A couple of weeks ago the word out of Halas Hall was that the Bears had decided that they would not pursue a free agent wide receiver and would instead go into next season with Devin Hester as their #1 wide receiver.
Devin Hester is without a doubt one of the fastest players in the league. However, while he has improved with them, his hands are still something that do not make fans confident in him. A few years ago you couldn't even count on him to catch a punt. Now you're making him your #1 wide receiver? Also his toughness is something that is questionable. It's doubtful that he will ever become a receiver who can go down the middle, make the catch, and take the big hit without dropping the ball.
So, in other words, it's hard to see why they would feel like Devin Hester is a good option as a #1 receiver. The guy just has holes in his receiving game that are too large. So, instead of nitpicking, being constructive about it would be the better route. What the Bears can do is either trade for a wide receiver, still sign a free agent, or draft one next month.
Lets start with the draft. Michael Crabtree is going to be gone by the time the Bears pick. Also Maclin will likely be gone there as well, but really, he never performed against the bigger programs, so it's likely that he really won't be as good as most think. Percy Harvin will probably be the best wide receiver at that point in the draft, but at 18 it would be a little too high to pick him, especially considering the other needs the Bears currently have.Luckily there's seven rounds in an NFL draft. In the second round there are a number of receivers that could become better receivers than Hester. Derrick Williams may not fall to the 49th pick, but if he does he would be similar to Hester with his speed, but he also has better hands and is a player who you could be more confident sending down the middle. Kenny Britt is another receiver who could fall to the Bears in the second round who would be an improvement over Devin Hester. Hakeem Nicks is yet another receiver who the Bears could get in the second round, and he really would be great to send down the middle as he's widely known for his physical play. Juaquin Iglesias is the last one that I'll bring up in the second round who could really help the Bears with their problem at wide receiver.
Outside of the second round in the draft it's hard to find a receiver that's at least at Devin Hester's quality, so next up will be free agency.
Terrell Owens' time as a free agent came and went quickly, thankfully, since it is probably better that the Bears did not go after him. However, there's still some talent out there that the Bears could go after. Amani Toomer is one who may not be able to take over the #1 receiver spot, but at least is a veteran who would be able to help Hester out with his game and help him to close up some of those holes in his game. Shaun McDonald is another receiver that would look great in a Bears uniform. He hasn't had great numbers as of late, but last season he really did not get a lot of playing time either. He's been well hidden, as he's been behind other very good receivers throughout his career, but he's someone who could shine if he became an early option. Of course throw Marvin Harrison into the discussion. The guy's had some amazing seasons in the past, and he really has the ability to have a few more very good seasons. Sure, there's some baggage with some of his legal problems and whatnot, but that kind of talent and veteran leadership can really take an offense to the next level, especially when you have such a good running game already. He's also not a distraction at all in the locker room.
There are other solid options in free agency, but they may not really benefit the passing game of the Bears like one would want them to. Instead, let's move on to trades that could be made.
This is a real dream, but what if the Bears could trade for Torry Holt? The Rams are either going to trade him or release him. If they release him then that would be even better, but for right now they should try to get him while he's still out there. Sure, he's 32 years old right now, but he's still playing great football and has several good years left in him. It would also be great to see a Bears receiver get his 1,000th catch. You know that it would be a long time until you would be able to see that again. As a whole, this seems to be the best option for the Bears.
However, there is one other option for the Bears to improve their passing game outside of grabbing a new quarterback (however, if Mark Sanchez somehow falls to 18, then the Bears really should go after him), and that's going back to the draft, and picking an offensive lineman. After what happened last year with Chris Williams, the Bears need to make sure that this time they pick one that's actually healthy. Signing Frank Omiyale was a great first step, but next up could be picking someone like Clay Matthews, Eben Britton, or Brian Cushing. Cushing may not fall that far down, but if he does (and of course, Sanchez is gone), then the Bears have to grab him.
The Bears do have plenty of other areas that need to be addressed, but right now they have a chance to at least have a very good offense. Last year they played well for most of the season on offense without much of an offensive line and with a bunch of #3 receivers. They've added one guy to the offensive line already with Omiyale, and now they could add another potentially very good offensive lineman with either Cushing, Matthews, or Britton. If Chris Williams suddenly becomes healthy he could also be a very good offensive lineman. If they're able to add one good receiver, then they could really have a potent offense. Their defense still needs a better pass rushing defensive end, one more interior defensive lineman, a shutdown corner, and a new strong safety. However, if you have a very strong offense it can help to mask a weak defense.
No, this won't be a Bears team to go back to the Superbowl yet, but this would be the right track to be on. They would still be able to help out their defense with their later picks and could still be a playoff team.
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