Chicago Bears: Second joint practice with Denver Broncos revealed plenty
The Chicago Bears had their second joint practice with the Denver Broncos on Thursday in Colorado. Here are some highlights from the eventful afternoon.
The Chicago Bears were in Englewood, Colorado for the second day in a row on Thursday, ready to get some reps in with the Denver Broncos again. The teams are hoping to improve on their subpar records from last season, as both the Bears and Broncos finished 5-11 after disappointing performances.
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Da Windy City’s Patrick Sheldon had a great recap with the good, the bad, and the ugly during Wednesday’s practice. I thought I’d follow suit for Thursday’s practice. While there were some similarities with what stood out from both practices, I’ve also singled out a couple different moments that caught my eye.
The Bears and Broncos are poised to square off in a preseason game on Saturday that will likely see much more playing time for the starters of both teams. These joint practices were a good way to get what could be a preview of this preseason action. Let’s get started.
The Good
Thursday’s joint practice was still one of the first times that Bears rookie linebacker Roquan Smith has been in pads for the team. After a lengthy holdout over a contract dispute, Smith finally reported to training camp on Monday.
During Thursday’s joint practice with the Broncos, Smith was still with the second team defense as he was on Wednesday. The coaches weren’t looking for him to set the world on fire, but wanted to see some hustle and improvement from the man who would be calling the plays with the second unit.
Related Story. Bold predictions for Roquan Smith this year. light
Smith didn’t lead the second team during the whole practice, but he definitely broke the huddle with the play call more than a few times. He continues to show improvement and get back into football shape. While coach Matt Nagy wouldn’t commit to whether or not Smith would play on Saturday, he said he liked what he saw from Smith on the field and from the film of Wednesday’s practice. Via WGN:
"The reps that he got I thought there were some plays where he showed some flashes of speed, cutting down angles and the instincts. I thought his instincts showed up."
In just his second practice with the Bears, Smith seems to be catching on nicely, and hopefully we will see him Saturday night.