Thread: Cutler: Hester having "Unbelievable camp"

By Brad Biggs, Tribune reporter 10:14 p.m. CDT, August 4, 2011




BOURBONNAIS -- Early this offseason, the idea was Devin Hester would lose playing time to Earl Bennett.

Hester was asked about the possibility at the outset of training camp and took the professional approach, saying he knows he’ll make plays when he has an opportunity.

Now with Roy Williams in the mix, it’s going to be more interesting how the playing time is divided for a group the Chicago Bears hope is their best at the wide receiver position in a long time.

But if Hester’s playing time is trimmed from the 66 percent it was at last season as a starter, he looks like he’s going to be a more effective performer. That’s if early returns in training camp mean anything. Hester made a route adjustment on the fly Thursday night, getting open deep when he spotted the safety out of the center of the field. It was a smart move and one he made seamlessly. It’s something that might not have come to him last season, and certainly not in training camp when he was trying to digest the Mike Martz playbook.

“Devin Hester is having an unbelievable camp,” quarterback Jay Cutler offered in an unsolicited comment. “He’s so much more comfortable in the system. He’s not thinking and in this system if you think you’re not going to be very effective. He’s just out there. He’s reacting, he’s running super fast like he always does. I’m happy with him and I think he’s happy where he is at right now too.”

That’s certainly good news for the Bears, especially if Hester can make plays downfield more consistently. Maybe it will be a challenge for how the team wants to deploy the wideouts, more than a challenge to get them to produce like it’s often been in the past.

bmbiggs@tribune.com