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 "For the past eight seasons we have been honored to have Devin
Hester as a part of our organization," general manager Phil Emery
said Thursday in a statement. "While Devin has redefined the
pinnacle standard of the return position in the NFL, the memories
and contributions he has given us cannot be measured by stats or
numbers.
"Not only is Devin a special player, he is also an exceptional
person. He is a great teammate, husband and father. Devin
represented the organization off the field as well as he did on it.
When his career is over, he will always be a welcome member of the
Bears family. We thank him for his dedication and wish him and his
family all the best."
Hester, 31, is the NFL's all-time leader in punt return touchdowns
(13) and total kick return touchdowns (18). Including his 108-yard
missed field goal return touchdown, Hester's 19 overall return
touchdowns are tied with Hall of Famer Deion Sanders for the most in
regular-season history. When adding Hester's 92-yard kickoff return
touchdown to open Super Bowl XLI, his 20 overall return touchdowns
(including the postseason) are an NFL record.
In 123 games played (46 starts) over eight seasons (2006-13),
Hester's 3,241 punt return yards are eighth most in NFL history and
his 12.3 punt return average ranks fifth. He is the franchise's
all-time leader in total return touchdowns, punt return touchdowns,
punt return yards, kickoff return yards (5,504), total kick return
yards (8,745) and second in all-purpose yards (11,632).
A three-time Pro Bowler (2006, 2007 and 2010 seasons), Hester was
named to the 2000's All-Decade team by the Associated Press and
ESPN.
Prior to the team's announcement, Hester had said, "From my
knowledge, I know that Chicago wants to go a different route with
me. All I can say is thanks to the fans for their support. They've
always been great to me. Always been loyal. I couldn't have played
for a better city than those guys. At the end of my career, I do
want to retire as a member of the Bears."
He then was open in saying he hopes to land in Tampa Bay where his
former head coach, Lovie Smith is coaching.
"I look at Lovie as my No. 1 coach right now because he's the one
that took a chance on me coming out of the draft," Hester said. "He
has all my respect so if he's a guy that is going to shoot at me and
want me to come play with him again, my arms are open."
—With 25 players entering some form of free agency next month,
second-year head coach Marc Trestman is prepared for another
offseason of change.
Trestman said defensive end Julius Peppers, who if released would
leave the Bears with $8 million in so-called dead money, "like a lot
of us had 8-8 seasons." His return might require a restructured
contract. Salary-cap money could be tight with veteran cornerback
Charles Tillman and defensive tackle Henry Melton on the road to
unrestricted free agency while rehabbing from season-ending
injuries.
"He had very, very good moments and moments where he didn't play as
well as he would have liked," Trestman said of Peppers.
The Bears will be primarily a 4-3 defense and retained coordinator
Mel Tucker after briefly considering a 3-4 scheme.
"What we're doing is looking at the existing scheme and in the
process of putting together a scheme that suits the players we will
have," Trestman said. "We're not going to know who those players are
going to be for quite some time."
Trestman said the Bears will be younger on defense, and general
manager Phil Emery has bluntly pointed to investing draft picks to
rebuild on that side of the ball.
One area of need is the secondary. Safety Major Wright is a free
agent and arguably the most high-profile free agent, Tillman, said
Tuesday he wants to return and the Bears want him back, but finances
must be worked out.
"We know we're going to get younger," Trestman said. "For the most
part, it's going to be a defensive-oriented draft in terms of where
we're going."
Trestman said he talks to Melton on a daily basis. Emery raised
questions about his dedication to football but the staff has largely
praised his unique skill set. Along with Melton and Tillman,
versatile defensive lineman Corey Wootton is a free agent. He could
be coveted because, in Emery's words, he "transcends scheme" but is
coming off hip surgery.
Tucker was retained despite a dismal statistical season. The Bears
were 32nd against the run and yards per play and 30th in total
defense. Trestman pointed to injuries to weak-side linebacker Lance
Briggs and Tillman not only for their on-field ability but also the
toll losing locker-room leaders had on a green defense.
In lockstep with Emery, Trestman reviewed the season game-by-game to
quantify the root of the areas of concern, and the decision was made
to retain Tucker. Trestman said most of the same qualities that
stood out in their initial interview rose to the forefront.
"His ability to communicate, his understanding of the defense at all
three levels and his understanding of adapting and assimilating the
defense, and his ability to lead men," Trestman said. "At the end of
the season that did not change."
Change will now be embraced.
From the time Trestman spoke at the Scouting Combine in 2013, the
Bears added 10 players to their offense and worked them into a
scheme that evolved throughout the season.
NOTES, QUOTES
—The Shea McClellin question has been answered by Chicago Bears
general Phil Emery.
Now it's up to the 2012 first-round Bears draft pick to answer the
call to arms.
Ineffective over two seasons as a defensive end, McClellin is being
moved to linebacker. Emery said at Thursday's NFL Scouting Combine
that McClellin will compete both at middle linebacker and
strong-side linebacker.
"He is a perfect candidate to be on the field all downs in some
capacity, whether that is blitzing, rushing, playing against the run
in run personnel, but he is going to have to compete for his job,"
Emery said. "He could win that job at SAM (strong side). He could
win that job at MIKE (middle)."
While Emery said McClellin could be used rushing the passer off the
edge, this is not a situation where the former Boise State star is
specializing on only passing downs.
"Competition (for McCellin) right now is Jon Bostic, Khaseem Greene
and it's Shea," Emery said. "Obviously we feel that Lance Briggs is
our weak (side) starter."
It's also possible, Emery said, that McClellin will have to compete
in the middle with D.J. Williams if the veteran free agent signs
back with the Bears. Williams suffered a torn left pectoral muscle
last year near mid-season and the Bears used Bostic there for nine
starts as a rookie. James Anderson was the strong-side linebacker
last year, and is a free agent. The Bears have been non-committal
toward bringing Anderson back.
"If we add back a D.J. Williams or another player, that player will
be involved in that competitive mix and it's best person wins those
two spots," Emery said.
The Bears are not changing to a 3-4 alignment, so this means
McClellin would be expected to cover in passing situations at times,
just like any other 4-3 linebacker.
"We see it every day on the practice field," Emery said. "We see it
on the game field. Adrian Peterson isn't used much in the passing
game, but (McClellin) was one-on-one with him and had no trouble
covering him (on pass routes).
"The guy has very good hips, very good quickness and very good speed
for his position. His size is something that's rare for us at SAM
'backer. Nick Roach was our SAM 'backer (two years ago). There's a
big difference in size there. (McClellin) is going to be our biggest
linebacker."
McClellin told Emery he weighs about 260 now and will be expected to
be at 248 to 252 pounds. McClellin will still get to be a pass
rusher at times.
"I think Shea is really excited about it, just the opportunity to
get off the ball, to be able to run and do some things," coach Marc
Trestman said. "And that doesn't mean Shea won't be a pass rusher.
But his skill set is speed. I'm really excited to see how this
evolves with him. And most importantly, he's excited about it."
McClellin had four sacks and 14 hurries last year. He was the 19th
pick of the 2012 draft and the first one by Emery as general
manager. Emery passed on Chandler Jones and Whitney Mercilus in
making the pick.
Trestman said new Bears linebackers coach Reggie Herring evaluated
McClellin coming out of Boise State and saw the skills to play in
space.
"And that was great to hear and great to know," Trestman said. "So
he's excited about working with him and certainly he is as big of an
expert as we have on this staff in terms of the ability of
developing a linebacker. So we are excited about it."
—Coach Marc Trestman explained the decision to bring back
coordinator Mel Tucker after the Bears ranked last against the run
on defense.
"We felt we had to do some things," he said about changes made to
the defensive coaching staff, "but the starting point was we felt
Mel could lead and coach the defense."
Trestman and Emery evaluated all the players and coaches after the
season ended. Trestman thought Tucker had a lot to do, learning the
defensive system that the Bears already used instead of using his
own system, and then coaching that system.
"I had confidence in him from the beginning that he could do that,"
Trestman said. "At the end of the season that did not change."
[to top of second column] |
—Although Emery has said the Bears will not change from a 4-3, it's
obvious they plan on being able to move into a 3-4 if they feel the
matchup is better. One indication is the Bears brought in assistants
Paul Pasqualoni (line) and Herring.
"These guys have 3-4 backgrounds," Trestman said. "We think we've
put together a staff of guys who can really incorporate and be
flexible with the players we're going to have going through this
process. We're going to start from the 4-3 but we've got to be
flexible in our scheme to move people around and have the ability to
get it done and not just do it because we see other teams doing it
-- but doing it because we have the skill set and experience to be
able to do it."
—The days when the Bears always looked for smaller, faster
defensive linemen to fit the cover-2 style defensive scheme seems to
be history.
Asked what he's looking for in defensive linemen in the draft, Emery
said: "I'll just say that my personal preference is bigger is always
better as long as you're not sacrificing athleticism and speed. This
is a fast game, but it's a very physically tough, impactful game and
you need bigger bodies over time to win those matchups."
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
—The Bears agreed to terms with defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff
on a two-year contract keeping him from becoming an unrestricted
free agent on March 11.
Ratliff started four of the five games he played for the Bears in
2013 after signing with the team in November, recording 14.5 tackles
- including 1.5 sacks and one tackle for a loss.
During Ratliff's nine-year career with Dallas (2005-12) and Chicago,
the four-time Pro Bowler (2008-2011) has started 89 of 109 games
played, recording 331.5 tackles - including 28.5 sacks and 26
tackles for loss - 13 fumble recoveries and five forced fumbles.
—The Bears also signed defensive end Trevor Scott to a one-year
contract on Thursday (March 6).
The 6-foot-5, 260-pound Scott has appeared in 76 games with 18
starts over six seasons with Oakland (2008-11), New England (2012)
and Tampa Bay (2013), registering 94 tackles -- including 16 1/2
sacks and 21 tackles for losses.
He was released by the Buccaneers on Oct. 24.
Sunday, the Bears re-signed potential unrestricted free agents,
defensive tackle Nate Collins and quarterback Jordan Palmer.
—Punter Adam Podlesh was released by the Bears on Wednesday, a move
that had been expected since the end of the 2013 season.
Podlesh, a seven-year veteran, would have counted $1.87 million
against the 2014 salary cap. He averaged a career-low 40.6 yards per
punt last season with the Bears.
He signed with Chicago as an unrestricted free agent in 2011 to
replace Brad Maynard after four seasons with the Jacksonville
Jaguars.
He averaged 42.3 yards per punt and a net average of 39.4 yards in
three seasons with the Bears.
—The Bears signed veteran center Roberto Garza to a one-year
contract.
The 6-foot-2, 310-pound Garza started all 16 games for the Bears'
record-breaking offense in 2013. Garza was a part of an offensive
line that allowed just 30 sacks last season, tied for fourth fewest
in the NFL, and helped pave way for Pro Bowl running back Matt
Forte's career-high 1,339 rushing yards, which ranks ninth-most in
franchise history and more than any Bears player other than Hall of
Famer Walter Payton.
All five starters along the 2013 Bears offensive line are now under
contract for the 2014 season.
Garza was slated to become an unrestricted free agent on March 11.
"I'm excited to keep playing and playing for a great franchise and a
great city," Garza said. "Everybody knows that I wanted to stay
here. With the guys that I'm playing with, everything is coming
together. I feel it's a great opportunity to build on what we
started last year.
"Everybody's coming back and we're going to be in the same system
for the second year. We did some good things last year, but there's
a lot of stuff we have to build on and correct and do better. It's
going to be fun to watch the film from last year and get better at
things that are going to make us a better football team."
The two-time team captain (2012-13) was part of a Bears offense that
set a franchise record for total net yards (6,109), gross passing
yards (4,450), net passing yards (4,281), passer rating (96.9),
completion percentage (64.4), total first downs (344) and passing
first downs (215), while finishing second in franchise annals in
total points (445) last season. Chicago's 45 offensive touchdowns in
2013 were fifth most in franchise history and most in the Super Bowl
era.
"Roberto is an outstanding player and person," head coach Marc
Trestman said. "He is as hard-working a player as we have and an
unselfish leader. He is tremendously important in our preparation by
quarterbacking the offensive line both in run and pass protection.
He anchors everything we do up front and we're thrilled to have him
back."
Carrying 13 years of NFL experience with Atlanta (2001-04) and
Chicago (2005-13), Garza has started 164 of 194 games played in his
career, including appearing in all 16 contests during 10 seasons
(2001, 2004-09 and 2011-13). He has made starts at each of the
interior lineman spots, while helping pave the way for a 1,000-yard
rusher in seven of the last 10 campaigns, including six with
Chicago.
Garza started both guard positions for the Bears from 2005-10 before
taking over the center position in 2011 where he has anchored the
line for 48 straight contests.
"When you're around Roberto on a day-to-day basis, you realize he's
a better person and leader than he is a player and we think he's a
very good player," offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer said. "It was
important for us to get him back. We're excited to have him back.
He's a veteran presence in the (offensive line) room. He probably
had his best year last year so we think he's on the upswing even
though he has a lot of years under his belt. We think he can be very
productive for us again this upcoming year."
The Bears also re-signed tight end Dante Rosario and cornerback
Kelvin Hayden to one-year deals, knocking two more potential
unrestricted free agents off their list.
Hayden has started 49 of 101 games in nine seasons with the
Indianapolis Colts (2005-10), Atlanta Falcons (2011) and Bears
(2012-13). The former second-round draft pick has 345 tackles, 12
interceptions, three return touchdowns, 44 pass deflections, four
forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries.
Hayden missed all of last season after being placed on injured
reserve with a hamstring injury. In 2012, he had 40 tackles (26
solo), one interception, three pass deflections and tied for the NFL
lead with four opponent fumble recoveries in 16 games.
—The Bears re-signed safety Derrick Martin and center Taylor Boggs.
Martin, who was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent,
played seven games last season. He signed with the Bears after
cornerback Charles Tillman's season-ending triceps injury. Martin
mainly played on special teams.
Boggs played just one game for the Bears last year. He was set to be
an exclusive rights free agent before re-signing. He could compete
for the starting center spot if Roberto Garza leaves via free
agency, but is more likely to be a backup.
FREE-AGENT UPDATE
Scheduled to be unrestricted in March
-
LB James Anderson
-
CB Zack Bowman
-
T-G Eben Britton
-
DT Landon Cohen
-
LB Blake Costanzo
-
KR-PR Devin Hester
-
LS Patrick Mannelly
-
DT Henry Melton
-
QB Josh McCown
-
CB Sherrick McManis
-
T Jonathan Scott
-
S Craig Steltz
-
CB Charles Tillman
-
LB D.J. Williams
-
DL Corey Wootton
-
S Major Wright
TEAM NEEDS
DEFENSIVE TACKLE: Someone to help plug the inside and also provide
interior pass rush pressure is needed, since Henry Melton's return
is no given after knee surgery.
DEFENSIVE END: If Julius Peppers is really to be cut, this is a line
without a pass rush threat. Someone is needed to scare quarterbacks
off the edge.
SAFETY: Chris Conte's confidence is shot and he doesn't have needed
speed. Major Wright has proven himself average at best and he is a
free agent.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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