Bears Blitz

Published by Bryan Dietzler on May 10, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

After nearly three years of not having a kickoff or punt return for a touchdown, wide receiver/special teams ace Devin Hester finally got back to what he does best, break the NFL return record and help lead the Bears to a few wins last year.

His ability to return kicks and make teams have to game plan around him makes him a very valuable part of the Bear’s special teams.

With the Bears not drafting a No. 1 wide receiver in the 2011 NFL Draft we can almost certainly expect the Bears to have to use Hester at the wide receiver position once again.  He gives them a nice option there but not a very productive option because, as most will admit, he’s not a true No. 1 wide receiver.

The ideal situation for the Bears would be for them to find a No. 1 wide receiver and let Hester come in on offense is special situations or packages while spending most of his time returning kicks on special teams.  This would help keep him well rested and fresh for each return opportunity and would give him a much better chance of having a long return or a return for a touchdown.

Perhaps the Bears will be able to find someone in free agency (if the final eight rule does not apply and if there is someone out there that could really do something for them) and then move on from there. 

Whatever they do, they need to get their best players in the right positions and the right position for Hester would be to have him returning punts and kickoffs.  We must also remember that Chicago may end up losing Danieal Manning in free agency this year and he was their ace on kickoff returns.  If there is no one else to step up (Johnny Knox is an option here but his role on offense may prohibit him from being a part of the Bear’s special teams) then it will be Hester returning kicks as well.

If that is the case then the Bears will need to keep him off the field on offense as much as they possibly can.

But can they really afford to do that?

In order for the Bears to have success on offense the way things are right now they need to have Hester on offense catching passes.  He has to be a part of their offensive system because they don’t have the players at the wide receiver position to make their offense that effective.  He is a threat whenever he gets his hands on the ball no matter if he is catching passes and returning kicks and defenses hate having to cover him.

So unless the Bears do something during the remainder of the offseason to get a No. 1 wide receiver it looks like Hester will maintain his role as their “No. 1” receiver and return specialist.  Granted Hester is a great athlete and can handle all of his duties but may not be as effective as he could be if he was just used on special teams.

Should the Bears keep Hester as a wide receiver or use him strictly in the return game?  What are your thoughts?

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