New Bears defense coordinator Alan Williams has clarified part of the mystery of how the defense will use rookie quarterback Kyle Gordon, along with the way the flow of power within the defense itself works.
It became apparent at Friday’s start of the rookie mini camp that the Bears were at least considering using Gordon on the right flank, where Jaylon Johnson was playing when he wasn’t burdened with chasing the best receiver across the field.
However, during the post-training press conference, coach Matt Eberflus and Gordon himself could not rule out even spending time at fullback.
“I love nickel, so it’s not a big challenge for me,” Gordon said. “I just really have to do my job. So I’m just excited. I’m cool to play anywhere, really.”
Williams at least resolved the issue by 33% on Saturday, though it is still undecided.
“We’re just going to let him do what he does and we’ll see how he shapes, and then we’re going to give him one thing and that’s out there right now,” Williams said.
“And then we’ll see how much he can and how much we can push him. From now on it will be the outside corner. I’m not sure if it’s left or right. That has yet to be determined and we’ll go from there.”
So at least the cornerback slot can be turned off.
As for the defense itself, Williams is seen by some as the head defense coordinator because his head coach is also the defense coach and they play his scheme.
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“Well, I’m not really sure if that’s the case, and this is in a respectful way, the Eberfluss coach’s defense, really,” Williams said. “I think we all have people from whom we picked up things that we would say he picked up a few things from Rod Marinelli, who used to be here (in Chicago) and a few things from Lovie Smith, and a few things from Tony Dungy.
“And so all those principles are those principles that have been around for a very long time. And I think what Matt did is he worked it out. He put in a few nice acronyms, which helps us all figure out what needs to be done and sounds sexy.”
That would be Eberflus’s HITS principle.
“But the basics of what we’re doing have been around for a long time,” Williams said. “So he was remarkable, which, and what that means, he kind of kept to the side, so I can put my stamp on it, that I can put my personality on it. And, you know, I recommend it to every meeting or every training, he doesn’t look over my shoulder, so (yes) I have to say, ‘Oh, am I doing things right?’ Somehow he shied away and said, ‘Alan, take it, run with it, build it, do it, put your stamp on it.’ And then he, you know, stayed similar to what coach (Tony) Dungy did while he was in Indianapolis. He stayed back. ”
Williams has been a defense coordinator in Indianapolis and Minnesota in the past. In Minnesota, he worked under Leslie Frazier, another head coach of defensive players. With the Colts, Dungy was also the head coach of the defensive players.
In any case, he said that he welcomed Eberflus’s contribution and said that he sometimes received it.
‘He jumped in and offered his expertise or got involved and said,’ Hey, have you thought about this? ‘
“So he was an A-plus in every way about it.”
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