Ben Johnson pushed for joint practices this month for obvious reasons. Training camp is essential fr preparing the Chicago Bears for the regular season. However, at a certain point, practicing against the same players every day loses its overall impact. Getting the chance to work against fresh faces is a great way to keep competitiveness high and helps gauge where your team is really at in terms of preparation. There is no question the Bears got plenty of notable information from their work against the Miami Dolphins.
However, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune pointed out that there might've been an additional reason the organization wanted the chance to work in these joint practices.
It got me thinking a little bit. One of the hidden benefits of joint practices is that it gives each front office a clear look at the roster and depth chart of the team it’s working with that day. The Bears claimed nickel cornerback Cre’Von LeBlanc off waivers from the New England Patriots after roster cutdown in 2016. LeBlanc had caught their eye during joint practices with the Patriots in Foxborough, Mass. LeBlanc was a solid depth player for the Bears and Philadelphia Eagles before injuries derailed him.
There is no question GM Ryan Poles would embrace something like this. Any chance to get up-to-date information on players who might be available on the waiver wire is so valuable. There is no doubt there were at least one or two Dolphins players who caught their attention.
The Chicago Bears almost certainly noticed Addison West.
The 6'3, 305 lb guard out of Western Michigan appeared to have a solid practice at Halas Hall. That was followed by a strong preseason performance where he didn't allow a single pressure in 20 pass-blocking snaps and had the second-highest run-blocking grade of any Dolphins offensive lineman. The Chicago Bears are constantly looking for help up front, and the fact that they had West in for a 30 visit a few months ago proves they were already interested. If by some chance Miami tries to sneak him onto the practice squad, the Bears could scoop him up. It's possible others stood out as well. They will have another big opportunity to do the same later this week when they practice with the Buffalo Bills. Don't be shocked if players from both teams end up in Chicago.
