Hester must go back to full return game

[Connorbear]

Management needs to sit down with him and let him know that he is a reserve receiver from now on and a full time return man. I don't care what his incentives are and neither should nanagement. He is an average receiver at best. DA stepped into the starting lineup and looked 100 times better. Knox and DA should be starting with Bennett at #3 and Hester at #4. If he bitches, offer to redo his contract such that his incentives are tied to the return game going foward.

 

Peace

[madlithuanian]

Agreed 100%

 

Management needs to sit down with him and let him know that he is a reserve receiver from now on and a full time return man. I don't care what his incentives are and neither should nanagement. He is an average receiver at best. DA stepped into the starting lineup and looked 100 times better. Knox and DA should be starting with Bennett at #3 and Hester at #4. If he bitches, offer to redo his contract such that his incentives are tied to the return game going foward.

 

Peace

 

[Guest TerraTor]

neither of those guys should be starting. We need to get a #1 and stop fuggin around with these clowns

[adam]

Another management blunder. Hester is not the next Steve Smith. He could've been the best returner of all time, now that is a faint memory.

 

 

[Connorbear]

neither of those guys should be starting. We need to get a #1 and stop fuggin around with these clowns

So you are saying we don't have a #2 receiver on this team? I would say we are stocked full of #2s and need a #1. However, our need for an upgrade on the o-line outweighs our need for a #1 at this point. That's why I made suggestion.

 

Peace

[ParkerBear7]

So you are saying we don't have a #2 receiver on this team? I would say we are stocked full of #2s and need a #1. However, our need for an upgrade on the o-line outweighs our need for a #1 at this point. That's why I made suggestion.

 

Peace

 

 

I agree with this, the O-line is a joke and I have been satisfied with the play of our young WRs. Although the growing pains have been difficult at time refering to the kids running the wrong route etc.

[defiantgiant]

So you are saying we don't have a #2 receiver on this team? I would say we are stocked full of #2s and need a #1. However, our need for an upgrade on the o-line outweighs our need for a #1 at this point. That's why I made suggestion.

I don't think one sub-100-yard game against a defense with very little film on him makes Aromashodu a #1 receiver, and (as I've pointed out before) Knox has been way less productive than Hester this season, even accounting for the difference in targets/playing time. Remember how well it's worked in the past when this team handed starting jobs to guys who hadn't earned them? Was Cedric Benson a better starter than Thomas Jones? Aromashodu's warranted a closer look, sure, and I don't think the team should be rushing Hester back from injury, but it's WAY premature to say Aromashodu's a better receiver. Sorry.

 

Hester's the closest thing we have to a top receiver - there's no way he should get demoted until we have somebody demonstrably better than he is. Also, he hasn't been an elite returner for a couple of years now - regardless of whether he should've switched positions in the first place, we won't gain anything by switching him back now. Like you said, the major problems up front have to come first - this team can muddle along with a bunch of #2 receivers (which includes Knox and Aromashodu until they prove otherwise,) but having a real #1 wouldn't help a damn thing if Cutler's still running for his life every play.

 

If the Bears spend a couple of mid-round draft picks on RT and LG, they'll be fine with Hester and company while they iron out the line problems in 2010. They won't be spectacular, but I'm confident that Cutler can be at least pretty good if he has some time to throw on a consistent basis. Then maybe we'll be in a position to draft Julio Jones or AJ Green in 2011, and we can have a really scary receiving corps. In the meantime, though, the focus has to be on offensive line and defense. The offensive skill positions are by FAR the least of this team's worries.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

I don't buy this talk that him being a full-time receiver has impacted his return abilities. Yes, Devin hasn't been a special return man since he started as a full-time receiver, but I'd also like to point out that very rarely do guys last a long time as a sucessful return man. Teams make adjustments and get better at defending guys.

 

And for people that say you can't be a quality return man and receiver, just look at Desean Jackson in Philly. He's pretty damn good at both.

 

Bottom line, Devin is overpaid and is not a great WR. If I were the Bears I'd trade him for a 2nd round pick if we could.

 

Could he be a valuable 2nd or 3rd WR, absolutely, but given the Bears needs I'd move Hester in a heart-beat and I don't think he's stunk it up on special teams because of the fact that he's playing wide-out.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

So you are saying we don't have a #2 receiver on this team? I would say we are stocked full of #2s and need a #1. However, our need for an upgrade on the o-line outweighs our need for a #1 at this point. That's why I made suggestion.

 

Peace

Right now this team has zero #2 Wr's and zero #1 Wr's. Knox and DA could develop into #2's, but it is way too early on to comment on DA since he has played significant minutes in all of one game (and looked pretty good).

 

But the Bears are completely inexperienced at the WR position and probably 15 of Jay's picks have been a result of that. WR's running the wrong routes is constantly going on and while most fans seem to blame Jay for the throws (and he's had some bad picks) in this case, more than any, he's been pointing and trying to teach his WR's on the fly how to make a right read and the appropriate break.

 

We saw more of it in this Sunday's game and it is very frustrating to watch as a fan who understands a lot of the hidden nuances that go into being a WR. Knox is developing on the fly and learning to make better reads, but he still had another few today where he just made the wrong route and it cost the Bears.

 

Bottom line this Bears WR corps is atrocious and it has really hindered the team. I will even go as far as bunching Olsen into this group. He's as over-rated as it gets by Bear fans. Yes he is fast for a TE, but he isn't a great route-runner, is a horrendous blocker, and by and large has mediocre hands.

[NAMEDSONPAYTON2]

I don't think one sub-100-yard game against a defense with very little film on him makes Aromashodu a #1 receiver, and (as I've pointed out before) Knox has been way less productive than Hester this season, even accounting for the difference in targets/playing time. Remember how well it's worked in the past when this team handed starting jobs to guys who hadn't earned them? Was Cedric Benson a better starter than Thomas Jones? Aromashodu's warranted a closer look, sure, and I don't think the team should be rushing Hester back from injury, but it's WAY premature to say Aromashodu's a better receiver. Sorry.

 

Hester's the closest thing we have to a top receiver - there's no way he should get demoted until we have somebody demonstrably better than he is. Also, he hasn't been an elite returner for a couple of years now - regardless of whether he should've switched positions in the first place, we won't gain anything by switching him back now. Like you said, the major problems up front have to come first - this team can muddle along with a bunch of #2 receivers (which includes Knox and Aromashodu until they prove otherwise,) but having a real #1 wouldn't help a damn thing if Cutler's still running for his life every play.

 

If the Bears spend a couple of mid-round draft picks on RT and LG, they'll be fine with Hester and company while they iron out the line problems in 2010. They won't be spectacular, but I'm confident that Cutler can be at least pretty good if he has some time to throw on a consistent basis. Then maybe we'll be in a position to draft Julio Jones or AJ Green in 2011, and we can have a really scary receiving corps. In the meantime, though, the focus has to be on offensive line and defense. The offensive skill positions are by FAR the least of this team's worries.

So is Hester a #1 or a #2 reciever? You say "this team can muddle along with a bunch of #2 recievers which includes Knox and Aromashodu". So what is Hester? I know what he is, not any teams #1 and was the best returner in nfl history. Maybe next year we can get the best reciever in college and make him our starting return man.

 

 

[defiantgiant]

So is Hester a #1 or a #2 reciever? You say "this team can muddle along with a bunch of #2 recievers which includes Knox and Aromashodu". So what is Hester? I know what he is, not any teams #1 and was the best returner in nfl history. Maybe next year we can get the best reciever in college and make him our starting return man.

OK, when I say "#1 receiver" I mean "the best receiver on his team" - Hester, for the time being, is the Bears' #1. He'd be the #1 on a few other teams, like the Rams, the Raiders, and probably the Dolphins. On most other teams, he'd be their #2, same as the rest of our receiving group, which is what I was trying to say. That's not to say they wouldn't be an upgrade: Hester would be a tremendous #2 for a team like Kansas City, San Diego, or Detroit that had a big, physical #1 to take some attention away from him.

 

But it's important to note that the terms "#1 receiver" and "#2 receiver" don't really mean anything. Anquan Boldin is a #2 receiver. Wes Welker is a #2 receiver. Now that Santonio Holmes has really stepped up, Hines Ward is a #2 receiver. When we talk about Hester not being a #1, what we're really saying is that the Bears don't have a receiver as good as Larry Fitz, Randy Moss, or Santonio Holmes. If we did, Hester'd be our #2 and the whole stupid argument would be done.

 

And you're right, he was the best returner in NFL history. Emphasis on "was." He's not any more, and he's not going to be again. It's been said before, but return men these days have a very short shelf life. Look at Dante Hall. Also, returner is just not a high-value position. You can get 7th-round picks and UDFAs and CFL players to return kicks, and they'll do it at a very high level. Even a pretty-good #2 receiver (which I think Hester can be, once we get a good receiving threat across from him) is more valuable than an all-world returner, in terms of yards, scores, impact on drives, every metric you can think of. A return man can't get you a first down. Even the best returner in history only scored 6 or so times a season, which is pedestrian by receiver standards. And receivers, unlike return men, often have long careers. When you consider the value of the two positions and the amount of time a player can contribute at each, moving Hester to receiver was the right move, even if it's disappointing.

[Connorbear]

I don't think one sub-100-yard game against a defense with very little film on him makes Aromashodu a #1 receiver, and (as I've pointed out before) Knox has been way less productive than Hester this season, even accounting for the difference in targets/playing time. Remember how well it's worked in the past when this team handed starting jobs to guys who hadn't earned them? Was Cedric Benson a better starter than Thomas Jones? Aromashodu's warranted a closer look, sure, and I don't think the team should be rushing Hester back from injury, but it's WAY premature to say Aromashodu's a better receiver. Sorry.

 

Hester's the closest thing we have to a top receiver - there's no way he should get demoted until we have somebody demonstrably better than he is. Also, he hasn't been an elite returner for a couple of years now - regardless of whether he should've switched positions in the first place, we won't gain anything by switching him back now. Like you said, the major problems up front have to come first - this team can muddle along with a bunch of #2 receivers (which includes Knox and Aromashodu until they prove otherwise,) but having a real #1 wouldn't help a damn thing if Cutler's still running for his life every play.

 

If the Bears spend a couple of mid-round draft picks on RT and LG, they'll be fine with Hester and company while they iron out the line problems in 2010. They won't be spectacular, but I'm confident that Cutler can be at least pretty good if he has some time to throw on a consistent basis. Then maybe we'll be in a position to draft Julio Jones or AJ Green in 2011, and we can have a really scary receiving corps. In the meantime, though, the focus has to be on offensive line and defense. The offensive skill positions are by FAR the least of this team's worries.

Hey, I never said DA was a #1 receiver. I am simply saying I would start him and Knox and have Hester in the role of a 3rd or 4th receiver going forward. IMHO Hester will never get much better at receiver. Whereas Knox has shown the potential in his 1st year to be a very, very good receiver. Will he ever be a #1 - probably not. But he will end up having a better career as a receiver than Hester (mark my words). Hester is in his 4th yr in the NFL. Knox is just a rookie.

 

Peace

[madlithuanian]

Actually, I'm not so sure Hester would be the #1 in St Louis or Oakland. Avery is a very good WR and Murphy has shown quite a bit. Both those guys have basically been WR's all their football career. I think they both have a leg up on Hester. In fact, I think Greg Camarillo is a more seasoned WR than hester in Miami. They know the nuances of the position better than hester. I'm not necessarily saying I'd trade one for the other...but I think hester could very well be #2's in any of those team's line-ups.

 

OK, when I say "#1 receiver" I mean "the best receiver on his team" - Hester, for the time being, is the Bears' #1. He'd be the #1 on a few other teams, like the Rams, the Raiders, and probably the Dolphins. On most other teams, he'd be their #2, same as the rest of our receiving group, which is what I was trying to say. That's not to say they wouldn't be an upgrade: Hester would be a tremendous #2 for a team like Kansas City, San Diego, or Detroit that had a big, physical #1 to take some attention away from him.

 

But it's important to note that the terms "#1 receiver" and "#2 receiver" don't really mean anything. Anquan Boldin is a #2 receiver. Wes Welker is a #2 receiver. Now that Santonio Holmes has really stepped up, Hines Ward is a #2 receiver. When we talk about Hester not being a #1, what we're really saying is that the Bears don't have a receiver as good as Larry Fitz, Randy Moss, or Santonio Holmes. If we did, Hester'd be our #2 and the whole stupid argument would be done.

 

And you're right, he was the best returner in NFL history. Emphasis on "was." He's not any more, and he's not going to be again. It's been said before, but return men these days have a very short shelf life. Look at Dante Hall. Also, returner is just not a high-value position. You can get 7th-round picks and UDFAs and CFL players to return kicks, and they'll do it at a very high level. Even a pretty-good #2 receiver (which I think Hester can be, once we get a good receiving threat across from him) is more valuable than an all-world returner, in terms of yards, scores, impact on drives, every metric you can think of. A return man can't get you a first down. Even the best returner in history only scored 6 or so times a season, which is pedestrian by receiver standards. And receivers, unlike return men, often have long careers. When you consider the value of the two positions and the amount of time a player can contribute at each, moving Hester to receiver was the right move, even if it's disappointing.