COSTA MESA, Calif. -- Good friends from their time coaching together with the Dallas Cowboys in 2005 -- when Anthony Lynn served as the running backs coach and Sean Peyton coached quarterbacks -- Lynn's Los Angeles Chargers and Payton's New Orleans Saints will square off in joint practices on Thursday and Friday.

Lynn said the teams will compete in a fully-padded practice on Thursday and no pads on Friday, before meeting on the field in the second preseason game on Sunday at the StubHub Center.

"I know what type of coach he is," Lynn said of Payton. "I know his players are going to respect him. They come in here, and we're going to have two clean practices. Sean and I worked together in Dallas, and we've known each other forever."

Drew Brees (9) is among those with ties to the Chargers who will be on the New Orleans sideline during this week's joint practices. Jeff Lewis/USA TODAY Sports

The Chargers already scrimmaged against their crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Rams twice earlier in training camp. Things got chippy during the second joint scrimmage, when three fights broke out resulting in two players being dismissed from the practice.

However, the joint practices have been a good evaluation tool for Lynn and the rest of his coaching staff, providing more opportunities to assess players in a game-like atmosphere against someone other than their own team.

"They'll be good," Lynn said. "Sean and I, we have a good plan -- good situations we want to get through and see how guys compete against one another. It'll be good. We're looking forward to it."

The Chargers also will see some familiar faces when the Saints arrive on Thursday. Drew Brees, a former second-round pick of the Chargers in 2001 who played five seasons for the team, remains the unquestioned leader of the Saints' offense.

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And linebacker Manti Te'o, a second-round selection in 2013 by the Chargers who struggled to stay on the field for them because of nagging injuries, is working to earn a roster spot on New Orleans' defense.

Saints tight end John Phillips played for the Chargers from 2013 to 2015.

Saints linebackers coach Mike Nolan served in the same role with the Chargers in 2015. And New Orleans offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael served as a wide receivers coach for the Chargers from 2003 to 2005.

Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said he looks forward to watching his players battle against Brees.

"When you talk about trying to mature as a defense, here we're going against Russell (Wilson) and Drew and Philip (Rivers) every day," Bradley said. "So it's really a great environment for that."