LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Sitting atop the depth chart at wide receiver, Devin Hester knows that the Bears have high expectations for him this season—and that’s just fine with the electrifying playmaker.
“It is important for me to play like a No. 1 receiver,” Hester said. “That’s my biggest goal. I feel like I have the ability to play as a No. 1 receiver, and I’m feeling real good and confident.”
Hester performed well in last week’s minicamp at Halas Hall, exploding in and out of his breaks and catching virtually everything that Kyle Orton threw in his direction.
“Kyle is coming out here throwing great passes and organizing the receivers and putting them in the right spots,” Hester said. “That’s what it’s all about; being on the same page as the quarterback.”
Hester began to emerge during the second half of last season, catching 25 passes for 347 yards in the final six games after compiling 26 receptions for 318 yards in his first nine contests. His production improved after he gained a firmer grasp of the Bears offense.
“He’s just got to keep working,” said offensive coordinator Ron Turner. “He’s got to keep making the progress that he made at the end of last year. He wasn’t thinking; he was just going out and playing, and you could definitely see that, and he’s picked up [at minicamp] right where he left off.”
While some outsiders have questioned whether Hester is polished enough to play such a significant role on offense, Bears coaches are not among them.
“He definitely has No. 1 receiver-type ability,” Smith said. “At the end of the year, Devin was definitely playing like a No. 1 receiver, and I’m excited about this second year of him being a full-time wide receiver.”
**WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY THINKING?
“He’s going to make a huge step this year, which he did at the end of last year, just because he’ll know so much more,” Turner said. “Last year, every day it was learning something about playing the position. The only way you can learn is through experience; getting reps and seeing the different looks.
“Toward the end of the year last year, he started playing a lot faster. He’s picked up where he left off, so he’ll be fine, and he’ll be able to handle all that we can give him.”
Ex-Saint marches in: Practicing with his new teammates for the first time last week, recent free agent acquisition Josh Bullocks received a warm welcome.
“They’ve embraced me really good,” said the veteran free safety, who intercepted a pass in team drills last Thursday. “It’s a good team. Everybody on the team seems pretty cool. Everybody gets along and everybody’s on the same page. It’s like a family here; that’s what it feels like.”
As a member of the New Orleans Saints, Bullocks lost to the Bears in each of his first four NFL seasons from 2005-08, including the 2006 NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field.
“I’m surprised that nobody has said anything,” Bullocks said. “But this is the Chicago Bears. They’re not worried about the Saints, so that’s a good thing.”
Bolstering the line: Several experts are predicting that the Bears will select an offensive tackle with the 18th pick in the draft, which would be just fine as far as running back Matt Forte is concerned.
“I love offensive linemen,” Forte said. “That’s how I make my living. So the better offensive linemen and the more we can get, I’m all for that.”
New blood: Veteran cornerback Nate Vasher enjoyed working with new defensive assistants Rod Marinelli (defensive line) and Jon Hoke (defensive backs) during the minicamp.
“We have a group of veteran guys that know how to win, and we’re excited to see the new coaches in,” Vasher said. “They have some great ideas and great motivational tactics to let us just go out there and play, so we’re excited about that.”
