The More Devin Hester, the Better

In just one season in the NFL, Devin Hester has become a household name. His explosiveness and blazing speed have broken many a game wide open – just ask the Arizona Cardinals – and his penchant for finding the end zone gives heartburn to opposing coaches. Bears’ fans are itching to see more of their All-Pro return man next season, and Lovie Smith feels the same way.

“You could argue that he’s the most exciting player in the NFL with his hands on the ball,” Smith says.

Dilemma:

“Exciting” may be an understatement. After setting an NFL regular-season record with 6 returns for a touchdown (which does not include his amazing 92-yard dash on the first play of Super Bowl XLI) the Bears have begun mulling over the different ways they may be able to use Hester next season. Although he played on only special teams and defense in 2006, Smith and offensive coordinator Ron Turner are not ruling out the possibility of playing the former Miami Hurricane on offense in 2007.

“He’s obviously a special talent, and to be honest with you, I’ve been trying to recruit him since the day we drafted him,” Turner said at the recent Bears fan convention. “I’m going to keep working on that and see if we can get him on offense.”

Considering his natural elusiveness and uncanny ability to score from anywhere on the field, it would seem a waste to not get Hester the ball as many times as possible in the course of a game – even on offense.

Consider this scenario:

Hester lines up on offense as the H back. At the snap of the ball, the Bears enter the beginning stages of a screen pass. Grossman drops back deep, while the linemen slowly gather in the flats. The play is run well, and Grossman finds Hester in open space just a few yards off the line of scrimmage with blockers in front of him. He scampers through the defense and explodes down the sidelines for a game-changing touchdown.

If anyone does not feel the previous scenario is a real possibility, then you haven’t seen Hester play. Devin Hester, in open space, with blockers in front of him: it is an image that will keep defensive coordinators awake at night if the Bears choose to use him in this fashion.

“He’s shown what he can do when he gets the ball in his hands,” Turner said. “If he’s on offense and we can get his hands on the ball six, seven or eight more times a game, who knows what he might be able to do with it.”

Even Bears’ Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers sees Devin’s potential on offense. “He has a feel for the field, I’ll put it that way,” he says. “It seems like he has great peripheral vision like I had.”

If Ron Turner has his way, expect him to create a weekly package of 6-10 plays that are designed specifically for Hester. He can line up Devin anywhere on the field and use him as either a receiver or running back – similar to the creative fashion in which New Orleans uses their stud athlete, Reggie Bush. This produces another weapon on the field that opposing defenses must account for. If the other team starts to key too much on the second-year Pro Bowler, Turner can just use him as a decoy to make room for playmakers such as Cedric Benson and Bernard Berrian.

There is a myriad of ways Hester can be used on offense, and it would be a shame for the Bears not to take advantage of him. His presence, coupled with the strong core of position players already in Chicago’s offense, could be the final piece in next season’s championship puzzle.