Several Patriots, Bears To Practice Against Former Teams In Training Camp

By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- It's a common occurrence for an NFL player to face his former team in the preseason. In the case of the upcoming joint practices between the Patriots and Chicago Bears, they are all over the field.

Headlining the former Patriots/Bears who switched teams this offseason is tight end Martellus Bennett, whom the Patriots acquired in March along with a 2016 sixth-round pick for a 2016 fourth-round pick. The Bears used the Pats' fourth-round pick to draft safety Deiondre' Hall out of Northern Iowa while the Patriots then traded the sixth-rounder to the Dolphins. Bennett has appeared to enjoy his time in New England so far, turning heads in minicamp drills on the field and quoting Dr. Seuss off it.

SEE ALSO: Martellus Bennett Giving 'Gift Of Imagination' With New Children's Book

Switching teams the other way is mountainous defensive tackle Akiem Hicks, who struggled to fit in with the New Orleans Saints but flourished as a midseason acquisition for the Patriots in 2015. He leveraged his success into a contract with the Bears - and credits the Patriots for helping him showcase his abilities and cash in.

"Being able to get to New England and play something that my body type allows me to do, I think it showed on tape at the end of the day that I could still be effective and I hope that's what [Bears GM] Ryan Pace still saw from me when he brought me here to play this 3-4 end," said Hicks in a press conference at Bears OTAs.

Another former Bear who switched to New England colors in the offseason is linebacker Shea McClellin, who signed a three-year, $9,050,000 contract with the Patriots. The 26-year-old former first-round pick underachieved in four years with the Bears but also moved around the field with his position and played through multiple coaching staffs. The Patriots coveted McClellin at the draft for his versatility and will undoubtedly bring more consistency to his role in the defense. In a May interview with the Boston Globe, McClellin declined to draw any comparisons between the Patriots and Bears organizations.

Also switching from Chicago to New England in the past year is safety Brock Vereen, whom the Bears waived in September of 2015 and the Patriots signed to the practice squad two months later. Brock is the brother of former Patriots running back Shane Vereen.

The Patriots and Bears' joint practices take place on Monday-Tuesday, August 15-16, before the teams square off in preseason action on August 18 at Gillette Stadium.

Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.