
He’s gotten a chance to see Gordon and Brisker up close through OTAs thus far. Bears media members asked him about his initial impressions of them. It was here the veteran couldn’t contain a big grin. The two have stood out in a big way thus far, not with their athleticism or hard work, but with actual plays being made. Both of them are doing something this secondary has struggled with for years.
They’re forcing turnovers.
Two interceptions from Gordon. Two forced fumbled from Brisker. That is great stuff to hear, considering it’s only been a few practices thus far. The message head coach Matt Eberflus and his staff want to get across is sticking with them. Play hard, play fast, and go after that football. Takeaways are the bedrock of this defense. Good things tend to follow when the youngest generation is leading the way.
Nicholas Morrow isn’t the excitable type. That much has become true in his interviews going back to his time in Las Vegas. So for him to flash that kind of smile strongly indicates how excited he is about seeing Gordon and Brisker continuing to develop. If they play up to their potential, the Bears’ secondary is situated for years to come along with Jaylon Johnson. It would enable Poles and Eberflus to focus their efforts on the front seven moving forward. This defense could be back to top 10 status within two years with some luck.
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