By Brad BiggsPart 5 of a 12-part series.
As disappointing as the Bears' offense was in 2009, the group that entered the season with the most question marks wound up the brightest of the bunch.
No, the Bears didn't have any Pro Bowl wide receivers -- they've had just one since 1972, Marty Booker in 2002 -- but they showed enough promise in an otherwise forgettable season to give new offensive coordinator Mike Martz reason to be excited moving forward.
That's a departure from where the Bears were a year ago, discussing Terrell Owens, Plaxico Burress and everything in between. The Bears were poised to make a move for Burress if he hadn't run an out route to jail in New York. They passed on Torry Holt, a key figure of the "Greatest Show on Turf," and it turns out they made the right move in working to develop their own.
Photo: Johnny Knox flashed big-play potential as a rookie in 2009. (Phil Velasquez/Tribune)
"Boy, they've got some speed," Martz gushed when asked about the group
earlier in the week. "And that really is kind of a diamond to me. When
you look at that group, they can be a real strength of this football
team. With (Devin) Aromashodu and (Johnny) Knox is really a diamond to
me, and (Devin) Hester, what he can do whether he's outside or in the
slot, the matchups on these guys are extreme.
"When I went to St. Louis from Washington, Isaac Bruce was too skinny. They weren't real happy with him. He was always hurt. They drafted this little guy, Az Hakim and they didn't know what they were going to do with him. And Ricky Proehl was a slow white guy. That's three-quarters of the 'Greatest Show on Turf.' And really what we'll do with these guys ... I think there's plenty of talent there. I'm real excited about their speed and the potential, and what we'll do is give them every opportunity to explore that and not make a definition on what any one of those guys can do but let them prove to us and put no limits on them."
That's precisely what you want to hear: a coach coming into a new situation with no preconceived notions on who should fit where. The Bears still might not have a Pro Bowler in the group, but if quarterback Jay Cutler improves under Martz the way everyone expects him to, these players are only going to improve.
The Bears are going to get off the bus chucking the ball, and with that we take a look at the wide receivers in the fifth installment of a 12-part analysis of the roster.
Wide receivers
Roll call: Devin Aromashodu, Earl Bennett, Rashied Davis, Devin Hester, Juaquin Iglesias, Johnny Knox.
2009 overview: Bennett and Hester were the primary starters, but the Bears did a better job than they had in the past of rotating players and dividing playing time. The result was fairly even production from the top three, especially after the rookie Knox got off to such a fine start. Bennett proved he was a capable possession receiver and Cutler's comfort level with him was apparent. He showed no fear going across the middle and should be able to find a role in Martz's scheme, although he will be pushed to maintain a starting job. For as much flak as Hester continues to get, the numbers were pretty solid until a calf muscle pull late in the season cost him playing time. He finished with 57 receptions (tops among wide receivers) for 757 yards (13.3 average) and three touchdowns. Through the Philadelphia game in Week 11, Hester was on pace for 83 catches and 982 yards, production no one would have complained about because those that have cast him as a potential No. 1 wide receiver were mistaken. Martz mentioned using him in the slot, and ultimately he could be best there similar to a former receiver he mentioned, Hakim.
Here's the rub on Knox and Aromashodu: Just before the season, Aromashodu was slated to be the third guy. Then, he got a quad injury and was forced to the sideline while Knox took off. Had Aromashodu stayed healthy, Knox would have been inactive on game days from the start of the season. As it was, the rookie speedster from Abilene Christian, a Division II school, got his chance. Before the end of the season, Aromashodu's chance came and Cutler immediately showed a preference, pushing the ball his direction. He's a different receiver and the only big target the Bears have in the bunch, but remember that in Martz's scheme, he doesn't put a premium on size.
Davis got minimal chances in the slot,but proved to be a veteran player that his young teammates could lean on. It will be interesting to see what type of role he's able to challenge for in the new system. He has been a reliable player on special teams. Iglesias became the latest version of Bennett, a draft pick that can't get on the field as a rookie.
By the numbers: Couple interesting things we learned about the newcomers. First, as explosive as Knox was and as promising as his future is, he had only three games where he produced more than 44 yards receiving. Consistency is going to be an issue moving forward for him, but expect him to be improved with more seasoning. Second, Aromashodu's production came almost entirely in the final four games. Yes, had it happened earlier, defenses would have schemed to limit him and it would have been difficult for him to maintain the pace he was on. But his production over those four games -- 22 receptions for 282 yards and four touchdowns -- translates to 88 catches for 1,128 yards and 16 touchdowns over an entire season.
Free agency/draft priority: Low. Unless the Bears believe there is a good fit that is needed to take the group to the next level, it would be surprising if anything big happened here. Plot all you want about a way for the team to pry Brandon Marshall out of Denver, that just doesn't look feasible, or necessary when considering the other needs. Ditto Anquan Boldin, who the Bears offered a second-round draft pick for on draft weekend last year. If Martz sees someone who has played for him in the past and might be a nice match to help teach the offense, that wouldn't be a bad idea.
Player to watch: Knox. It wasn't difficult to catch Martz's excitement about Knox, who some over the last year have compared to former Washington Redskins Pro Bowl performer Gary Clark. Knox has the speed to be a vertical threat and has shown the tenacity needed to work between the numbers. The Bears were careful in not giving him too much as a rookie. He'll be asked to learn a lot.
Looking ahead: It's going to be a grueling offseason for the receivers. As demanding as Martz can be with his quarterbacks, he expects every bit as much from his wideouts. Position coach Darryl Drake was one two offensive coaches retained through the purge and that's because the organization was pleased with the work he did with the young receivers. Drake's job just got more challenging.
Bottom line: Hester and the rest of the bunch are going to require some mental toughness moving ahead as they dive into a new playbook. Cutler was clearly frustrated at times last season when he wasn't on the same page with his receivers. Cutler will know the playbook by the summer, you can bet on that. He's going to need his targets to be on the same page, too.
Next: Linebackers.
"When I went to St. Louis from Washington, Isaac Bruce was too skinny. They weren't real happy with him. He was always hurt. They drafted this little guy, Az Hakim and they didn't know what they were going to do with him. And Ricky Proehl was a slow white guy. That's three-quarters of the 'Greatest Show on Turf.' And really what we'll do with these guys ... I think there's plenty of talent there. I'm real excited about their speed and the potential, and what we'll do is give them every opportunity to explore that and not make a definition on what any one of those guys can do but let them prove to us and put no limits on them."
That's precisely what you want to hear: a coach coming into a new situation with no preconceived notions on who should fit where. The Bears still might not have a Pro Bowler in the group, but if quarterback Jay Cutler improves under Martz the way everyone expects him to, these players are only going to improve.
The Bears are going to get off the bus chucking the ball, and with that we take a look at the wide receivers in the fifth installment of a 12-part analysis of the roster.
Wide receivers
Roll call: Devin Aromashodu, Earl Bennett, Rashied Davis, Devin Hester, Juaquin Iglesias, Johnny Knox.
2009 overview: Bennett and Hester were the primary starters, but the Bears did a better job than they had in the past of rotating players and dividing playing time. The result was fairly even production from the top three, especially after the rookie Knox got off to such a fine start. Bennett proved he was a capable possession receiver and Cutler's comfort level with him was apparent. He showed no fear going across the middle and should be able to find a role in Martz's scheme, although he will be pushed to maintain a starting job. For as much flak as Hester continues to get, the numbers were pretty solid until a calf muscle pull late in the season cost him playing time. He finished with 57 receptions (tops among wide receivers) for 757 yards (13.3 average) and three touchdowns. Through the Philadelphia game in Week 11, Hester was on pace for 83 catches and 982 yards, production no one would have complained about because those that have cast him as a potential No. 1 wide receiver were mistaken. Martz mentioned using him in the slot, and ultimately he could be best there similar to a former receiver he mentioned, Hakim.
Here's the rub on Knox and Aromashodu: Just before the season, Aromashodu was slated to be the third guy. Then, he got a quad injury and was forced to the sideline while Knox took off. Had Aromashodu stayed healthy, Knox would have been inactive on game days from the start of the season. As it was, the rookie speedster from Abilene Christian, a Division II school, got his chance. Before the end of the season, Aromashodu's chance came and Cutler immediately showed a preference, pushing the ball his direction. He's a different receiver and the only big target the Bears have in the bunch, but remember that in Martz's scheme, he doesn't put a premium on size.
Davis got minimal chances in the slot,but proved to be a veteran player that his young teammates could lean on. It will be interesting to see what type of role he's able to challenge for in the new system. He has been a reliable player on special teams. Iglesias became the latest version of Bennett, a draft pick that can't get on the field as a rookie.
By the numbers: Couple interesting things we learned about the newcomers. First, as explosive as Knox was and as promising as his future is, he had only three games where he produced more than 44 yards receiving. Consistency is going to be an issue moving forward for him, but expect him to be improved with more seasoning. Second, Aromashodu's production came almost entirely in the final four games. Yes, had it happened earlier, defenses would have schemed to limit him and it would have been difficult for him to maintain the pace he was on. But his production over those four games -- 22 receptions for 282 yards and four touchdowns -- translates to 88 catches for 1,128 yards and 16 touchdowns over an entire season.
Free agency/draft priority: Low. Unless the Bears believe there is a good fit that is needed to take the group to the next level, it would be surprising if anything big happened here. Plot all you want about a way for the team to pry Brandon Marshall out of Denver, that just doesn't look feasible, or necessary when considering the other needs. Ditto Anquan Boldin, who the Bears offered a second-round draft pick for on draft weekend last year. If Martz sees someone who has played for him in the past and might be a nice match to help teach the offense, that wouldn't be a bad idea.
Player to watch: Knox. It wasn't difficult to catch Martz's excitement about Knox, who some over the last year have compared to former Washington Redskins Pro Bowl performer Gary Clark. Knox has the speed to be a vertical threat and has shown the tenacity needed to work between the numbers. The Bears were careful in not giving him too much as a rookie. He'll be asked to learn a lot.
Looking ahead: It's going to be a grueling offseason for the receivers. As demanding as Martz can be with his quarterbacks, he expects every bit as much from his wideouts. Position coach Darryl Drake was one two offensive coaches retained through the purge and that's because the organization was pleased with the work he did with the young receivers. Drake's job just got more challenging.
Bottom line: Hester and the rest of the bunch are going to require some mental toughness moving ahead as they dive into a new playbook. Cutler was clearly frustrated at times last season when he wasn't on the same page with his receivers. Cutler will know the playbook by the summer, you can bet on that. He's going to need his targets to be on the same page, too.
Next: Linebackers.
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Bears still need a true number one receiver, I saw that Holt is available again and he knows Martz's offense. If he is willing to come in and be a mentor to the Bears young and still developing receivers, they should go for it.
Hester really didn't have that great of a season, teams were doubling Olsen rather than the Bears number 1 reciever. His 3 TD's is very unimpressive, and his two best games came against Ari and Cin but most of his yards came after tha game was over and the Bears were blown out. Hester was a no factor in 6 of the 13 games he started. Hester has just recently expressed the desire to return to returns full time, just after Martz was hired. Complaining that he was running to much and would like to run less. Knox had almost as many touches as Hester and was the Bears primary kick returner as well, I don't here him complaining about running to much. I didn't hear Harvin complain about it either.
Does Hester want to win or does he want to do less work?
Knox on the other hand had a better average as a reciever and on returns and scored twice as many TD's as Hester. On a team with good recievers Knox would be your future Breaston, playing in the slot. Hester would be your 4th or 5th. He tied for 46th in recieving yards, totally unimpressive for a number 1 starter. Holt started 12 games and had 722 yards at 33 in a run heavy offense, Mike Wallace started 4 games and had 756 yards and 6 td's, Davone Bess started 2 games and had 758 yards and 2 td's, Pierre Garcon started 13 games and had 4td's. Hester was the only primary reciever of this group.
People say he had a good season, but for your primary reciever to put up numbers like he did is a very bad thing. He compared to guys who only started 2 or 3 games and are considered 3rd and 4th recievers on their teams.
The Bears ranked 8th in passing attempts but only 17th in passing yards. They averaged only 2 fewer pass attempts per game than the colts but passed for a 1000 fewer yards. The averaged only 6.5 yards per pass attempt which left them just above the Bills and 9ers,
I am glad Martz likes Knox and sees Hester as more of a slot guy. But these young recievers are going to be asked to change their language, system and will be expected to know about 220 plays. I think Knox is good for about 10 right now.
You know if the Bears had just skipped the dog and pony show the recievers would have had an extra month with his playbook.
JOE,
Why can there not be ONE story here without a negative comment?
There are many of us Bears fans that are looking forward to the changes made, and believe that the Bears have a chance to be good nest year.
Contrary to what some believe............Jay Cutler is not "The dumbest QB in the league"
Why not just watch and see if Martz can turn our young receivers and Cutler into an offensive force?
If the defense can get it together we could easily be a playoff contender.
Always with the negativity...........shheeeeeeeeeeeeesh!!!
Don,
Who would you bump from the group to give Peterman a chance? While I agree that he is a decent possession guy, so is Bennett, and likely we will see Iglesias in a similar role in 2010 (big guy, not blazing speed, supposedly good hands, although we did not see that in preseason 2009). Because of Rashied Davis' role on special teams, there will be an inclination to keep him, especially since we are letting Peterson go. That makes us 6 deep right out of the gate. They thought enough of Iglesias to keep him on the active roster, while they put Peterman on the practice squad, risking losing him to another team. With Martz's traditional offense, we would dress 6 WRs on game day, but I do not see that happening without some roster tweaks before the season. Considering we want to run the ball, we will need all 3 TEs, and we build our special teams through our reserve LB corps.
This is just another wasted spot on the practice squad, where he has almost no shot of being anything other than a camp body in Chicago. Brandon Rideau, Mike Hass, and several others (Fontel Mines, who was a tweener between WR and TE) have all rolled through here and been popular because they make a few plays in preseason against other 3rd teamers, but have no future on the active roster.
If they drop someone to give Peterman a chance, I will be very surprised. The only option is if they give Martz the flexibility to dress 6 WRs every week. Otherwise, your WR group will be Aromashodu, Bennett, Knox, Hester, and Iglesias/Davis.
My favorite play from Knox last season was when he torched downfield to throw a block for Kahlil Bell. With the KnoxBlock and the CutlerCopter into the endzone, I think we have a lot of heart on this team and am looking forward to the 2010 season.
Don't forget Eric Peterman. Martz likes smart guys who run great routs. Peterman may be the next Mike Furry or Ricky Prohel. He has great hands, is quick and will pick up the offence.