So long Denver, Go long Hester

[Wesson44]

Jay Cutler to Devin Hester: Already in sync

Chicago Bears combo hit stride quickly

David Haugh | On the Bears

June 4, 2009

One play into Wednesday's full-team Bears scrimmage session confirmed the most interesting bit of progress at Halas Hall still three months before the 2009 season-opener.

 

Jay Cutler glided back into a seven-step drop, set his feet in a pocket protected by left tackle Orlando Pace, and peered downfield where wide receiver Devin Hester had gotten a step on his defender.

 

For aesthetic purposes, ignore for a moment that cornerback Zack Bowman was limited in how physical he could get with Hester in this non-contact drill.

 

But that is beside the point.

 

The point that will be driven home whenever the Bears offense takes the field from now until September came in the way Cutler's arching spiral hit Hester in stride and landed gently in his hands. And the way Hester kept running to the end zone like it was a play he would go home and watch on "SportsCenter."

 

All Hester had to do was get a step. The ball was there, easily within reach, right where the playbook said it should be. All he had to do was catch it, tuck it and run with that rare speed of his.

 

When the Bears keep saying they have confidence in their rather pedestrian corps of wide receivers, this is why. When general manager Jerry Angelo continues to espouse the theory that the quarterback makes the receiver, and not the other way around, this is why.

 

"As good as advertised," tight end Desmond Clark said of Cutler.

 

But that was not the only thing obvious on display Wednesday during Organized Team Activities.

 

1Pisa Tinoisamoa will have to earn his starting job at strong-side linebacker.

 

Linebackers coach Bob Babich wanted to make one point perfectly clear.

 

" Nick Roach is the starting [strong-side linebacker] and there's competition," Babich said. "We feel good no matter who ends up starting at that position."

 

Tinoisamoa has more experience than Roach and, based on his first six seasons in the league with the Rams, projects as a better player. But the Bears will work him along slowly -- there's no hurry -- and let the matter become clearer during the preseason as it should be.

 

Tinoisamoa reflected the delicate nature of the competition when he addressed how Roach and injured former starter Hunter Hillenmeyer, whom Roach beat out last year, welcomed him.

 

"They've been super generous and nice to me ... but I don't think it's right for me to say something about the situation," Tinoisamoa said.

 

2Suddenly, linebacker might be the Bears' deepest position.

 

Babich almost couldn't contain himself pointing out Jamar Williams -- remember him -- has intercepted three passes in the five previous days. Williams is the perennial backup to Lance Briggs who never has gotten a fair shot to prove himself as a starter in three NFL seasons -- and barring injury won't get a chance in his fourth. But Williams is good enough to start on many NFL teams.

 

Add Roach and Hillenmeyer, who didn't practice because he still is recovering from surgery to repair a sports hernia, and that's a No. 2 linebacking corps full of guys who each have starting experience. Rookie Marcus Freeman also looks like a keeper, perhaps clouding the future of '08 draft pick Joey LaRocque.

 

3Tight end might be the second-deepest position.

 

No Bears receiver may benefit more from the Cutler Effect than tight end Greg Olsen, who must consider 75 receptions and 10 touchdown catches a realistic goal. Reliable veteran Clark still can get open downfield and showed off his good hands during a nice catch during team drills. Then there's newly signed free-agent Michael Gaines, the imposing third tight end who looked like he was wearing shoulder pads Wednesday and should make third-and-short much less daunting this season.

 

4Josh Bullocks is the team's most experienced safety and means business.

 

Don't assume Bullocks was switched quietly to strong safety from the free safety spot he has primarily played during his first four NFL seasons simply to supply depth. The way Bullocks sees it, he is there to challenge returning starter Kevin Payne -- who's a big hitter but still could improve his feel for the game.

 

"Me learning strong safety is actually going to pay big dividends for me in the long run," Bullocks said.

 

As the Bears search for the right safety combination among Craig Steltz, Corey Graham, Payne and Bullocks, Bullocks' 49 NFL starts can't be overlooked.

 

5The atmosphere is back.

 

The novelty of Cutler's first public practice two weeks ago hadn't worn off. It was June 3, but the energy and excitement level of a typically mundane practice was palpable. One player compared it to spring football at a big-time college football program. The players feel the buzz and discuss the anticipation level of training camp. The anticipation level of training camp. Which is only 57 days away, if you're counting.

[AZ54]

Nobody has asked Hester if he can out-run Cutler's arm, nobody has asked Cutler if he thinks Hester can out-run his passes. That's really a nonsense statement but I put it down just to make the point that we saw that quite a bit last year from Orton. So far in the OTA's nobody has indicated any issues like that at all. This is going to be a huge boost to our offense and I can't wait to see the first deep pass go for a TD.

[defiantgiant]

Nobody has asked Hester if he can out-run Cutler's arm, nobody has asked Cutler if he thinks Hester can out-run his passes. That's really a nonsense statement but I put it down just to make the point that we saw that quite a bit last year from Orton. So far in the OTA's nobody has indicated any issues like that at all. This is going to be a huge boost to our offense and I can't wait to see the first deep pass go for a TD.

 

I don't think the issue was that Hester was outrunning Orton's passes - they were just off-target. We saw plays last season where he overthrew Hester and other plays where he underthrew him. Orton's got a lot more arm than people give him credit for, but even Grossman had better accuracy on deep passes. One estimate I remember reading was that Orton missed Hester deep a total of 12 times last season. It wasn't from a lack of arm strength, just an inability to place deep passes accurately. Cutler's one of the better QBs in the league at that - teams should actually have to defend against the deep ball this season, which will open up the underneath passing game and make Forte's life easier.