‘Yoda’ in the house: Rod Marinelli a welcome guest at Bears minicamp

Matt Eberflus has steering clear of becoming major-handed about the defense he will be rebuilding as mentor of the Bears. It’ll have his stamp on it, but he has all but handed in excess of the day-to-working day reins to defensive coordinator Alan Williams.

Eberflus turned to one more former coach this 7 days to aid point that defense in the appropriate direction, and he couldn’t have picked a better one particular — former Bears defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, who was a guest at veteran minicamp Tuesday and will communicate to the staff Wednesday.

Marinelli’s qualifications as 1 of the finest defensive line coaches in the NFL more than the very last two decades are effectively-established — with the Buccaneers (1996-2005), the Bears (2010-12) and the Cowboys (2013-19).

He and Eberflus overlapped as Cowboys placement coaches from 2013-17.

As was obvious with the Bears, there might not be an NFL place coach whose gamers swear by him more than Marinelli’s gamers, who have experienced a Yoda-like reverence for him.

“I spent 5 many years with him in Dallas and I can’t say more than enough excellent items about Rod Marinelli,” Eberflus claimed. “What he taught me with the player-mentor romance — to be ready to exhibit the participant that you treatment through motion. And to get ready the player to play his most effective on Sunday.

“And then you’re able to obstacle them and thrust them earlier the place they can not consider on their own, and which is what I learned from Rod. Everybody who talks about him just enjoys him to demise. I know when he was [with the Bears] he pushed the guys past the issue they couldn’t acquire them selves and that’s what I figured out from him. He’s a diamond in the tough, Rod Marinelli.”

Maintain that line

Rookie left deal with Braxton Jones remained with the 1st crew in apply, following to left guard Cody Whitehair, heart Lucas Patrick, correct guard Sam Mustipher and suitable deal with Larry Borom.

Teven Jenkins, the 2021 next-round draft choose envisioned to start out at either tackle place, remained with the next staff. But Eberflus stated the offensive line continues to be a fluid condition.

“We’re going to complete camp with this alignment,” Eberflus claimed, “and then we’ll decide, ‘We like this alignment, that alignment or [we] never like both a person — let us go with a new a person.’ ”

Requested if Jenkins or Borom could transfer to right guard, Eberflus explained, “All combos are open up. We’re just trying to come across the finest five.”

Dozier injured

Guard Dakota Dozier remaining the area on a cart just after suffering an personal injury late in apply. Per his offseason policy, Eberflus did not remark on the extent of the injuries.

Hoopla machine

The huge receiver space statistically is the the very least attained group in the NFL. But the chief of that group, third-12 months wideout Darnell Mooney, gave a ringing endorsement of rookie Velus Jones, the speedster from Tennessee who was drafted in the third round (71st over-all).

“I appreciate the room,” Mooney said. “There are a good deal of guys that are going to bring some good factors to the desk. Velus, male — when he will get the ball, y’all are going to see. He can fly. He can be a playmaker for confident for us.”

Gordon out

Cornerback Kyler Gordon, the Bears’ initially-spherical draft decide, did not participate —though he was in attendance and operating on an training bike. Eberflus did not appear involved about the undisclosed injury.

“He’s undertaking great, “Eberflus reported. “He’s carrying out magnificent.”