Bears: Receivers by committee heading into preseason opener By Bob LeGere | Daily Herald StaffContact writer Published: 8/5/2008 12:05 AMSend To:
BOURBONNAIS - Critics would say the Bears' wide receiver corps is just a bunch of guys. The common perception is that the Bears don't have a No. 1 receiver.
But that isn't necessarily a bad thing.
They have a guy, Marty Booker, who has been a No. 1 receiver. He caught a combined 197 passes for 2,260 yards for them in 2001 and '02, but Booker has averaged 49 catches and 668 yards in the five years since then. Solid numbers, but not go-to-guy caliber.
The Bears have another guy, Brandon Lloyd, who may be in the starting lineup Sept. 7. But he hasn't scored a touchdown in almost three years, he had 2 catches last season, when he missed eight games with a shoulder injury, and he has a reputation for being a character concern.
Then there's the immensely talented Devin Hester, whose greatest value to the team still is as a return specialist. He will be a bigger part of the passing game and probably get a lot of snaps in the starting lineup.
But it's doubtful that he can remain the league's best return man while also becoming an every-down receiver. Even wide receivers coach Darryl Drake admits that Hester "is a work in progress" as a pass catcher.
Hester makes case for starting job By Bob LeGere | Daily Herald Staff Published: 8/3/2008 11:36
BOURBONNAIS - The question of whether or not Devin Hester is good enough to be a starting wide receiver this year, and maybe even a No. 1, may already have been answered.
In Sunday's practice, Hester caught 7 of Rex Grossman's 20 completions, beating both starting cornerbacks, Nate Vasher and Charles "Peanut" Tillman, who form one of the more talented tandems in the NFL.
"Peanut is probably one of the best corners in the league because he's very physical," Hester said. "You know once you go against Peanut, you're going to have to be prepared to fight. Peanut is an aggressive corner; he's going to get his hands on you. Receivers don't like corners getting their hands on them. Going against a corner that's real aggressive, you've got to step up and play big."
Opponents who try to jam Hester at the line of scrimmage will suffer the consequences if he gets a clean break.
"He's a mismatch for a lot of people speed-wise," Grossman said. "So, if they want to come up and play press, man-to-man coverage with no safety help, they're going to get burned. We're excited about that matchup all season."
moochman wrote:Hester is going to be an awfut tease this season. So much ability, yet very raw and in a bad system. Still the thought of him breaking a play...
agreed, who cares how fast he is if he runs poor routes and has a qb that isnt capable of hitting him.
burning a cb down the field isnt helpful when the pass lands fifteen feet behind you (or the qb gets smacked in the mouth by the de before he gets rid of it).
Hester has to learn where to line up first. Local beat reporters at training camp have said that Hester is still occasionally needing someone to point out where he should be lined up, while rookies and other newcomers to Ron Turner's scheme have already got that part down.
Orton-Davis combo makes some noise early By Vaughn McClure | Tribune staff reporter 12:14 AM CDT, August 22, 2008
Bears receivers coach Darryl Drake raved throughout the off-season and training camp about Rashied Davis.
Thursday night, the proof was on the field.
The wide receiver quickly emerged as quarterback Kyle Orton's favorite target in Orton's first game since being named the starter. The two hooked up for a 21-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter with Davis sneaking behind three defenders as Orton perfectly placed the pass. Then they connected on a 7-yard score in the second quarter with Orton finding Davis over the middle.
Davis almost had a third touchdown before halftime but couldn't come up with the ball in the end zone on third-and-3 from the 6. The Bears had to settle for Robbie Gould's 24-yard field goal. Davis caught four passes for 58 yards in the first half.
"Given the opportunity, I'll make as many plays as I can," Davis said. "I just do my job to the best of my ability."
The Bears wanted to see a receiver emerge from the pack, and Davis stepped forward. He missed Saturday night's exhibition game at Seattle after his wife gave birth to the couple's first child.
Brandon Lloyd and Devin Hester started Thursday's game at the receiver spots, but neither had the impact Davis did. Marty Booker and Mark Bradley also are in the mix for playing time, and Bradley had a 55-yard catch after some blown coverage by the 49ers.
The first half... Orton actually looked pretty good. When Grossman came in... he looked pretty bad. It's that same old same old... the Bears are going to have good and bad offensive games. What was scary was how poorly the Defense played. I am TOTALLY CONVINCED that they were just not putting in 100% but it's gonna be a long season if they are just slower and going to be over-pursuing and missing tackles all day etc. Never put too much stock in the preseason. But holy badness.
The first half... Orton actually looked pretty good. When Grossman came in... he looked pretty bad. It's that same old same old... the Bears are going to have good and bad offensive games. What was scary was how poorly the Defense played. I am TOTALLY CONVINCED that they were just not putting in 100% but it's gonna be a long season if they are just slower and going to be over-pursuing and missing tackles all day etc. Never put too much stock in the preseason. But holy badness.
I think you can sum up what almost everyone expects out of the Bears this year in one word:
Cafe Home
Fantasy Baseball
Fantasy Basketball
Fantasy Hockey
by 
