After a couple weeks of learning under new head coach Ben Johnson and his coaching staff, the Bears will enter a critical next stage of training camp as they continue their roster evaluation process.

The team will hold its first set of joint practices Friday when it hosts the Miami Dolphins at Halas Hall before Chicago’s preseason opener Sunday at Soldier Field. The Bears will also host the Buffalo Bills for a joint practice a week later on Aug. 15 before their game on Aug. 17.

Teams have scheduled more joint practices before their preseason games over the past few years as ways to learn more about their rosters. The Bears hosted the Cincinnati Bengals last preseason and practiced against the Indianapolis Colts for two practices in 2023.

Johnson has emphasized the value he’ll put in the joint practices since the team hired him in January. Over that time, Johnson said the coaching staff will put a lot of weight into the practices as they make roster decisions.

“It will be good for us to see that speed and just a little bit of a different style of offense and defense,” Johnson said of the Dolphins. “And same thing with Buffalo. You talk about a team that is perennial Super Bowl contender right now with Buffalo. So, really good talent, and I think it’ll be a good measure for where we’re at as a unit.”

So what can Johnson and Bears general manager Ryan Poles learn during these joint practices? Here are some of the top storylines to watch.

How does Caleb Williams look?

The biggest matchup the Bears will likely be watching in their joint practices is how the offense looks against a new defense. Primarily how quarterback Caleb Williams looks.

Much of the first part of Williams’ camp has been spent developing his pre-snap process. Bears coaches have evaluated how Williams handles receiving the play call from Johnson, how he communicates it to his teammates and how Williams manages the different movements and shifts in Johnson’s offense.

Williams has shown progress in that regard compared to when training camp started. Johnson hasn’t had to stop plays as much as he did at the start of camp because he didn’t like the way the offense came out of a huddle. But there have still been moments where there are issues that led to delay of game and false start penalties.

The Dolphins should give Williams and the offense a good test. Not only will he get a chance to try to make plays against a new defense, but Bears coaches will see how Williams diagnoses what he sees at the line of scrimmage and how he reacts after the snap.

“You get to play a different scheme than against our guys,” Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said. “We play against our guys all the time. We get pretty used to how they play certain things. It’s a lot better for the quarterbacks, the wideouts, everybody, the [offensive line], picking up different pressure and things like that. The variety of those joint practices is really valuable.”

Can the Bears create pressure?

Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen hasn’t held back against his own offense two weeks into training camp, pressuring it with different fronts. Now Allen will see whether that pressure can land against other teams.

It’s a major question for a defensive line that struggled to create much havoc for opposing quarterbacks last season. The Bears finished middle of the pack in the NFL with 40 sacks as it failed to offer much support to the team’s top pass rusher Montez Sweat.

A successful pass rush will be essential to Allen’s defense succeeding. If the secondary can play “sticky” man-to-man coverage as it has during camp, it will be hard for opposing quarterbacks to find open receivers before the pocket collapses.

The Bears defense has created plenty of pressure early on with its different formations. Returning players like Sweat, cornerback Kyler Gordon, safety Jaquan Brisker and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds have all shown they can make an impact in the new defense. Newcomers like defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo have also made strong impressions.

The defense should get a good test Friday as to whether that early success will translate to other teams. The Dolphins allowed 43 sacks last season, according to Statmuse, 15th in the NFL.

Although they won’t be allowed to sack the quarterback, the defense was excited to test their skills against someone new.

“They can be a little chippy, they can be intense,” Odeyingbo said of the joint practices. “You’re kind of defending your home turf, especially in this situation. They can be a little chippy. Everybody is excited to get to go against someone else and someone you’re not trying to look out for because it’s not your teammate.”

How does the offensive line protect Williams?

One of the biggest investments Poles made over the offseason was revamping his offensive line. He traded for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, signed center Drew Dalman and selected tackle Ozzy Trapilo in the second round of this year’s draft.

Now Poles will get a first look into how that investment could pay off.

The offensive line has held its own against the Bears’ defense at times over the first two weeks and has shown signs of improvement over the past few days. Jackson has missed some time due to a leg injury, but the unit has stayed mostly consistent.

“It will be good for us to see that speed and just a little bit of a different style of offense and defense. And same thing with Buffalo. You talk about a team that is perennial Super Bowl contender right now with Buffalo. So, really good talent and I think it’ll be a good measure for where we’re at as a unit.”

—  Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears head coach

But the Bears are looking forward to going against a different defensive front to mix things up.

“It’s more so you get the same looks and the same feel from every player,” right tackle Darnell Wright said. “You kind of want to practice, compete a little bit.”

The biggest evaluation will take place at left tackle. Returning starter Braxton Jones, Trapilo and Kiran Amegadjie have all been competing for the starting spot and sharing snaps at left tackle with the first team. Amegadjie has been injured with a leg injury that’s kept him off the field since Thursday.

How the tackles perform Friday could determine who becomes the leader for the starting job.