Training camp is always a valuable time for a team to get itself ready for a season. However, there is only so much players on the same roster can learn from practicing against each other for month. This is a big reason why several teams have begun the tradition of holding joint practices during the preseason against each other. Count the Chicago Bears among those teams.
According to Adam Jahns of The Athletic, the Bears reached an agreement with the Miami Dolphins to hold two joint practices together at Halas Hall ahead of their preseason matchup at Soldier Field on August 14th. This is a great opportunity for Chicago. For one, the Dolphins were a pretty good team last year. Especially on the defensive side of the ball. Brian Flores’ unit will be a perfect education for rookie quarterback Justin Fields as he continues his preparation for the NFL.
This should be fun. I’m told that the Bears will be hosting the Dolphins for a couple joint practices before their preseason game on Aug. 14. They will be at Halas Hall. The Bears’ plans to practice with the Broncos last year were scrapped because of the pandemic.
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) June 28, 2021
The other particular benefit is for the Bears secondary.
Miami made a serious emphasis during their offseason to upgrade their wide receiving corps. Their primary focus was on speed. First by signing veteran Will Fuller and then drafting Jaylen Waddle in the 1st round. Both of them are true burners. That should provide plenty of challenge to the overhauled cornerback position for Chicago after they lost Kyle Fuller and Buster Skrine during the offseason.
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They’ll get a chance to see who is ready to step up in their places among the many competitors including Desmond Trufant, Kindle Vildor, Tre Roberson, Artie Burns and others. That will be a critical evaluation period that could set the stage for the entire season.
Chicago Bears have another benefit to this
Practicing against the Dolphins will also give GM Ryan Pace and his personnel people a chance to see Miami’s players up close. This is a premium opportunity to evaluate certain names that may not end up making the Dolphins’ final roster but might end up being a fit in Chicago. Don’t believe it? They’ve done it before.
In 2016, they had joint practices with the New England Patriots during the preseason. This is what led them to claiming cornerback Cre’Von LeBlanc off waivers from them. The rookie ended up with two interceptions including a pick-six that season. Pace credited those joint practices as a big reason the Bears signed him. Never underestimate the value of getting extra looks at players in a practice setting.
Outside of that? Nagy has a simpler motive.
A desire to avoid too many training camp fights between his players. Something that is a commonality every year. A byproduct of guys going head-to-head in a physical setting every day for weeks. Giving them a chance to mix it up with new faces should keep things a bit more calm while not losing any valuable reps. The same goes for the players on the other side. That is why such practices are mutually beneficial.
It will be interesting to see what reports come out of Halas Hall during those two days. It figures to be educational if nothing else.