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For Chicago Bears, work with Colts can only help

For the first time since 2004, the Bears will practice against another team, and coach John Fox sees plenty of upside to working against the Indianapolis Colts.

The two teams will practice Aug. 19 and 20, prior to their Week 2 preseason game Aug. 22 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

"Anytime you can butt it up to playing a game, getting down to Indy early, (it's a positive)," Fox said. "I know (Colts coach) Chuck Pagano pretty well. I know his staff. I know how they operate.

"It's an excellent team to work against. They're a playoff team. They're talented."

The practices will be at the Colts' training complex, the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center on the northwest side of Indianapolis but are closed to the public.

"At that stage of camp, guys get a little bit tired of banging on each other and, in my experience, it's (getting) a little chippy at that point," Fox said. "So it's kind of nice timing to move on and work against somebody else."

The Bears break training camp at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais on Aug. 16. After the Colts game, they continue their preseason preparation back at Halas Hall, leading up to the Sept. 13 regular-season opener against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field.

The Bears last practiced against another team 11 years ago when they traveled to Western Illinois University in Macomb to work with the St. Louis Rams.

Foundation corner(stone):

Soon after John Fox was hired to succeed Marc Trestman, the new head coach identified 2014 first-round cornerback Kyle Fuller as a possible building block for the future.

Seeing Fuller work against Bears wide receivers such as 6-foot-3 Alshon Jeffery and 6-4 Marquess Wilson affirms Fox's confidence in the 5-11, 190-pound Fuller.

"He's a longer, bigger guy at the corner position," Fox said. "We've got some pretty tough matchups here. We've got some pretty good skill guys. I've seen growth, and he's learning our system. I just see him getting better every day."

Fuller fielded some punts during Wednesday's minicamp practice, but Fox cautioned against reading too much into anything.

"It's like all the jobs - they're kind of up in the air," Fox said. "We've got different guys back there doing it. It's a little bit too early to see what's going on in the return game."

Voice of experience:

Defensive end Jarvis Jenkins is just 27, but he's got four years' experience in a 3-4 scheme in Washington, so he's a source of information for younger defensive linemen like 2014 draft picks Will Sutton and Ego Ferguson.

"(It's) just playing big, playing square, using your hands," Jenkins said. The 3-4 is more power with the defensive line. If you're using your hands and playing with leverage, you're going to be a great defensive lineman.

"They've caught on already. Those guys are going to be good."

• Follow Bob's Bears and NFL reports on Twitter@BobLeGere.

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