Dave Toub Thrilled With ST Additions.......

Toub enthusiastic about special teams additions

Coordinator dispels rumors Hester won't be Bears' primary kickoff returner

By Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune reporter 7:36 p.m. CDT, May 12, 2012

Dave Toub is not attempting to reinvent special teams.

The veteran coordinator has had success and has been fortunate to work with some top performers, none more electric than Devin Hester. So, when he sees reports the Bears are pulling Hester off kickoff returns, he chuckles.

"It's pretty simple to me," Toub said. "I just laugh when I hear all these stories out here."

So, what is the plan for the NFL's all-time leader in return touchdowns?

"Hester is our punt returner and he is our No. 1 kickoff returner," Toub said Saturday after rookie minicamp at Halas Hall. "He is still our No. 1 kickoff returner."

Speculation has been Hester would focus on punt returns and the addition of Eric Weems and Devin Thomas in free agency would change the dynamic of kickoff returns.

Thomas is no lock to make a roster that suddenly is competitive at wide receiver, though as a kickoff returner Weems is an option. On kickoffs, he averaged 25.6 yards in three seasons with the Falcons and has one touchdown in 113 career returns. Hester has five kickoff return touchdowns in 146 regular-season returns, including a 98-yarder in a 39-10 victory over the Vikings Oct. 16.

The Bears have shared kickoff return duties in the past with Johnny Knox and Danieal Manning, but Hester always has been in the mix and right now Toub says he's atop the depth chart.

"We can put (Weems and Hester) back there and if they kick away from Devin, they'll kick it to Weems and we'll be in good shape."

Toub is thrilled with how his unit has been bolstered. He badly wanted to retain Pro Bowler Corey Graham, who departed for the Ravens in free agency, but said Weems was the top-ranked wide receiver on his special teams board and Blake Costanzo was the top-ranked linebacker in free agency for his unit.

"We're thrilled to have him," Toub said of Costanzo. "The good thing about Weems is he is a gunner and he is on kickoffs, so he has the coverage ability as well as the return."

Can he cover as well as Graham?

"I'm not ready to say that but he is right up there. He is pretty darn good," Toub said. "Corey was a Pro Bowl player and he made the Pro Bowl because of how he played gunner."

The Bears have been forced to replace top special teams performers like Graham in the past. Brendon Ayanbadejo left after making two Pro Bowls. Former general manager Jerry Angelo cut Tim Shaw in an error in judgment after Shaw had a 30-tackle season.

Regardless, the Bears have continued to play at a top level.

"There are a lot of guys (we've signed and drafted) who have special teams ability," Toub said. "(General manager Phil Emery) considers that strongly. He understands that your fourth, your fifth guy, wide receiver or corner, have to have special teams ability. He gets it done."

Brandon Hardin, the third-round pick from Oregon State, already has impressed Toub. The 6-foot-3, 217-pound safety has a rare size/speed ration.

"There is a guy who really loves special teams," Toub said. "He was a gunner on their special teams, first guy down the field on kickoffs, made a lot of tackles. So we're not going to have to do a lot as far as changing his mindset to play special teams."

Apparently, they're not going to be changing Hester's role right away either.

bmbiggs@tribune.com

Twitter @BradBiggs

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Seems like Toub has more weapons now than he's almost ever had here. I think there's no doubt we'll be a top 5 or even the best ST in the league. I'll also predict some more nice trickeration like the Knox swerve last season and hopefully some blocked punts here and there.

I had almost forgotten that Corey Graham left the Bears. That will hurt, but I think that our special teams unit will be fine. We have the best coordinator in that aspect of the game in the business.

Well there is no doubt in my mind that the Bears started to show Dave Toub more respect this year than JA seemed to do in the past. Miami came around to kick his tires for a HC slot which tells me others have noticed his coaching abilities as well.

So we moved to give him a nice raise to keep him in the fold and then Emery did what he needed to do which was to go out and get him players to replace Graham who I doubt we could have kept a second time around anyway. He won't play CB in Baltimore either but that's water over the damn now. Weems and Costanzo were signings to help relieve the burden of losing Graham and if you picked up on what I did then you know that those were Toubs two top picks as far as guys he wanted and Emery respected him enough to go get them for him.

Emery is not only getting players but he's listening to his team and coaches and getting the players these guys are asking him for. By doing that he can put high expectations on them to win now instead of later. JA would not have opted to go that route. He would have forced less expensive rookies on them and expected them to polish turds like he always had a habit of doing.

The last element to add to Toub's needs was a "ST Gunner" to replace the two he lost, Graham and Bowman. That's what the Brandon Hardin pick was all about. Hardin is 2"-3" taller and 20lbs heavier than either of those two and he's faster and a bigger hitter. Until he wins a starting spot at Safety he's Toub's new "Gunner" and on this team that is a pro-bowl position.

Quote:

Originally Posted by soulman

Well there is no doubt in my mind that the Bears started to show Dave Toub more respect this year than JA seemed to do in the past. Miami came around to kick his tires for a HC slot which tells me others have noticed his coaching abilities as well.

So we moved to give him a nice raise to keep him in the fold and then Emery did what he needed to do which was to go out and get him players to replace Graham who I doubt we could have kept a second time around anyway. He won't play CB in Baltimore either but that's water over the damn now. Weems and Costanzo were signings to help relieve the burden of losing Graham and if you picked up on what I did then you know that those were Toubs two top picks as far as guys he wanted and Emery respected him enough to go get them for him.

Emery is not only getting players but he's listening to his team and coaches and getting the players these guys are asking him for. By doing that he can put high expectations on them to win now instead of later. JA would not have opted to go that route. He would have forced less expensive rookies on them and expected them to polish turds like he always had a habit of doing.

The last element to add to Toub's needs was a "ST Gunner" to replace the two he lost, Graham and Bowman. That's what the Brandon Hardin pick was all about. Hardin is 2"-3" taller and 20lbs heavier than either of those two and he's faster and a bigger hitter. Until he wins a starting spot at Safety he's Toub's new "Gunner" and on this team that is a pro-bowl position.

Sure hope Hardin is all that and cheese. An extra step downfield on a punt can stop a return dead. One thing I find odd is that while gunners now get a reasonable amount of attention the lads who block the gunners don't. I can't even think of the name of the position, yet if gunner is important than you would think that stopping the gunner would also be important. Some teams, of course, devote two players to that role but I (dimmly) remember that Tilman was very good at that and could sometimes manage it alone. Valuable.

Do gunners get hurt much? If not, and if Hardin is well enough conditioned for it (and does turn out to be a very good gunner) then I don't see why he couldn't continue to star in that role even while starting. It can be important. Maybe on the punts where they know a TV timeout is due after the punt return?

I think that out of all the players we picked in April out of the draft, Hardin may just be the most versatile player out of them all, even McClellin. While "Big Mac" may be able to play linebacker and defensive end, he is not going to be playing special teams, whereas Hardin will be.

This may not go in this thread,but.... Marinelli wanted a DE and some bodies, Check. Toubs wanted replacements ( by name ) Check. Tice was happy with what hes has, Check. Lovie put the staff together and said hes happy with them, Check. Seems to me Emery did what he could this year to fulfill coaches wants. Rope to hang themselves? Emery had to take the coaches THIS year, but next is open season. Is he trying to figure out who really is worth keeping?

Quote:

Originally Posted by yttocs

This may not go in this thread,but.... Marinelli wanted a DE and some bodies, Check. Toubs wanted replacements ( by name ) Check. Tice was happy with what hes has, Check. Lovie put the staff together and said hes happy with them, Check. Seems to me Emery did what he could this year to fulfill coaches wants. Rope to hang themselves? Emery had to take the coaches THIS year, but next is open season. Is he trying to figure out who really is worth keeping?

I don't think that was his plan because I believe he wants to keep this coaching staff intact but it sure as hell puts the pressure on those guys produce a winner doesn't it? It would be tougher than hell to say that they didn't have the horses they needed to go into battle with.

I don't think Emery minds being saddled with Lovie. In fact it may be just the opposite. The fact that he didn't need to hire an new HC and that coach hire a new staff meant he could go right to work on the personnel issues and we see the benefit of that now.

It appears to me that Emery and Lovie think far more alike than JA and Lovie did no matter what might have been said in public. The Bears don't like to air their dirty laundry so you and I would never have actually heard about a problem nonetheless I do think some existed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by soulman

I don't think that was his plan because I believe he wants to keep this coaching staff intact but it sure as hell puts the pressure on those guys produce a winner doesn't it? It would be tougher than hell to say that they didn't have the horses they needed to go into battle with.

I don't think Emery minds being saddled with Lovie. In fact it may be just the opposite. The fact that he didn't need to hire an new HC and that coach hire a new staff meant he could go right to work on the personnel issues and we see the benefit of that now.

It appears to me that Emery and Lovie think far more alike than JA and Lovie did no matter what might have been said in public. The Bears don't like to air their dirty laundry so you and I would never have actually heard about a problem nonetheless I do think some existed.

Well, all bets are off if the Bears don't win this year. Not only did Emery go out and get star power via trades and free agency to come play in Chicago, he had a relatively big draft as well in which he got all the players he sought after. If the Bears don't have a good season, then I would venture to say that Lovie Smith and his crew will be gone after the year is out. Emery is bending over backwards to accommodate their every wish.