Will Bears receivers live up to the hype?

**Riczaj01** · 07-19-2012, 08:47 AM

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bears

Will Bears receivers live up to the hype?

July, 18, 2012 Jul 18
2:33
PM CT

By Jeff Dickerson and Michael C. Wright | ESPNChicago.com

In advance of Chicago Bears training camp, ESPNChicago.com's experts are taking a look at some of the key issues the team must confront in the coming weeks.

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Jerry Lai/US PresswireThe Bears' makeover at receiver began with the trade for Brandon Marshall.

Jeff Dickerson: Perhaps no single Bears position received more attention in the offseason than wide receiver, a group long believed to be one of the weakest in the NFL. The boldest move made by new Bears general manager Phil Emery to date was trading for Pro Bowler Brandon Marshall, who enjoyed great success with quarterback Jay Cutler when the two were in Denver. But the receiver makeover didn’t end with Marshall. The Bears used a second-round draft choice on South Carolina’s Alshon Jeffery, considered by many to have been one of the top collegiate receivers in 2010 before seeing his numbers dip during his last year with the Gamecocks. The Bears also added Eric Weems and Devin Thomas, primarily special teamers, to a mix that already included Earl Bennett, Devin Hester and Dane Sanzenbacher.

With receiver expectations at an all-time high, there are no excuses for the group not to produce.

Marshall needs to stay out of the trouble and put up his standard All-Pro-type numbers. Bennett, who figures to work extensively in the slot, needs to assume the role of Eddie Royal, who had a monster year when paired with Cutler and Marshall in Denver in 2008. Jeffery, another big target with great hands, must be able to push through the nagging injuries that kept him off the field for a chunk of the offseason program. And Hester needs to take advantage of whatever plays the Bears design for him throughout the season.

If all this happens with Cutler at the helm, this could end up being the best and most productive group of receivers in franchise history.

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AP Photo/Nam Y. HuhSecond-round pick Alshon Jeffery gives Jay Cutler a big target.

Michael C. Wright: The addition of Marshall and Jeffery doesn’t suddenly make Chicago’s receivers a formidable group. Nobody wants to hear it, but it’s true. The group’s worth still has to be proven on the field.

But it’s difficult to predict the group’s production for 2012 because every receiver performed in a different scheme than the one the club will utilize this season.

Struggling with nagging injuries in 2011, Hester caught just 46 percent of his passes with five drops en route to his worst season in three years in terms of production (26 catches for 369 yards). Still, the coaches insist they’ve misused Hester and have put together some packages designed to get him the ball more effectively in 2012.

Bennett missed time with a significant injury in 2011, but returned to put up big numbers before Cutler suffered a thumb injury. Bennett’s chemistry with Cutler along with Marshall’s should go a long way toward the group starting fast.

Marshall has put up five straight 1,000-yard seasons. Last year, Marshall caught six passes in the red zone with four going for touchdowns. So it’s clear the Bears found a legitimate red zone target, but there still have to be concerns about his volatile past and how he’ll mesh with teammates, including Cutler, who worked with him in Denver.

A rookie, Jeffery seems to be the wild card. First, he hasn’t yet played an NFL down. Secondly, his production in college wasn’t consistent. Jeffery caught 67 percent of passes thrown his way in 2010 for 17.2 yards per catch, but those numbers fell in 2011 (he caught 56 percent of passes for a 15.6-yard average).

We better hope they do. B/c if not it's going to be a LONG season. But I don't think it will be a problem; regardless of if they live up to the hype, they are still better then last year's group, and we have upgraded the running back position which was already proving it could get it done damn near on it's own anyways. D's better be prepared and scared.

**BearStuff** · 07-19-2012, 09:02 AM

Writers don't have anything to write these days. Stirring the pot a little generates readers and comments.....which generate more reading and commenting.

You can't tell me we haven't upgraded the receivers. Of course they have to "do it on the field". Of course they played in other places w/ other schemes. Still, the point is we have size and talent like we haven't ever had. Barring injury, the expectations should be high and the production vastly improved. I don't care what ESPN writes.

**Riczaj01** · 07-19-2012, 06:52 PM

BS, I don't think he's saying they aren't improved, but there is a TON of hype on these guys and fans are acting like JC is going to throw for 5K yards and 30 td's all of a sudden. This is still 1 legit vet and great posession guy a Rookie and the rest are average at best.

I thought it was an interesting point, can this group live up to the high expectations that people are putting on them. Realistically Marshal is the only 1K guy, and the other starters are going to be 600-800, the otheres 300-500, and Forte is good for 300-400, IMO he's probably going to be around 4K and 25-30 TD's and we can only hope that his int's are in the low teens.

For everyone thinking AJ's conditioning shouldn't be a least a little of a concern: "...must be able to push through the nagging injuries that kept him off the field for a chunk of the offseason program..."

**JustAnotherBearsFan99** · 07-19-2012, 07:50 PM

If only we had Air Currie. The greatest receiver who never caught an NFL pass....

**short faced bear** · 07-19-2012, 08:45 PM

Oh hell I remember Martz as well as some in the media spewing how Roy "Mr. Mittens" Williams would catch up to 90 balls. If the whole WR corps even lives up to mild expectations it's a quantum leap.

These guys are just trying to chum the waters to prime the readers for the season good or bad.

**BigBadPapaBear** · 07-19-2012, 10:55 PM

Earl Bennett is easily a 1000yd guy. He's not flashy but he has a very similar game to Marvin Harrison.

**Riczaj01** · 07-19-2012, 11:14 PM

Bennett isn't even close to Marvin Harrison. Harrison was a top notch #1 WR for 4-5 years w/the good Manning. Bennett is a possession guy, nothing more nothing less, he's the best at it, but don't confuse w/a real #1 WR; there's a reason we had to bring one in after all. Bennett has only topped 50 rec's and 700 yards once his rookie year, now he's a 1K guy easy?

**BigBadPapaBear** · 07-19-2012, 11:32 PM

1. I said, "he has a very SIMILAR game to Harrison."

Similar
1. things that are similar share some qualities but are not exactly the same

2. Harrison caught a lot of balls with Manning. He didn't have great speed but was an outstanding route runner and was always good at finding holes in coverage. Bennett does all those things well too.

3. Bennett has averaged 13.4yds a catch in his career and averaged nearly 16yds a game last season. He isn't just a posession receiver. Harrison averaged 13.2yds a catch over his career. And both are the same height 6'0.

4. Bennett is just coming into his own now as a reliable target for Cutler.

5. How many yards a game does a WR need to be a 1000yd receiver?
Answer: 62.5 yards a game.

Shocking isn't it how easily some one can be a 1000yd receiver. The guy just needs to play a full 16 and have some balls thrown to him. Its not difficult man. You don't need to be a #1 in this league to get 1000yds.

**soulman** · 07-20-2012, 12:30 AM

Originally Posted by BearStuff

Writers don't have anything to write these days. Stirring the pot a little generates readers and comments.....which generate more reading and commenting.

You can't tell me we haven't upgraded the receivers. Of course they have to "do it on the field". Of course they played in other places w/ other schemes. Still, the point is we have size and talent like we haven't ever had. Barring injury, the expectations should be high and the production vastly improved. I don't care what ESPN writes.

And a big shit to that sir. It's almost as if Dickerson and Wright got together and said, "well you write this and I'll write that." It's almost, but not quiet a "point/counterpoint" kind of article with Dickerson taking the positive and Wright the negative.

I was almost waiting to read a "Jane (Jeff) you magnificently ignorant slut out of Micheal Wright.

Dickerson writes simply to inform readers as to what changes have taken place and how each must fit and perform in the offense as he sees it. It's an IMHO approach.

Michael Wright want to criticize, find faults in all of them and basically tell the reader how the reader should see it. It's not an opinion it's a critique and quite frankly I don't see any Super Bowl rings on his finger so where's the expertise coming from that makes him the authority on the Bears receivers and there passing game.

All I'm reading is negatives and what I consider weak excuses used to make a point.

Brandon Marshall has played in three different offensive systems during his NFL career. Two in Denver and one in Miami. For the last four year he's also been playing with QB's of far less talent than Jay Cutler but it hasn't stopped him from continuing to be a 1000-1200 yard per year receiver. So he's gonna have a problem adapting to this offense???

Yeah right.

I think I'll just stop here since the rest of it makes little more sense that this does. It's all pretty poor theories and all negative.

**Riczaj01** · 07-20-2012, 07:35 AM

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.

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