by Rickhouse on August 23 at 4:32PM
Remember, coming into last season, when the only the thing the Bears knew they could count on receiving wise was Mushin Muhammad? It's almost kind of funny now, as the Bears actually look to have a ton of different weapons on offense heading into this season. Muhammad is still probably considered the go-to receiver, but he certainly isn't alone.
The winner of the "Who will step up as the #2 wideout" contest from last year was clearly Bernard Berrian, and he'll look to have a huge season in the final year of his contract. Berrian is a fantastic number two option, and really could develop into a powerhouse. He's one of the fastest receivers in the NFL, and has pretty good hands. He also delivered my favorite play of last season, a diving/twisting touchdown catch against the Saints in the NFC title game. The thing I think I like the most about Berrian is that he's a lot tougher then he looks. He seems like a guy who should just be running fly patterns for four quarters, but Berrian can catch a ball in traffic, and, as he proved last season, can hold onto it when someone lays him out. That's pretty impressive a guy who doesn't weigh close to the 180 lbs he's listed at. Seriously, Bernard's calves are the skinniest things ever, but I guess it doesn't matter when he's running past everyone.
The two receivers that will be lining up behind Moose and Berrain will be Mark Bradley and Rashied Davis. People outside of Chicago have probably never heard of them, but they're as solid as they come in the three and four holes. Bradley was the Bears second round pick in 2004, and has the potential to be a number one wideout in the NFL. Only problem is he has run into some bad luck his first two seasons. In his rookie season he got hurt in a game at Detroit where he had like 80 yards receiving before his injury right before half time. Seriously, he was carving up the Lions that game before being lost for the season. If he'd stay health, who knows how good he would have been by now. Last year, he never seemed to get on the field, which is strange because when he did, all Bradley would do is catch 50 yard touchdowns. His scores against the Jets and Patriots proved how good this guy can be. If he broke out the same way Berrian did last year, I wouldn't be surprised. He has everything you look for in a receiver. He's bigger and stronger then most receivers, and has the type of speed that could make him a standout in the NFL. If he gets an opportunity this year, Bradley could run with it. As for Davis, I mean, how great was he last year? Clutch catches versus the Vikings, Bucs, and Seahawks made him a fan favorite in his first year playing receiver, coming from cornerback. Davis isn't big or particularly fast, but he can run good routes, and he just seems to make plays. I'm a little worried he might get lost in the shuffle this year, but he's such a gamer that it'll be hard for Lovie not to put him on the field.
That brings us to the two guys that can make this offense special, the two reasons Bears fans everywhere are excited for this season. Devin Hester and Greg Olsen are both plain scary, and it's because of one common thread: they're fast as hell. I'll always have a special place in my heart for Olsen, after he and his Seventh Floor Crew mates put this site on the map (kinda), and ignited a firestorm in Chicago. If that is my lasting impression on the sports blogshere, then I'm happy. But Olsen will leave his own lasting impression in Chicago and it will come as a rookie. I'm not sure why, but I've never been more certain that a rookie will have immediate success then I am with Olsen. I went to training camp this year, and seeing the guy is person is downright intimidating. He's an absolute monster, about 6'5, 255, and can run a sub 4.5 40-yard dash. Olsen is going to have a huge impact this year on the Bears offense, and he should contend for rookie of the year.
As for Hester, what can you say that hasn't been said already? Actually, I'll say something: he has surprising good hands. I figured the reason he has been a corner in college and last season was because he couldn't catch a ball to save his soul, but he's been making highlight reel catches throughout training camp. Seriously, the guy can do more then run a bomb or a bubble screen. Bears fans are getting ready for him to be the second coming as a receiver this season, but as I wrote before, not so fast, my friends. Give the guy a little time, he's not going to be Steve Smith this season. No one should expect that from him. What you should expect is another monstrous season returning the ball. He should have taken one back on Monday versus the Colts but he was tripped up by a teammate. If Hester takes back five or more kicks this year, can we officially say he's the best ever? Is it too early to predict that he'll be the first true return specialist in the Hall of Fame? Well, yeah it is, but expect more ridiculous plays from the Windy City Flyer this year just like these.
The winner of the "Who will step up as the #2 wideout" contest from last year was clearly Bernard Berrian, and he'll look to have a huge season in the final year of his contract. Berrian is a fantastic number two option, and really could develop into a powerhouse. He's one of the fastest receivers in the NFL, and has pretty good hands. He also delivered my favorite play of last season, a diving/twisting touchdown catch against the Saints in the NFC title game. The thing I think I like the most about Berrian is that he's a lot tougher then he looks. He seems like a guy who should just be running fly patterns for four quarters, but Berrian can catch a ball in traffic, and, as he proved last season, can hold onto it when someone lays him out. That's pretty impressive a guy who doesn't weigh close to the 180 lbs he's listed at. Seriously, Bernard's calves are the skinniest things ever, but I guess it doesn't matter when he's running past everyone.
The two receivers that will be lining up behind Moose and Berrain will be Mark Bradley and Rashied Davis. People outside of Chicago have probably never heard of them, but they're as solid as they come in the three and four holes. Bradley was the Bears second round pick in 2004, and has the potential to be a number one wideout in the NFL. Only problem is he has run into some bad luck his first two seasons. In his rookie season he got hurt in a game at Detroit where he had like 80 yards receiving before his injury right before half time. Seriously, he was carving up the Lions that game before being lost for the season. If he'd stay health, who knows how good he would have been by now. Last year, he never seemed to get on the field, which is strange because when he did, all Bradley would do is catch 50 yard touchdowns. His scores against the Jets and Patriots proved how good this guy can be. If he broke out the same way Berrian did last year, I wouldn't be surprised. He has everything you look for in a receiver. He's bigger and stronger then most receivers, and has the type of speed that could make him a standout in the NFL. If he gets an opportunity this year, Bradley could run with it. As for Davis, I mean, how great was he last year? Clutch catches versus the Vikings, Bucs, and Seahawks made him a fan favorite in his first year playing receiver, coming from cornerback. Davis isn't big or particularly fast, but he can run good routes, and he just seems to make plays. I'm a little worried he might get lost in the shuffle this year, but he's such a gamer that it'll be hard for Lovie not to put him on the field.
That brings us to the two guys that can make this offense special, the two reasons Bears fans everywhere are excited for this season. Devin Hester and Greg Olsen are both plain scary, and it's because of one common thread: they're fast as hell. I'll always have a special place in my heart for Olsen, after he and his Seventh Floor Crew mates put this site on the map (kinda), and ignited a firestorm in Chicago. If that is my lasting impression on the sports blogshere, then I'm happy. But Olsen will leave his own lasting impression in Chicago and it will come as a rookie. I'm not sure why, but I've never been more certain that a rookie will have immediate success then I am with Olsen. I went to training camp this year, and seeing the guy is person is downright intimidating. He's an absolute monster, about 6'5, 255, and can run a sub 4.5 40-yard dash. Olsen is going to have a huge impact this year on the Bears offense, and he should contend for rookie of the year.
As for Hester, what can you say that hasn't been said already? Actually, I'll say something: he has surprising good hands. I figured the reason he has been a corner in college and last season was because he couldn't catch a ball to save his soul, but he's been making highlight reel catches throughout training camp. Seriously, the guy can do more then run a bomb or a bubble screen. Bears fans are getting ready for him to be the second coming as a receiver this season, but as I wrote before, not so fast, my friends. Give the guy a little time, he's not going to be Steve Smith this season. No one should expect that from him. What you should expect is another monstrous season returning the ball. He should have taken one back on Monday versus the Colts but he was tripped up by a teammate. If Hester takes back five or more kicks this year, can we officially say he's the best ever? Is it too early to predict that he'll be the first true return specialist in the Hall of Fame? Well, yeah it is, but expect more ridiculous plays from the Windy City Flyer this year just like these.
While I'm going to wait to the end to give you my prediction on how the
Bears season will end up, I'm going to try to give you statistical
projections for every major player. Here's what I got for Benson this
year:
Muhammad: 65 catches, 845 yards, 9 touchdowns
Berrian: 72 catches, 1,090 yards, 8 touchdowns
Olsen: 49 catches, 620 yards, 6 touchdowns
Muhammad: 65 catches, 845 yards, 9 touchdowns
Berrian: 72 catches, 1,090 yards, 8 touchdowns
Olsen: 49 catches, 620 yards, 6 touchdowns
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I'm pretty sure I saw a green sticker on the back of Hester's helmet on MNF, and I'm pretty sure he was listening to Mark Morrison's "Return of the Mack" through it for the entire game.