Your thoughts on Hester.

[beardown07]

What I never understood is how he was so hard to catch after a kick but as a WR he could not escape and get extra yards after the catch.

Couldn't get off the jam, couldn't get out of his breaks clean...he has pretty good hands for the most part, just lacked that clean separation as a receiver. And I think Jay just never fully trusted him, for whatever reason? For what it's worth, though I'm sure he's a very nice young man, Hester doesn't exactly strike me the most intelligent person there is. I've read he still struggled with the plays/playbook even last season.


I'm hoping for some maturity from Jay. As a person and a football player this year. Let Hester do what comes naturally to him, and hope to God Angelo and Lovie didn't ruin him.

 

[63bears40]

Couldn't get off the jam, couldn't get out of his breaks clean...he has pretty good hands for the most part, just lacked that clean separation as a receiver. And I think Jay just never fully trusted him, for whatever reason? For what it's worth, though I'm sure he's a very nice young man, Hester doesn't exactly strike me the most intelligent person there is. I've read he still struggled with the plays/playbook even last season.


I'm hoping for some maturity from Jay. As a person and a football player this year. Let Hester do what comes naturally to him, and hope to God Angelo and Lovie didn't ruin him.

Good post.

 

[richig07]

He's definitely overpaid to just be a return man. Although, I still think he has a bit of magic left. I think if the Bears keep him on, he'll do a good job as a return man this year.

I just pray if he stays that his WR days are over for good. I suppose he's not a bad guy to have around in a pinch.

 

[63bears40]

What I never understood is how he was so hard to catch after a kick but as a WR he could not escape and get extra yards after the catch.

I can only speak for last year. Last yr Devon wasn't an every down WR . So the opposition ( if Gruden knew it on the 40 yr TD vs Dallas, which was probably 1 of his best calls) knew that when he did get in . The Bears would try to get the ball to him in space. Either via the WR screen, end around. So they put stopping that in their game plan. No where to go when they ran the screen or around. He was in WR hell. Wasn't the best route runner, couldn't beat press coverage. The only thing he could do, is use his speed when they weren't bumping him at the line.

 

[63bears40]

If her under performs, this could be his last year... Hope he and Jay can make a good connection.

He's no longer playing WR. STs are his only duties now.

 

[NCChiFan]

Amazing returner for a while, not a very good receiver, and a coach killer.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

Amazing returner for a while, not a very good receiver, and a coach killer.

Coach killer??? I would say the coach was a coach killer. Hester just did what he was told. He was not a WR, that was the coaches ideal.

 

[NCChiFan]

Coach killer??? I would say the coach was a coach killer. Hester just did what he was told. He was not a WR, that was the coaches ideal.

Well, Lovie agreed to the "experiment" of Hester as a Wr, now it wasn't the sole reason Lovie was replaced, but his deficiencies on the Offensive side of the ball are well documented.

 

[beardown07]

Hester is a coach killer in the sense that, what were the Bears to do at the time of signing his current contract? He was the most dangerous man in football, by far, and SOMEBODY was gonna pay him, whether he could play WR or not. The Bears were just trying to get their moneys worth. Not many returners making WR money, but what were they to do? Give up the greatest returner in the history of football?


I think Hester still has the will to be the best ever, by a landslide. I think that now that he can focus on what he loves to do, he will shine again.

 

[63bears40]

Hester is a coach killer in the sense that, what were the Bears to do at the time of signing his current contract? He was the most dangerous man in football, by far, and SOMEBODY was gonna pay him, whether he could play WR or not. The Bears were just trying to get their moneys worth. Not many returners making WR money, but what were they to do? Give up the greatest returner in the history of football?


I think Hester still has the will to be the best ever, by a landslide. I think that now that he can focus on what he loves to do, he will shine again.

Don't disagree w/ just about everything said. Just curious who decided he would be a good WR?
He was drafted as a CB. And played his first yr there, though poorly.
My guess is that it was Drake ( who couldn't develope 1 WR in his 9 years here). Just thought he was stealing pay checks from my Bears.

 

[63bears40]

I always thought Devins most productive spot , would be lining up in the backfield. Probably the easiest place to get him the ball in the open field. But I'm no coach, and didn't sleep @ a Holiday Inn.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

Well, Lovie agreed to the "experiment" of Hester as a Wr, now it wasn't the sole reason Lovie was replaced, but his deficiencies on the Offensive side of the ball are well documented.

I agree totally but Hester just did what he was asked. It was not his ideal to play WR. I can understand why Lovie wanted to get the ball in his hands more, but why try and use him as a full every down WR? Lovie needed replacing.

 

[averagejoe]

My take on Hester has to do with the politics of football.

He was historically awesome when it came to returns. Lovie and Angelo realized that he was a game-changing player on special teams and decided to give him a fat pay-raise and insert him into the offense. It was a nice plan that got the fans buzzing.

I can't fault them for wanting to put Hester into the offense. He was one of the Bears most exciting players. But keep in mind that Angelo and Lovie essentially did nothing else to improve the offense. That's not where their expertise was.

I agree, maybe he did have poor separation, and ran some poor routes. (Maybe that's why he was drafted as a DB.) Still, Cutler would be on his back or running for his life even when Hester wasn't on the field. Hester became another causality of a severely neglected offense.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

Above average Joe, good post

 

[DaBearsShowPride]

I would def agree with AverageJoe but would also like to include that Hester brought this upon himself. He was the one who wanted to be included into the offense so the staff gave him the opportunity because of his playmaking abilities. However he completely failed on his own to be the productive wr he could have been. Coaches could teach you how to catch or teach you how to run routes but you got to really learn how to do those things on your own time, something I dont think Hester took too seriously at all.

I also think he really screwed the mental side of his game trying to become a WR for a crappy offense. Before playing WR, his return game was spot on and he was untouchable and showed no fear at all. When he started playing WR he realized how the big boys play the game and became very timid and showed some fear out there. No WR should be diving to the ground and running out of bounds to avoid getting hit and that carried over to his return game as well and messed with his decision making. As an NFL Pro you should know your own abilities and what your role is on the team and Hester tried to go beyond what he was capable of doing.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

@ pride Hester never wanted to play offense or be a WR, that was thrown on him. I take it your post was in jest.

 

[DaBearsShowPride]

@ pride Hester never wanted to play offense or be a WR, that was thrown on him. I take it your post was in jest.

Why did my post come off as a joke to you? If the NFL's greatest return man didnt want to play offense he could have demanded a trade and would have gotten picked up right away. Hester was straight up scared out there as a WR and it showed. If you cant see that he is only effective on the field as a return man then I must be going blind.

 

[BoP]

IIRC the Bears would only save 500k by cutting him. There is not much reason to not give him the chance to play out his contract.

 

[brian mclaren]

hester is still the most feared return man in the game.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

Why did my post come off as a joke to you? If the NFL's greatest return man didnt want to play offense he could have demanded a trade and would have gotten picked up right away. Hester was straight up scared out there as a WR and it showed. If you cant see that he is only effective on the field as a return man then I must be going blind.

You stated that Hester wanted to play WR, he did not. He wanted to play CB. Lovie forced WR on him.