An article of Incompetence

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http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=6582

 

Smith lauds depth, young talent at wide receiver position

By: Larry Mayer | Last Updated: 2/26/2010 6:18 PM INDIANAPOLIS – Coach Lovie Smith is excited about the continued development of the Bears’ young wide receivers and believes that they’ll thrive in new coordinator Mike Martz’s system.

 

While some considered the position a weak link prior to the 2009 season, Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, Johnny Knox, Devin Aromashodu and Rashied Davis combined to catch 185 passes for 2,334 yards. It was the highest output by Bears receivers since they had 192 receptions in 2002 and 2,363 yards in 2001.

 

 

 

Devin Hester led all Bears wide receivers with 57 receptions and 757 yards this past season.

“I know they’re all excited,” Smith said Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “How could you not be excited if you are a wide receiver with the type of offense that we’re going to run? That’s been the case with all of the guys. They can’t wait to get started and we can’t wait to work with them.

 

“Even though we’re young, I really feel like that may be the deepest position on our ballclub and they’ll just take off. Even a guy like Juaquin Iglesias who didn’t get a chance to play this past year. I saw a lot of good things that he did during practice going against our [starting] defense.”

 

Martz has said that he envisions Devin Hester primarily filling the slot role that Az-Zahir Hakim excelled in when Martz coached the St. Louis Rams. In 2009, Hester established career highs with 57 receptions for 757 yards despite missing three games late in the season.

 

“Mike is very excited about what Devin can possibly be in our offense as a receiver,” Smith said. “He’s seen a lot of good receivers. He knows exactly what it takes at the position. He has watched a lot of video on Devin.

 

"Devin is excited about it also. You just look at the skill level that Devin Hester has. In this offense, we’re pretty excited about what it can possibly be and what Devin can be.”

 

It doesn’t appear that the Bears will add a veteran receiver to the mix. There was some speculation that they might sign Torry Holt, who starred for Martz with the Rams and was recently released by the Jacksonville Jaguars. But Angelo believes that bringing in a veteran would hinder the development of the Bears’ promising young receivers.

 

“When you bring a veteran receiver in—and we learned this a couple years ago when we brought in Brandon Lloyd and Marty Booker—he’s going to take reps,” Angelo said. “Whose reps is he going to take? He’s going to take the young guys’ reps.

 

“Obviously the veteran’s the incumbent and you’re always going to have that security with him. [but] sometimes in that case it was at the expense of some of our young receivers, in particular Earl Bennett. I felt like about halfway through the [2008] season, Earl was ready to go and I think our coaches agreed.

 

“But we set our course with the veterans. I’m not minimizing their abilities, but they take reps at the expense of [the young players]. You can’t have the best of both worlds. You can’t bring in that veteran and have him show the way and then expect to continue your development of the young receivers.”