Bears hope to use Hester more at wide receiver

CHICAGO - Devin Hester will have little time to catch his breath this season.

Along with returning kicks and punts, Hester is eyeing a tripling of his workload at wide receiver.

At least, that is the plan based on what offensive coordinator Ron Turner told fans Sunday at the Bears Expo inside Soldier Field.

“He's the premier return guy in the NFL and probably in the history of the game, so he's got to obviously have an opportunity to do that,” Turner said.

“We've talked in the area of 30 to 35 [passing] plays a game. If we can get him that many plays and we can get the ball in his hands five to seven times a game, he's going to make our offense much more productive.”

The increased role was Hester's idea as much as Turner's. At the end of last season, Turner said, Hester spoke to him about wanting to truly become a full-time receiver.

With Bernard Berrian off to Minnesota in free agency and Mark Bradley limited by injuries the past few seasons, the Bears need a receiver who can stretch the field.

Hester showed last season he can be a vertical threat in spots, and his task this offseason is to become more well-rounded.

“I told him if you're going to make that commitment to try to be the No. 1 receiver, then you've got to make that commitment and you've got to work at it like you do as a return guy,” Turner said. “It's got to be a full-time commitment, which means you're going to have to practice full-speed all the time so the quarterbacks can get the timing.”

Turner said he has been delighted with Hester's approach during voluntary workouts and mini-camp.

“He's done a great job of learning the position, going out every day and learning all the little intricacies of playing the position,” Turner said.

“It's one thing to know your assignment. It's another thing to be able to line up and play and adjust to Cover-2, Cover-3, to press coverage, to the blitz - to all the different things that you have to do, and so far Devin has stepped up and is doing a great job of that.”

Turner said Hester's motivation stems from his desire to be the best at anything he does.

Of course, Hester's contract situation also could be a motivating factor. He has two years left on his rookie deal and has said he wants an extension.

As great as he is returning kicks and punts, Hester's leverage would be far more substantial if he shows signs of developing into a top receiver.

(daily-chronicle.com)