Will Bears receivers live up to the hype?

**omc1969** · 07-20-2012, 08:13 AM

I would think that the addition of Marshall and Jefferys will open up more opportunities for Bennett and Hester as well. We now have so many targets (RB's and TE's too) that everyone will benefit. This will give opposing "D" coordinators a lot of sleepless nites trying to figure out just who to target in their coverage schemes.

**Riczaj01** · 07-20-2012, 09:54 AM

OMC, it will give more oppertunities for more big plays, but not for more catches. Remember the last 2 years Tice/Smith have wanted a more balance O, to run more and pass less.

What is probably going to happen is they will be more effiecent at what they do, which will allow more oppertunities for more O plays. The average O has between 60-70 plays per game, which is just over 1K for the year.

The Bears if the Bears average that, and knowing that Tice in Minny had a very close pass/run ratio slightly favoring the pass which is also what Lovie wants. I doubt Cutler throws much more then 620(still a career high) and probably run w/Forte/Bush/Bell 450 times, that would be a 58% pass/run.

If Cutler completes a career high of 70% comp % that's only 434 approx catches for the whole O.

Marshal's getting 90-100 of those easy
Jefferies if he is going to have a good rookie wr's have will have 50-55.
Bennett will get 50-55 this would be his 2nd best year, and he's now a 3rd option WR.
Hester will get 50-55 (Remember Tice stated we will get the ball into our playmakers hands and then said Marshal/Forte/Hester, he will get the ball and will get it more then he has under Martz.
btw BBPB If you were to look at size/weight/ypc and then followed up by yards/td's(stats and all), Hester is a far better comparrision on paper to Bennett then Harrison...and I wouldnt call their game similar at all; it's as insulting to Bennett as it is to Harrison being compared to Bennett.
Davis will get 50-55 Tice/Smith WANT to use the TE more and this is just below average for TE's in the NFL last year, so it could be more
Forte will still get 40-50,this is a career low for him, but probably closer to where the team wants him to be in the passing tree.

That leaves 65-100 catches for 2 other RB's, 2 other TE's, and 2 other WR's; that's about 11-16 catches for each of these players for the year, which should be about right for 2nd-3rd stringers; except for Bush, which is probably on the soft side.

The noticable difference here is that even though the O is a lot better, and we are passing more, But the primary beneficiery is going to be Marshal/Davis/Hester b/c that is who Tice has been talking about; his playmakers and his TE's. Bennett has never been mentioned as a playmaker. Now if it's all a ruse, this goes out the window.

**omc1969** · 07-20-2012, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by Riczaj01

OMC, it will give more oppertunities for more big plays, but not for more catches. Remember the last 2 years Tice/Smith have wanted a more balance O, to run more and pass less.

What is probably going to happen is they will be more effiecent at what they do, which will allow more oppertunities for more O plays. The average O has between 60-70 plays per game, which is just over 1K for the year.

The Bears if the Bears average that, and knowing that Tice in Minny had a very close pass/run ratio slightly favoring the pass which is also what Lovie wants. I doubt Cutler throws much more then 620(still a career high) and probably run w/Forte/Bush/Bell 450 times, that would be a 58% pass/run.

If Cutler completes a career high of 70% comp % that's only 434 approx catches for the whole O.

Marshal's getting 90-100 of those easy
Jefferies if he is going to have a good rookie wr's have will have 50-55.
Bennett will get 50-55 this would be his 2nd best year, and he's now a 3rd option WR.
Hester will get 50-55 (Remember Tice stated we will get the ball into our playmakers hands and then said Marshal/Forte/Hester, he will get the ball and will get it more then he has under Martz.
btw BBPB If you were to look at size/weight/ypc and then followed up by yards/td's(stats and all), Hester is a far better comparrision on paper to Bennett then Harrison...and I wouldnt call their game similar at all; it's as insulting to Bennett as it is to Harrison being compared to Bennett.
Davis will get 50-55 Tice/Smith WANT to use the TE more and this is just below average for TE's in the NFL last year, so it could be more
Forte will still get 40-50,this is a career low for him, but probably closer to where the team wants him to be in the passing tree.

That leaves 65-100 catches for 2 other RB's, 2 other TE's, and 2 other WR's; that's about 11-16 catches for each of these players for the year, which should be about right for 2nd-3rd stringers; except for Bush, which is probably on the soft side.

The noticable difference here is that even though the O is a lot better, and we are passing more, But the primary beneficiery is going to be Marshal/Davis/Hester b/c that is who Tice has been talking about; his playmakers and his TE's. Bennett has never been mentioned as a playmaker. Now if it's all a ruse, this goes out the window.

I think you misunderstood my post so let me clarify a bit. Now that we have all these weapons at our disposal teams will no longer be able to stack the box. They must take into account so many options that thy will no longer be able to focus on one area I'm not saying that receptions will go up for any one player. I actually believe that the running game will receive the most benefit and we will be much more balanced as a result. So many weapons that the distribution will be equally divided amongst more players. That was my point. Sorry if I didn't make it clearer.

**Riczaj01** · 07-20-2012, 11:01 AM

Well I just helped further that point for you then ;p. But I agree 100%. The #'s obviously are just guesses, but there is no reason to think the players won't be much more or less then that.

**Henry Burris** · 07-20-2012, 11:24 AM

I think not too much hype should be given jeffrey's way. He might be great, but I see Marshall, then Bennett and Jeffreys/Davis, just because Cutler already has a report with the first two mentioned. I see rookie mistakes having Cutty looking to Bennett for more underneath routes, and of course Bush and Forte are good pass catchers.

**BigBadPapaBear** · 07-20-2012, 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by Riczaj01

Pappa, one was a legit #1 wr that outside of 1 year didn't have degrading stats until the end of his career and his worst season early in his career is better then any of Bennett's. Bennet's a #3 and his best year was his rookie year when he's gotten less and less yards/touches. They aren't simliar, looking at height and ypc to somehow justify that is dishonest at best, they aren't playing the same position anymore, 1 played outside at a HoF level, the other played outside so well he's been replaced by a FA and a rookie and is now playing inside.

By this criteria you would have also compared him to Reggie Wayne, or any other # of WR's that don't compare to Harrison who was a HoF'r(until he got into that whole shooting in Philly thing)

Bennet, as the 3rd option, will need 4-5 catches each game to get the 62 yards based on his average; but he's never gotten more then a 3 catch average. Even if he averages is his highest, 15 ypc, at an aveage of 3 per game he's still falling short. Amazing how people think that Bennet's going to somehow have his best year and be targeted more, when he was the 1st/2nd option and now is the 3rd and the QB's favorite target is now on the team. But Forte(still first at his position) is going to have a severe drop in production w/an OC that wants to have a more "balanced O" which means not passing near as much as we did at points over the last 2 years.

All that being said, much like Forte, Bennet's catches will probably remain the same, and he might have more TD's and a slight improvement in yards, but he's not going to have a breakout year w/Marshal here.

C'mon Ric I'm not arguing that you need to be a #1 to get a 1000yds receiving. Its quite easy in this day and age and especially with Cutler as a QB to get 1000yds receiving. Bennett can easily do it. In fact, he has shown that the Bears have made a serious error in under utilizing him and I personally expect them to get him the ball more because he is CLUTCH and doesn't DROP balls. I love the guy.

**Riczaj01** · 07-20-2012, 06:22 PM

BBPB, He's gotten worse every year since his rookie year. But now you expect him to go from the 1st or 2nd option to the 3rd possibly 4th option and have a 1K yards? it's not happening.

I broke down the how the splits will probably go and not only would we have to have Cutler throw more then he ever did, AND complete more then he ever has, but Bennett would have to have more targets then he ever has; AS the 3rd option. It's just not pratical to think he's going to get more targets then he ever has when he's no longer the primary passing guy.

I know you don't have to be a #1 to get 1K yards; I'm stating that comparing a HoF #1 to a possession guy is insulting to that #1 HoF'r.

**BigBadPapaBear** · 07-20-2012, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by Riczaj01

BBPB, He's gotten worse every year since his rookie year. But now you expect him to go from the 1st or 2nd option to the 3rd possibly 4th option and have a 1K yards? it's not happening.

I broke down the how the splits will probably go and not only would we have to have Cutler throw more then he ever did, AND complete more then he ever has, but Bennett would have to have more targets then he ever has; AS the 3rd option. It's just not pratical to think he's going to get more targets then he ever has when he's no longer the primary passing guy.

I know you don't have to be a #1 to get 1K yards; I'm stating that comparing a HoF #1 to a possession guy is insulting to that #1 HoF'r.

He hasn't gotten worse. They simply have not given him the opportunity that they should have. They've wasted so much time with this stupid Hester experiment and by bringing in that dud Roy Williams. Martz also didn't help Bennett's cause.

As for Harrison, I don't think he's as great as he's amde out to be. I don't care how many catches the guy has. Manning can make a lot of guys 1000yd WRs as long as they know how to run routes and be where they are supposed to be.

**JustAnotherBearsFan99** · 07-20-2012, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by BigBadPapaBear

As for Harrison, I don't think he's as great as he's amde out to be. I don't care how many catches the guy has. Manning can make a lot of guys 1000yd WRs as long as they know how to run routes and be where they are supposed to be.

The Harrison/Manning success is a perfect example of what can happen with stability on offense. Decent oline, same scheme for years, chemistry spanning years. On the Bears we have changed OC's, schemes, personnel, and put a porous oline out there to protect the passer.

When you add all that up, it's amazing we've done as well as we have. As you mentioned in another thread BBPB, we still went 7-3 before Cutler went down to injury.

I really like Bennett and he should have a really solid year.

**BigBadPapaBear** · 07-20-2012, 10:43 PM

Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

The Harrison/Manning success is a perfect example of what can happen with stability on offense. Decent oline, same scheme for years, chemistry spanning years. On the Bears we have changed OC's, schemes, personnel, and put a porous oline out there to protect the passer.

When you add all that up, it's amazing we've done as well as we have. As you mentioned in another thread BBPB, we still went 7-3 before Cutler went down to injury.

I really like Bennett and he should have a really solid year.

JABF99 I really believe Bennett is under rated. I think a lot of people get a little too caught up in a WR needing great speed. There are a lot of different qualities that a good WR has. Bennett is a lot better than people realize. He simply wasn't given many opportunities in that Martz offense. And last year his season was derailed by that dirty hit by Roman Harper.

Here's what I remember about Bennett when he returned from that injury.

Against Philly 5rec 95yds and 1td
Against DET 6rec 81yds
Against SD 3rec 75yds

And then the bottom fell out as Cutler goes down. He's a WR that can get you 70-80yds a game. That easily gets you over 1000yds over a full season. He's cluitch on 3rd down and has great rapport with Cutler that goes back to the Vandy days. We saw what Bennett could be to this team when Cutler is on fire. Bennett is a gem and is not simply a 'posession receiver' as some would say.

For all the speed that Hester has he drops plenty of balls and just doesn't make enough plays as a #2 WR. Bennett is more deserving of those snaps and can be so much more productive. Hopefully the Bears use Bennett properly in Tice's offense. The guy just knows how to get open and can be trusted to make the catch.

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