Bears hope that Hester gamble pays off

By J.E.  |   Friday, May 05, 2006  |  Comments( 2 )

Chicago Bears
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So much for mock drafts and expert predictions.

Nearly everyone in the sports world who analyzed the Chicago Bears' personnel needs figured that General Manager Jerry Angelo would spend the organization's first-round pick (26th overall) on a tight end. This seemed like a logical move, especially in light of the fact that the Bears didn't get much production out of that position last season.

But in a somewhat surprising turn of events, Angelo and the Bears traded the 26th pick to Buffalo, then opted to focus on defense and special teams with their remaining selections. This included drafting return specialist Devin Hester out of the University of Miami in the second round.

By all accounts, the Hester pick was a big gamble for the Bears. Although considered by many scouts to be one of the best all-around athletes in the entire draft, Hester doesn't have a true position. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound speedster was listed as a wide receiver on the official Hurricanes roster, but saw very little action in that capacity. In fact, through three seasons at Miami, Hester had a total of 10 receptions. He also appeared at cornerback, but again didn't get many opportunities to contribute. Instead, he created a niche for himself as the Hurricanes' primary return man on both kickoffs and punts.

As a return specialist, Hester does fill an immediate need for Chicago. In 2005, Bobby Wade was tasked with return duties, but his persistent problems with holding onto the football prompted the Bears to release him in Week 14. By contrast, Hester has very sure hands and rarely coughed the ball up in critical situations. His good hands combined with his 4.3 speed gives the Chicago Bears a legitimate scoring threat on kickoffs and punt returns, which is an element that was sorely lacking in last year's team.

Nevertheless, the Bears didn't expend a second-round pick on Hester just to get a return specialist who would be on the field for just six or seven plays per game. Head coach Lovie Smith will be looking for Hester to develop into a positional player as well. At this point, it's not clear whether the Bears intend to use him as a cornerback or as a receiver, but it will most likely be the latter. With his speed, Hester will at least be able to stretch the field on key downs and draw defenders away from featured wideout Muhsin Muhammad.

Because of Hester's perceived limitations and because of the fact that several desirable players were still on the board when Chicago drafted him, Hester will receive a lot of scrutiny during the upcoming season. If he can consistently put the ball in play on kickoffs and punts to give the Bears good field position, then Angelo's move will be viewed as one of sheer genius. However, if Hester appears tentative or starts having trouble fielding the ball, you can bet that Bear fans won't hesitate to let the boos rain down on Soldier Field.
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