Hidden Reason Chicago Bears’ Joint Practicing With Colts Is Ideal
The Chicago Bears didn’t get the opportunity to hold joint practices during the preseason last year. It was primarily due to scheduling conflicts. This time, head coach Matt Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles wanted to ensure they got the opportunity. Joint practices are an excellent way for players to get a feel for a game-type atmosphere in practice. They work against guys other than those they’ve seen day after day for weeks. It is a useful tool to evaluate where a roster is in terms of talent and preparation.
Chicago got its wish, working out an agreement to hold joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts over two days ahead of their preseason showdown in week two. It’s a great opportunity in several ways. Few teams could be better measuring sticks for the newly-built Bears offensive and defensive lines. Indianapolis has proven fronts on both sides of the ball led by All-Pros like Quentin Nelson and DeForest Buckner. They also have a strong receiving corps that can give the Bears’ young secondary some competition.
However, the benefit of those practices runs deeper than some people think.
Chicago Bears will have a great evaluation opportunity.
Start with the two men at the top. Ryan Poles and Chris Ballard both came from Kansas City when they got their GM jobs. So it shouldn’t be a surprise they have similar philosophies when it comes to team-building. Both favor a traits-based approach. They want players with great measurables and top-notch character. Any concerns about polish can be corrected with coaching. This means the Bears would have no issue targeting some of the potential players the Colts may end up cutting.
This is further pushed by the systems Indianapolis runs. Their new head coach Shane Steichen will run a scheme that helped make Jalen Hurts an MVP candidate last season. It only makes sense the Chicago Bears could target some players who experience it because they run something similar around Justin Fields. The same goes for the defense. While coordinator Gus Bradley doesn’t employ the Tampa-2 scheme like Eberflus, he does run a 4-3 alignment.
If the Bears spot any players they like during these practices in August and the Colts cut one of them, they will be well-positioned to take advantage with the top spot in the waiver wire.