Chicago Bears: Preseason Evaluation of Roy Williams and the Bears WR Corps

Three preseason games have come and gone and the talk this week on boards everywhere hasn't been about the offensive line.  It hasn't been about the defensive secondary.

No, it's been about the Chicago Bears wide receiver corps.

Devin Hester, Roy Williams, Johnny Knox, Earl Bennett, Sam Hurd, Dane Sanzenbacher and Kris Adams are the talk of the town.  And I'd make a bet that they wish they weren't.

There are a few players who have caught the eyes of fans in a positive way.  The real problem is the exposure given to the established wideouts.  

It's only the preseason, but signs haven't been pointing in good directions for the Bears receiving corps. 

Let's take a look at what the Bears receivers have shown us thus far.

Roy Williams

Williams hasn't exactly looked good.  

He's made two receptions in seven targets across three games with a couple of drops and an interception target credited to him.  He hasn't seen a lot of playing time, but catching 29 percent of the targets thrown his way is not exactly what the Bears envisioned when they signed him.

To be fair to Williams, this is a very short offseason and Williams is still trying to adjust to the strongest quarterback he has ever played for.  

Watching the tape of the games, It appears that on the catches Roy has missed/dropped that he should have had, his hands are closing just a bit late, as if he's underestimating the heat coming off of Cutler's arm, which isn't surprising.  This is correctable, and if Williams and Cutler can figure out the timing, Williams will be a big part of the Bears offense.

But that's not to say that there isn't reason to be concerned.  

Williams came into camp a little out of shape, though more hay has been made of that situation—which wasn't even on the radar until Williams said something about it himself—than should have been.  

More troubling has been his cavalier attitude about his poor performance in the preseason.  Yes, it is just the preseason.  But you would think that a player who came to Chicago seeking redemption would want to start out on fire, not lollygag around like he's got nothing to prove.  

After three poor seasons in Dallas, you have everything to prove, Roy. 

Devin Hester

Devin Hester was given high praise by Mike Martz this year, who said that after reviewing film, Devin was unquestionable the best receiver on the roster.

So where has that receiver been this preseason?

Hester was anointed the unquestioned starter at the beginning of camp and he doesn't have the problems of not knowing Cutler that Williams has.  

So why has he had so many problems with drops, especially the two crucial drops he recorded in the red zone against the Giants in Week 2 and the two more he posted against the Titans?

One thing I noticed about Hester this year is that he looks more confident and comfortable on the field than he has before.  I think this has led to the problems.

How could comfort lead to ineffective play, you ask?  It may sound a bit off to make that claim, but there is precedence for the idea in Hester's past.

In 2006, Hester was perfect as a kick returner in the early season and it seemed nobody could stop him.  But in November, it turned out there was someone who could stop Devin and that was Hester himself.  Against Miami, he cost the Bears the game by letting two kicks out of his hands, one of which gave the Dolphins the ball and the go-ahead score.  

A couple weeks later, the Bears narrowly escaped Tampa after Hester lost the handle three time, including once in overtime.

Hester ended up correcting the problem, which was identified as him trying to make things happen before he had the ball.  He was looking up field and making his first move before the ball was secured.

Watching him now, there seems to be the same situation going on.  He's looking to take that first step before the ball is in his hands, and that split second appears to make all the difference.

Can he correct this issue?  Can he fix this when the footsteps are far closer than they were in the return game?  It's correctable and it's an issue that he has corrected before in his return game, so there is reason to believe that this will be a non-issue eventually.  Let's hope he can make a similar adjustment to his receiving game.

Johnny Knox

Reading this, some of you will get the impression that I don't like Johnny "Lightning".  That couldn't be further from the truth.  But I am disappointed in him.

On to Knox.

Johnny has done absolutely nothing to get his starting spot back.  In fact, I think he’s done more to prove he doesn't belong in the X or Y spots.

He continues to run poor routes and to drop balls.  He has done nothing to outshine either Hester or Williams so far, and it's not like it would take a lot.

“But, he works so hard!” you'll hear some say.

And?  So did Rashied Davis, and yet every year the majority of fans wanted/assumed him gone.

Remember that 'Shied was a starter at one point, too.  And he was demoted for dropping fewer passes than Knox and without leading the league INT targets.

Yet nobody was up in arms when the Bears didn't resign him this year. Nobody was shaking their fists at his demotion. Yet he was a hard worker and according to Hester and Knox, a good veteran leader who wore his Bears pride on his sleeve (or head, whichever).

Knox is really fast.  Yea for him.  But until he can prove that he can run a route, create separation and hold onto the ball consistently, he has no place starting for any team.

That being said, he has a ton of potential.  Johnny Knox can be not just a starter but a star in the NFL.  He needs time to develop.  He's entering his third year in the NFL.  This is the year that most receivers make their biggest leap, and if Knox can follow the trend, the Bears will end up with an explosive receiver on their hands.

He just has to reach out there and take it.  Personally, no matter how good Williams ends up being, I hope to see Knox surpass him as the starter before the season ends.

Earl Bennett

Everyone is jumping up and down about Bennett in the preseason.  Does everyone also realize that the preseason receiving leaders generally don't even make the team?  Eric Peterman led the team last season in the preseason.  Where is he now?  How about Brandon Rideau?

I like Bennett a lot.  But he’s playing out of the slot the vast majority of the time, not facing the top corner from the X position.  

Can we be real about what he’s doing for just a second?  He’s making the tough catches across the middle and doing it like there is no tomorrow.  But, again, he’s not facing the top corners.  He’s facing nickles and safeties, for the most part. He’s an ideal slot the way he is playing. There is nothing saying that he gets that type of production at the X or Y position against top coverage corners.

So far Bennett is the only receiver on the team that I am honestly impressed with.   It would be productive for the Bears if he gets some starting reps in preseason Week 4 against first team opposition.  I think the Bears need to know if he can perform as well against the starting corners as he does against the lesser coverage backs.

The one knock everyone keeps talking about is his speed, but he’s faster and plays faster than Jerry Rice ever did (Rice ran 4.7 at the NFL combine, though he handled pads better than most receivers and lost less speed from them).

I’m certainly not saying that he is Jerry Rice, but what I am saying is that Rice is evidence that speed is only one part of the game and it's importance is often over-exagerated.  

Bennett will never be Rice, but he certainly can use the skills he has to overcome his less than ideal speed.

The Rest

We haven't seen a lot of Sam Hurd, but what we have seen is a below-average receiver who is primarily on the roster as a special-teamer.  And he will stay on the roster for that reason.  The role of special teams is considered extremely important in Chicago and Hurd is a solid member of that squad who will occasionally come in and make a few plays for the offense.

Kris Adams has disappeared after a very good showing in the first preseason game against Buffalo.  His size has made him an interesting prospect, but he just hasn't shown up after that first game.

Dane Sanzenbacher looks to be a lock to make the team—if the Bears keep six receivers, that is—after impressing the coaching staff in all three preseason games.  His numbers haven't shown as much as his play.  He's where he is supposed to be all the time, catches the ball when it comes his way and blocks when he should.  Don't expect to see a lot of him in the regular season, though.

And now it's your turn, ladies and gentlemen.  Step up on that soapbox below—known as the comment thread—and tell us what you think about the story, the opinions presented or on the receivers themselves.  We love to hear form you.  So stand up and be heard!